The election is today, and I still don’t know who to vote for.
There’s been much made of the glaring lack of diversity in the student body president race, and for good reason. It can be hard to care about the race with a set of candidates as uninspiring as these, but it’s important to remember that the SBP does have access to spaces of power that campus activists can’t realistically reach.
I can’t walk into a Board of Trustees meeting and assume I’ll be respected by members, for example. The SBP also has the power to set an agenda for campus conversations by sending a single email to the campus.
My question for the current candidates is this: how will you use your power to support the work of ending all forms of violence on our campus? Current Student Body President Andrew Powell has been curiously quiet on this issue. If you are elected, will you do better?
It’s my understanding that the Powell administration has done some policy work with the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office and Student Wellness. To me, this is tantamount to a whisper of support. I’m asking for a shout, a bellow of solidarity with survivors at UNC. Thus far, we haven’t had that from Powell.
I’m troubled by the Powell administration’s decision to not formally sign onto the White House’s “It’s On Us” campaign, which focuses on bystander intervention. Though the administration has reasons for its decision, including the fact that One Act addresses similar objectives, students should have had a say in the decision. Whether to implement “It’s On Us” at UNC is tough call but one that students deserved to be involved in making.
Lest we forget, UNC is still under federal investigation for violations of Title IX. Wrestling coach C.D. Mock has recently shown a propensity for blaming survivors of interpersonal violence. We still need strong leadership advocating for change.
