With the American Revolution the founders of this nation set out on the path toward the ideal of democratic government. We have yet to achieve that ideal - and we may be denying ourselves the very tools necessary to do so.
What is required of a democratic government is that there exist an educated, informed and actively participating citizenry. Our universities are an essential part of preparing that citizenry and developing the democratic institutions of the future. That is what Student Government should mean to you - the future of democracy in America.
Here at the University of Florida, however, we fall far short of this responsibility. Actually, we teach the wrong lessons here. Through an SG run by machine politics, unresponsive to and unrepresentative of the Student Body, the University of Florida places the future of Florida and of the nation in jeopardy.
The lesson taught to the general student population, and taken with them into the real world, is that government does not and cannot work. We teach them to distrust those in office and to have disgust for the institutions that are supposed to represent them. We encourage them not to pay attention and discourage them from participation. The apathy we breed on this campus will only spread into the politics of the state and the nation.
The other lesson taught is to those who are entitled to participate by holding offices in Student Government. To these select few we teach the benefits of corruption, coercion, bribery and other unethical behavior. They learn to do what it takes - whatever the costs, whoever it hurts - just to get ahead. If history provides a guide, it is only a matter of time before these are the persons occupying this state's highest government offices.
What we forget is what Student Government could be. It could and should be a model - not of how government "works" today - but how it ought to work. We should be testing new ideas for self-government and proving that there are viable alternatives to simply maintaining the status quo. It is no secret that a majority of Americans have little confidence in their government. Where better to prove that government can operate differently than on college campuses? Here the future generations can learn the skills to make the necessary changes in government - and in the process learn the lesson that their voice can make a difference. In such a way, they will feel empowered, and gain the tools necessary to participate effectively in local, state, and national governance when they leave.
Student Government affects us all - not just the students. It affects the alumni, the community, the faculty, administrators and staff. What happens on this campus will impact the future of this state and our nation.
But what else does Student Government mean to you? We often forget that Student Government has a vital function on the campus itself. Not because that function is unnecessary - but because it is untapped. Student Government is the official voice of the Student Body.
How can we expect the state and federal legislatures to care about the future of the educational system - now struggling to survive - if those who directly benefit are not organized and involved in the process? Four Student Government officials, concerned more with their future political careers than with the needs of education, will do little when they go to Tallahassee or D.C. to lobby.
They will go virtually unnoticed in the fray of the daily interest group barrage that legislators face. But a mobilized, informed and empowered Student Body of 40,000 - organized by a Student Government that truly represents and involves them - cannot go unnoticed.
That is what it will take to save Student Aid, that is what it will take to fund our depleted libraries, that is what it will take to provide decent salaries to our faculty.
Still not convinced that you need to care about Student Government? When was the last time you went to Criser Hall - because your records were flagged mistakenly, or you needed to petition to drop a class, or because your financial aid was lost?
What did the administrators tell you? Probably "Go away" or "Fill out this form" or "Sorry, we can't help you."
And why not - you are not seen as consumers in a business transaction where the "customer's always right." You are one of thousands and if you are not satisfied - leave - because they can easily replace you.
Now look at it differently. Imagine instead that Student Government was truly representative of the entire Student Body and had a commitment to student needs. Rather than standing before an uncaring administrator as a social security number you could go to the Student Government offices.
Then you could return with the official representatives of all 40,000 students. The administrator can ignore you - but he or she cannot ignore all 40,000 students. For if they did the Student Government has the resources and the interest to mobilize them in your defense.
Do you want another perspective as to why you need to demand a fully and properly functioning Student Government - one that represents you, your interests and your needs? $6.5 million dollars. That's right - and it belongs to you. But they decide how to spend it.
One place they spend that money is on student organizations - but these groups get only the crumbs. What the Student Government fails to recognize is that it is the diversity and number of these groups that make a university a truly educational experience.
The potential for Student Government at the University of Florida is immense. Organized and cooperating, the students at UF could make an impact on the war in Bosnia, homelessness in America, or the state of higher education in America.
Or they could simply guarantee that their experience at UF is the highest quality educational experience available.
The state of Florida through the Florida statutes has empowered the Student Body with a powerful and autonomous Student Government.
You should demand that you are a part of that government - even if it is simply based upon the principle - that it is your right to self-government that is being denied.