Spring Break
A Prescription for the USG?
Mike Wang '10
Issue date: 5/11/08 Section: Opinion
Whenever the USG happens to come up in conversation, I usually see a mix of tempered enthusiasm or awkward skepticism-some deserved, some probably a natural consequence of much of the quiet, unrecognized work of many USG members.
Before I begin with my own experiences, I'd like to get a few business items out of the way first. Though this article is in the Princeton Progressive Nation, it is not here to articulate or support any political beliefs; rather, it is here to discuss resonant issues on our campus and be progressive in the sense of inspiring people to move forward and participate in direct action that addresses these issues.
For the past couple years that I've been at Princeton, I've seen our Undergraduate Student Government both from an internal and external perspective. As a first-semester freshman, I would periodically receive emails from a curiously ubiquitous, yet paradoxically distant, fellow named Alex Lenahan '07, who I eventually realized was our USG President after attending a debate about grade deflation between him and another curiously ubiquitous character, Dean Malkiel.
I didn't really know, however, what the USG actually did-other than futilely trying to rally students against the supposed evils of grade deflation- and found out only after I was elected and went to my first USG meeting. At that meeting, then USG President-elect Rob Biederman '08 outlined his goals to focus more on concrete, tangible efforts (e.g. Scavenger Hunt, USGDVD, buying out the C-store) that would, in short, make people happy-in the short run.
Only in retrospect did I realize how fundamental a change Biederman was proposing, and since then I've come to understand that much of what USG is depends on how its leadership and fellow students make it. The USG can be a policy-based lobbying team, but it can also improve student life by throwing a slew of events purely centered on fun. Either extreme may not be enough, however. If student governance wants to make a substantive, meaningful impact on student life, it not only needs to strike the right balance between the two, but it also requires a long-term strategy that will ensure longevity and continuity in its efforts.
Before I begin with my own experiences, I'd like to get a few business items out of the way first. Though this article is in the Princeton Progressive Nation, it is not here to articulate or support any political beliefs; rather, it is here to discuss resonant issues on our campus and be progressive in the sense of inspiring people to move forward and participate in direct action that addresses these issues.
For the past couple years that I've been at Princeton, I've seen our Undergraduate Student Government both from an internal and external perspective. As a first-semester freshman, I would periodically receive emails from a curiously ubiquitous, yet paradoxically distant, fellow named Alex Lenahan '07, who I eventually realized was our USG President after attending a debate about grade deflation between him and another curiously ubiquitous character, Dean Malkiel.
I didn't really know, however, what the USG actually did-other than futilely trying to rally students against the supposed evils of grade deflation- and found out only after I was elected and went to my first USG meeting. At that meeting, then USG President-elect Rob Biederman '08 outlined his goals to focus more on concrete, tangible efforts (e.g. Scavenger Hunt, USGDVD, buying out the C-store) that would, in short, make people happy-in the short run.
Only in retrospect did I realize how fundamental a change Biederman was proposing, and since then I've come to understand that much of what USG is depends on how its leadership and fellow students make it. The USG can be a policy-based lobbying team, but it can also improve student life by throwing a slew of events purely centered on fun. Either extreme may not be enough, however. If student governance wants to make a substantive, meaningful impact on student life, it not only needs to strike the right balance between the two, but it also requires a long-term strategy that will ensure longevity and continuity in its efforts.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Courtney Bailey
posted 3/11/09 @ 4:12 AM EST
Thank you for writing the article, I am very pleased with how it came out.
Mandy Ackers
posted 3/15/09 @ 3:08 AM EST
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