It might seem strange that we would choose to re-publish an article that was written nearly 20 years ago. But if you have had much to do with student politics in 2013, the resemblance outlined in Nicole Rodger’s piece to our current situation at Monash is striking; it feels like it could have been written last week.
As the 2013 Lot’s Wife Editors, Matt and I have worked on several political campaigns over the year. It is easy to get disillusioned and frustrated when the students around you don’t seem as passionate, or as pumped as you are for a cause. I remember working towards the National Student Strike on May 14th, and feeling utterly perplexed: why wouldn’t every student see what is happening and feel the dismay? More attacks on education! (In the form of the $2.3 billion cuts to Tertiary education by the Federal Government). Didn’t they want to fight for themselves? Is ‘student apathy’ the reason?
The ideas that Rodger touched on, all those years ago, still seem so pertinent. On a campus of 28,000 students, the fact that MSA membership is less than a third is saddening, but really, not all that surprising. As she argues, by dubbing students ‘apathetic’ – the catch-cry of student politicians (myself included), we are essentially giving up, not providing the opportunity, nor the tools for students to become involved in activism or politics on campus.
So what should we make of the situation in 1996? How do we compare? Unfortunately, the strong Student General Meeting (SGM) culture that Rodger describes has all but disappeared. In the last eight years, the MSA has held only two SGMs (meetings open to all Clayton students to vote and direct how the MSA should function) both of which were held this year after immense pressure from student activists. I was a part of the organising group for the first SGM, and it was heartening to see around 400 students turn up, despite the lack of recent precedence. But again, in the context of 28,000 students it is not all that impressive.
MSA elections, typically with a voter turnout of around 10 per cent of the student population, are another example of this ‘apathy’. But having campaigned during election week, speaking to hundreds of students, I would argue that it is not so much that students are apathetic, disinterested or lazy, more that they are simply not informed. While I got my fair share of unconvincing “already voted” rebuffs, I found that if you took the time to talk to students, discussed ideas and issues with them that are important to you and your campaign in an adult and clear way, most would be interested, and willing to talk.
I think this is the crux of the issue. How we (as student activists/ politicians/journalists) interact with the broader student body needs to reflect that students are not stupid, or apathetic, or ‘right-wing bigots’. Positive campaigning, that does not involve tricking students into thinking their classes have been cancelled, or sitting in offices waiting for students to come to you, is important. But really, information is the key. From Rodger’s piece, it is clear that the cycle has been around for a long time, but if students are informed, engaged and treated as capable of making critical decisions, rather than as an apathetic mob, we may just be able to turn this cycle around.
Florence Roney is current Lot’s Wife editor. She ran with the political ticket Switch at the 2013 MSA elections, unsuccessfully.
