All students have a voice that should be represented, regardless of opinion

BY ZACHARY LINCOLN, STAFF WRITER

Today, George Mason welcomed its 71st Student Body President and Vice President, Isaiah Grays and Jonathan Dubois, along with members of our first Undergraduate Representative Body. It is a moment to celebrate our traditions of student governance and the peaceful transfer of power, especially in these turbulent times. However, there are some warnings that our new Government should heed in order to best represent their fellow students.

First, I want to acknowledge the outgoing Cuesta-McAulay administration: their efforts to protect our most vulnerable students and uphold diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the face of attacks from the federal and state governments deserve credit and recognition. 

However, in my time in the Student Senate, I was particularly troubled by the fact that their Cabinet built themselves into an echo chamber—a trap we as humans fall into all too often—and expected Senators would vote for whatever they supported simply because they said so. Meanwhile, they, along with my fellow Senators, often failed to show up for those we claimed to champion, as past student governments have. Pointing to why a significant majority of our student body—particularly those in our Black and Jewish communities—felt that their government left them out and was not important enough for them to participate in. 

I believe that when a government becomes an echo chamber or a rubber stamp for any ideology, no matter how altruistic, and when people do not participate nor speak out against it, that government can no longer be considered democratic or fully representative of the people. Those who rightfully criticize this shift happening in our federal government must ensure that our student government does not follow suit.

When our new elected officials were sworn in today, they did not take an oath to pad their resumes or treat this body like a social club. They took an oath of their own volition to represent ALL of George Mason’s student body — unconditional of who they are, what they believe or where they’ve been in life.

In doing so, they should understand why they do this: not as a show of power but as a dedication to fight for issues that actually matter to our student body like improving services, accessibility and their academic experience.

They should strive to welcome everyone, regardless of where they stand politically, by creating a culture that lets ideas and opinions flow freely; where friendly discourse and debate are not only welcomed, but encouraged and applauded. We are “all together different”, after all.

But most importantly, they should show up for the people they serve. I applaud those who attended today’s Board of Visitors meeting as they consider rolling back crucial initiatives that protect the diversity we pride ourselves upon, yet this should be only the beginning when it comes to showing up. There is no greater show of leadership than earnestly and unconditionally being there for those you represent; not because you feel they should be “saved” by their government or by any other ulterior motive but because it is simply the right thing to do. 

In 1775, our namesake George Mason wrote that “every society, all government, and every kind of civil compact therefore, is or ought to be, calculated for the general good and safety of the community.” While his society fell short of those lofty ideals, it’s not too late for us to pick up the mantle and strive towards that more perfect union Mason fought so hard for. I know I will and I hope my fellow students—both in and out of government—will too.