Freshman class elections: more of the same old story
The Johns Hopkins News-Letter · October 25, 2001
Once again, the time has come for the democratic process to rear its ugly head and for the newest members of the Hopkins community, the bright-eyed-and-bushy-tailed freshmen, to choose the people who will represent them in Student Council.
To echo some previous News-Letter irony: Yay.
In a way, it's always a little sad to cast a glance over the candidates' statements. Another class comes in, and in their naivet assumes that getting involved in StuCo is a way to create positive change at JHU. Either that, or they're already so cynical coming in that they're looking to get on Council just to pad their resums. Neither situation speaks overly well for the student body, but what can be done? They're freshmen, and they have to learn somehow.
In any case, their current appreciation of the political process leaves much to be desired: According to the Board of Elections, 47 percent of the freshmen voted, which BOE chair Erika Stoddard called "above average." This may be technically correct, but getting excited a turnout of less than half the class is something we hoped to never have to get excited about.
Maybe greater voter turnouts would have been possible if the current computer voting system could be replaced. Trying to modernize the voting system is a commendable effort on behalf of the BOE, and it sounds strange to want to replace computers, but the paper ballot system may actually have been more efficient. The way in which the computerized system has been implemented, with computer workstations at polling places, creating blockages along frequently-traveled routes (such as the hallway leading to MegaBYTES from the courtyard of AMR II), along with the long lines created by the system's extraordinary slowness, makes it somewhat less streamlined than we had hoped.
Perhaps if students didn't bypass voting due to a lack of time to wait in line, then have to force their way through the crowds to continue on their way, the class elections could enjoy a voter turnout that might be able to give class officers a bit more of a mandate.
All this aside, the officers have been elected, and we wish them the best. Their goals are by and large commendable, although they will soon enough realize how greatly they have overestimated StuCo's influence, and how little progress they will actually be able to make towards them.
Ultimately, the decisions on issues like making Levering into a student union, changes to the meal plan and reforms to upperclassman housing, despite their vital importance to the student body, will be made more by the administration than by the students themselves.
It's not the way it should be, not by a long shot, but it's the way things are around here at the Johnny Hop.
Welcome, freshmen. Welcome to the ugly reality.