None of the Above, the option and the campaign, is a part of the democratic process, written into our (Swattie) Constitution. As in, it is a part of my choice, as a voter, a constituent of the student body, and as a Swarthmore student. I do not know why it is perceived as anti-democratic, when in fact it has and is currently serving as a crucial part of the check and balance system necessary to keep StuCo accountable to the student body. Instead of attacking the imagined constituents of this campaign, why don't we take a step back and ask what kind of structural bureaucracies and ideologies have maintained the status quo that has traditionally left the majority of the student body disaffected and disengaged with student government in general? Instead of protecting this defunct system that protects the privilege and comfort of a select few, why don't we expose and examine in the way it currently functions and create some creative, alternative solutions in typical Swattie fashion?
The backlash against NOTA leaves me extremely disappointed with Swarthmore. Instead of rising to the challenge and taking the opportunity to start a serious self-examination process, many Swatties have gone on the defensive and removed themselves from the examination of what is going at Swarthmore and why people are pissed off.
A quick note on the OOTA campaign: I interpret it as an attack. For me, those posters remind me that I am regarded as a second-class citizen of the Swarthmore College community. Which is why I blog. Which is why I focus on the internal growth and strengthening of the communities where I can identify as a first class member.
Swarthmore, I am this close to being done.
i've been trying to read up on the recent events surrounding the stuco election, most of which has consisted of people's comments on the daily gazette presidential forum. let me just say that i am frightened, disgusted and disappointed at the immature way some swatties have responded to differing opinions and campaigns such as the nota campaign. in some ways though, i am glad that at least i can read these comments because it brings me back to reality and i am able to remember that just because we are on a campus with very liberal, intelligent and open-minded people, many of them have not reflected on how the different histories and backgrounds that we each bring to campus require us to own/acknowledge our respected privileges/oppressions, evaluate how they shape and differentiate our experiences on campus, and how these issues are being reflected in our govt. student representation.
ReplyDeletei wish i could write more at length, but i'm a little busy on this end, but i promise to come back to this as soon as i return to the u.s. next week. maybe we could gchat or something, since i would like to hear from someone who is actually on campus explain what they saw happen at the forum as well as what people are saying about this within our communities. i just wanted to say that i hear you, sable. although the last sentence makes me sad about what this place does to people like us (i like how i talk about swarthmore as if i am still there), i'd like to think our experiences here make us better and stronger people in the end.
rosario
I really feel you and I am down with the NOTA campaign but I am just not passionate enough to stand at the forefront or get involved. At the end of the day, I just don't care about Student Council. The students of color that are elected have to be considerably moderate in order to be in the positions that they are in the first place and are probably in no position to really reflect my views. I was happy to vote NOTA but at the end of the day I really just don't give two squirts of piss. Maybe I just don't expect that much from Swarthmore based on prior experiences and previous antics. I don't feel as though I should be judged by members of my community (other students of color) for my lack of participation. That is what I perceive is happening and it is frustrating. Why do we continue to kill ourselves and put forth so much energy when these white people and some of our supposed black representatives don't really care about us anyways?
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