In the past few weeks, I have seen things at SMU that have made me feel both proud and ashamed at the same time. These mixed feelings have been caused by the events surrounding the Student Senate election and a particular referendum regarding the minority senate seats (one of which I hold). There is a lot that has been said by individuals on both sides of this issue, but I would like to take this opportunity to share with you the opinion of someone who sits squarely in the middle of this debate.
Too often, controversies such as this cause extreme reactions that lead to heated accusations and arguments that do not address the issue at hand or the heart of the controversy. I am sure you have been inundated with information regarding the amendment to the Student Body Constitution, so I will not bore you by adding more words into the already bloated pool of debate regarding this issue.
It is generally believed that all minorities are against this amendment and any step towards ending “racism in the Student Senate.” This fact is simply not true. When Senator Hummert, chair of the task force that looked at this issue, presented her recommendation to Senate, I put my full support behind her proposal and many of my fellow senators, including the minority senators in the body, did so too. The reason I originally put my full support behind the measure was because of the fact that in my four years here at SMU – people of all colors have gotten involved with and become leaders of the various Special Interest groups on our campus. It was for these individuals that I, along with my fellow senators, voted yes to send this amendment to the general student body. Many of these individuals are more than capable of representing my voice in the Senate chamber, and I wanted to give them the opportunity to do so. The fact that I could feel this way here at SMU provided me with a sense of pride, because if you look at the minority community on campus, you see the beginnings of a brighter future where Blacks, Whites, Asians and Hispanics can all seamlessly work together without regard to race.
This sense of pride was dashed by the actions of the Young Conservatives at the Senate candidate meeting last week. Unaware of the impending amendment, they decided this election that they would test the current limitations placed on the Special Interest seats, and through their actions, they have created a firestorm in the minority community that has made everyone who cares about these seats angry. This anger is directed at the YCT not because of their stance, but because of their actions. Their determination to use shock tactics has created such a whirlwind of emotion surrounding this issue that a large scale VOTE NO movement was created in response to the amendment – in fear that the YCT would try to do the same thing again next year. Now, after hearing that description of events, I hope you can empathize with the anger that the minority communities felt as they perceived this YCT move of protest as a “mockery” of their seats and communities.
In the wake of their protest, all that anyone remembers are the actions of that day, and the anger generated by those actions have been wrongly targeted at Senator Hummert’s recommendation – instead of the actions of the YCT where it belongs. I emphasized the word “actions” because the community is angered by the actions not the message, and I hope that the YCT will learn a major lesson from this debate – that their actions can hinder the ability of a valid argument from being heard.
I am proud of our student body for caring about such an important issue, but I am not proud of the shape that this false “debate” has taken. There has been no real debate on this issue. There has only been the scurrying middleman of a senate ushering back and forth between two groups that should really be talking to each other.
The minority community has constantly reached to the YCT to talk about their concerns, and I hope that, no matter what happens with this amendment, the YCT will reach back and have a dialogue. This, however, is an issue for another article. After all that has happened in the past week, I want to take you back to where all this controversy began – a two-thirds vote in favor of this legislation, a vote based on the fact that Special Interest relations on our campus has advanced to the point where we can even consider taking a step like this. I do not know if you are reading this article before or after you have voted, but I hope you will take my words to heart and consider the real message behind this amendment.