Students search for answers on student government's political makeup

Despite the rumors, student leaders say that there is no vast, right-wing conspiracy at Tufts.

Members of the Tufts Community Union Judiciary (TCUJ), Committee on Student Life (CSL) and TCU Senate say fears of ideological tilts in the student government are exaggerated and unwarranted.

Most of the uproar has been confined to the TCUJ, where two campus conservatives, sophomores Jordana Starr and Nicholas Boyd, are both serving their first terms.

Starr and Boyd are both on the masthead of the conservative publication The Primary Source and members of the Tufts Republicans.

The two conservatives serve on the judicial court of a school that identifies itself as overwhelming liberal. According to a March 3 Daily poll, 67 percent of students plan to vote for the Democratic presidential candidate, while only ten percent plan to vote for Republican President George W. Bush.

Rather than interpreting Starr and Boyd's positions on the TCUJ as signs of a larger conservative campus takeover, the consensus among those involved in student government is that the situation is the result of student interest in campus politics.

"The inaction on the left points to a general problem of student government apathy," TCU Senate President Chike Aguh said.

Last spring, the TCUJ was unable to find enough candidates to fill the open spots -- two had to be filled through special elections in the fall.

Michael Douglas (LA '03) ran for re-election even though he was going to graduate in December because he would not be "depriving anyone" by serving, he said at the time.

Both the Judiciary and CSL serve one-year terms, with elections in April.

Source Editor in Chief Brandon Balkind saw the lack of any opposing candidates as signs of apathy on behalf of only the left. "I think that liberal groups haven't even shown effort to put up a candidate," he said.

But liberals feel that there is more to it than just apathy. Laurel Powers, a member of Radix, Tufts' publication of "radical thought" felt that if liberals are not involved it sometimes has to do with the nature of the student government bodies.

"Some people chose not to participate in the TCUJ because of its hierarchical power structure and some did not because they devote their energy towards student groups that align with their interests and ideals better," she said.

According to Powers, examples of such groups include Student Labor Action Group (SLAM), Radix, Coalition for Social Justice and Nonviolence, Tufts Transgendered Lesbian Gay and Bisexual Collective (TTLGBC), and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Founder of the Secular Students Association (SSA) Calvin Metcalf said that the lack of representation may have to do with liberals' disorganization. "Prominent liberal groups do not have any hierarchy," he said, "though this sounds nice, [they] never get anything done."

Radix and the Coalition for Social Justice and Non-Violence, two progressive groups, are bound by their constitutions not to appoint a president or editor-in-chief.

Powers added that the "generalized left consists of everything from Democrats to socialists to anarchists, I'm sure everyone has a different reason for nonparticipation in student government."

Metcalf also said Radix is seen as having a more extremist impression on campus than the Primary Source. If the publication were to support a candidate, he would be seen as 'radical'," Metcalf said.

Source members and other conservatives identified other reasons why they have joined the student government.

"The right faces a big challenge," Boyd said, "we are in the minority, the only way we perceive to achieve our goals is to work through the system."

He added that "part of conservatism is orderliness and following law."

Boyd founded the Tufts Right to Bear Arms Club (TRA) last semester which was recognized by the TCUJ -- a vote which he recused himself from.

Regardless of its influence on his joining the board, he said ideology does not reflect on the decision making process. "It is rare that politics becomes an issue," Boyd said.

Other members of judiciary felt similarly. "The current members seem to confront each case on a case-by-case basis, determining their judgments solely based on the information that has been presented," said CSL member Tyler Duckworth, who identifies himself politically as a liberal.

CSL co-chair Barbara Grossman agreed with Duckworth. "We don't necessarily go into meetings or hearings, with an agenda. We do our best to be open-minded, fair, listen, carefully consider the information given, review the information, and to make the best decision possible," she said.

Two years ago, the CSL had four Primary Source members for its five student positions. Because of the singular nature of that year's board and disputes between campus liberals and conservatives, the race for the 2002-2003 CSL drew 11 candidates.

The resulting body had a student chair, Sam Dangremond, who was a former editor-in-chief of the Source, but overall very mixed representation. Other members included Stacy Ulrich, who was co-coordinator of the TTLGBC, and ACLU member Will Wittels.

Duckworth said the board is much different this year. "There are two openly gay members, which obviously contrasts from the make-up of the organization a few years ago," he said.

Grossman said any political slant of the body is purely coincidental. "People gravitate to the CSL because they care about University community and care about students," she said.

If people are not satisfied with these explanations, Aguh offered one solution. "If people who feel that bodies are slanted a way that they don't agree with, they should run," he said.