University of Virginia Library

Kevin Mannix

Representatives Or Glory Seekers?

(Mr. Mannix has worked
with Student Council since
1967 and was twice elected
College Representative as well
as Vice-President and President
of the Council –Ed.)

With Student Council
Spring elections coming up, the
subject of the role of Student
Council is ripe for discussion.
Unfortunately, the basis for
that role is often
misunderstood.

Many student politicos run
on the basis of campaign
promises regarding specific
issues. Much like candidates for
local, state, and national office,
they promise that if elected
they will ... whatever.

Unfortunately, Student
Council is not a governing
body. Election to Student
Council provides the
opportunity to represent
student opinion, but it does
not provide the opportunity to
legislate. The distinction is
important because the high
expectations of students often
drown in the administrative
structure of the University,
where the real power to make
decisions lies.

This is not to say that
Student Council need be
ineffective. Rather, it can push
for desirable changes at this
University. The difference lies
in the work involved. A typical
legislator can get a bill passed
which must be implemented by
paid administrators. In the case
of Student Council, passing a
motion is only the first step of
a long process. That process is
designed to eliminate all but
the most strenuous workers.

For example, it took one
year and a series of meetings
with three University
committees, the Student
Council, the Office of Student
Affairs, and the Office of the
President as well as the Board
of Visitors just to implement a
proposal that first-year
undergraduates be allowed to
have cars during their second
semester.

In any given year between
25 per cent and 75 per cent of
the Council members will be
glory-seekers more interested
in attending meetings and
making statements than in
doing a job. This has been
consistently true, and I think
the current officers of Student
Council would back me up on
that if they didn't have to deal
with those persons for the rest
of the year.

So what can a voter do? In
my experience, several factors
have distinguished good
Student Council members from
do-nothing members, and these
factors are available for study
before the election.

First, has the candidate
worked, as a volunteer, for
Student Council before? Why
should one vote for a person
who says, "Elect me and I will
..." when he could have been
working toward that goal prior
to the election?

Second, how much does the
candidate know about the
details of student activity?
Such intricate knowledge
usually reveals a high degree of
interest before elections rolled
around.

Third, how specific are the
candidate's goals? Ambiguous
promises are the mark of
ambivalent candidates.
Everyone is concerned about
Security, for example, but
what specific, realistic,
proposals has the candidate
made?

One of the best yardsticks
for measuring a non-incumbent
candidate is the simple
question: how many Student