Make promises you can keep
Observer Editorial Board
As students trickle out of dorms at 12:55 a.m. on Thursday nights after watching the latest HBO movie premiere with their friends and return to their dorms as parietals expire, they have nothing but contented smiles on their faces as they contemplate the up-and-coming hip-hop and rap artists conference as well as the all-school formal.
On Fridays, students can be overheard chattering about the lower prices at the bookstore and the new bowling alley at Alumni Senior Club over their "Grab `n' Go" lunches they picked up in DeBartolo Hall with the students on service-based scholarships and from the Pacem in Terris program, which brings students from war-torn counties to get their education at Notre Dame.
Of course, this scenario is more like a dream than an average day on campus, but that's not what student government hopefuls would have the student body believe.
Each year the student population is subjected to ridiculous platform agendas from the candidates for student body president and vice president. While some platforms are better researched and more feasible than others, the story is the same year after year: little if none of the promises made in the campaign come to fruition. In fact, most of them never even have the remotest possibility of being fulfilled.
While it is important for student government to be ambitious and set high standards for itself, it should also be cognizant of its limitations. And though a noble effort may be made to achieve their goals, candidates for student body president and vice president seem to be in a contest to promise more and deliver less. When campaigns run planks in 40-point font on their posters they should have more than just a good idea to implement those plans.
The student body deserves candidates that will work hard for them, represent them and have realistic expectations of being able to deliver more than recycled pipe dreams.
All News Stories for Wednesday, January 23, 2002
