The Evolution of Student Government

These past two weeks have ushered in campaign period once again at the University I teach in. I can’t help but admire how the whole student government campaign process has changed since I myself was a student. On one hand, I see it as a positive sign, but on the other, it kinda strikes me how our whole political system needs to be improved on.

For one, today’s campaigns are so commercialized and exaggerated. In the realm of real world politics, platforms seem to take a back seat to this commercialization. In the student government world, I can still see how platforms are still important to the kids running. I think this is a good thing, especially since that’s what winning leaders should be made of: good governance and not just good connections.

Nonetheless, I still see how different campaign materials and the like have gone since the time I ran for student government. I remember in my time, we would have to make posters by hand and have just a few “professionally” done posters. Now, large tarpaulines are all over campus.

Before, we would wear pins on our same-colored shirts, but not have them printed with slogans and catch phrases, especially since it was SOOOO expensive to have a small batch of shirts printed. Today, each political party has several designs available.

Before, we would hand out bookmarks and stickers. Today, they hand out pins and baller bands. I wouldn’t be surprised if soon this goes from just personalized ballpens to custom water bottles to promote their parties.

It’s not that these changes have become detrimental to the way student government goes. It just gets me to thinking how much money goes into the production of these. While for the student government, I don’t see it as a problem, mainly because it’s not like they will try to recoup their expenses by being a corrupt student leader. But in real life politics? That makes me question the whole process.

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