Time to Vote No

This week I resigned from my position on Student Senate because I could no longer be a member of a supposed body of representation that sought to silence underrepresented voices in our community, supposedly in the name of equality.

Last Monday, Student Senate voted in favor of amending its Constitution to remove the position of International Representative, citing this position as “overrepresentation” for this group. In my conversations with students, faculty, and staff on this issue, this statement was considered laughable, if not distressing for its inaccuracy. Most Gusties would be hard-pressed to find overrepresentation of minority voices on issues that affect change on this campus, particularly Student Senate.

The International Representative is a unique position that serves a singular and essential purpose. It elevates student concerns that may be considered those of the minority in their dorm or class to a concern of the majority, and I believe it is necessary to retain this position to ensure that we continue to hear these voices that would otherwise be lost and minimized among their peers in larger pools of representation.

Currently, there is not equitable representation of the diversity of student concerns on this campus, and eliminating the International Representative position only widens this chasm of communication and representation.

This Monday, March 24 a vote will go out to students to approve or reject this amendment to the Senate’s Constitution, and I will be voting no. I will be voting ‘no’ to keep the International Representative and preserve underrepresented voices in student government. ‘No,’ because I cannot imagine that students would seek to minimize, alienate, or impose an exclusionary perspective on any group in our community. ‘No,’ because I have empathy for the experiences of others that may differ from my own.

‘No,’ because we need everyone’s voices.