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KWON AND FRYAR: Student self-governance trumps entitlement

The state of the Class of 2016’s governing institutions is strong

Student self-governance is stronger than ever. It allows students the freedom to make decisions that will enrich our community and foster its visions. We plan on working closely with this extremely talented, unique and diverse group of new Trustees to create a community within the University that expands past the mainstream avenues to which Student and Class Councils stereotypically cater. Student self-governance should include a diversity of opinions and not be afraid to stray from previous traditions in order to better represent the student body.

Our campaign promised greater inclusivity and that is what does and what will continue to drive all of our decisions. Our vision for the Class of 2016 is moving from the cliquey atmosphere of a high school student government association, in which only the popular, mainstream kids are able to shine, to a Trustees Council that fully embodies all of the voices of our class. Our Council this year is the most diverse it has ever been; it spans across all schools, races, religions, ideologies, majors, backgrounds, groups and CIOs on Grounds. Even within different ethnicities, students are diverse in and of themselves. Even the pool of applicants this year was more diverse than we have ever seen before. Diversity within the Trustees Council will allow us to gain and include perspectives and insights that have previously been excluded or not represented.

We stated during individual meetings with Meredith Markwood and Lauren Russell, who recently co-authored an op-ed with a current Trustee, that they were qualified, yet they were edged out by other applicants for Trustees who better represent the groups they represent as well. Looking at our current Trustees Council, this is very clear. We took a holistic approach toward every candidate and many qualities and criteria were used to create a very versatile Council, with experience being only one of the factors weighed into the decision.

To say they were more deserving or entitled to be on Trustees than other members of our current Trustees is not only wrong, but disrespectful to the current Trustees, some of whom have told us they feel insulted, belittled and looked down upon. This is unacceptable and we firmly stand by our decisions. For individuals to feel entitled to automatically return to the Council solely based on previous experience has absolutely no grounding. After reviewing the applicant pool from this year, we have seen that more than 73 percent of applicants to Trustees had no prior Council experience. Their lack of experience with Class Council did not set them on a lower pedestal than a member from the previous Council. A large amount of the Trustees this year were previously unknown to us before the selection process. Our decision for Trustees was not based on their allegiance to any candidate. We made decisions that include people who had campaigned for other parties as well as made the difficult decisions to cut our very close friends.

After reconsidering Markwood and Russell’s appeal for reconsideration onto Trustees, we decided to stick to our original decisions and denied their request. As leaders, we must make tough decisions that sometimes spark deep emotions.

There are always multiple sides to every story. People portray, frame and deliver information in a manner that supports their case. However, we created a Council that is dynamic enough to create new and exciting programming to reinvigorate a stagnating Class of 2016. We acknowledge the difficulty of keeping everyone happy and satisfied, but such is the territory that comes with being an elected representative.

We stand by our decisions and our current members on Trustees. We feel wholeheartedly that our Trustees are the best members to reach all corners of our Class. They are all highly qualified, capable and enthusiastic for our coming years and we are excited for the great and inclusive work we will accomplish with the Class of 2016.

Andrew Kwon and Donald Fryar are the president and vice-president of the Class of 2016, respectively.

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