Two weeks ago, Cal McNellie authored an opinion in the Collegian which criticized the Student Federation for purchasing a ceremonial mace. In his piece, he included numerous facts which misrepresented the truth. On this occasion, the Student Federation officers feel compelled to respond.
McNellie grounded his argument in the federation’s mission statement, which says that it “shall exist to allocate student fees for the purpose of improving campus life.” He claimed that purchasing a ceremonial mace contradicts this mission, but we adamantly disagree. As officers who are currently serving our second and third years on the federation, we are intimately familiar with the mission statement. We understand that the most impactful gifts from the federation to the college are those with longevity in mind. The ceremonial mace that we purchased last semester promises to be a relic which will represent student government at Hillsdale College for the next 300 years. Certainly, this is fitting for a student body which prides itself on our self-governance.
Additionally, as a counter argument to our purchase, McNellie cited the fact that homelessness exists in Hillsdale County. During the last few years, the federation has been involved in numerous philanthropic ventures. Just last semester, the federation sponsored the Outdoor Adventure Club’s half marathon which raised nearly $5,000 for SPARC, a community organization dedicated to serving families who have children diagnosed with developmental disabilities. The federation also has a standing philanthropy committee dedicated to exploring such projects.
Furthermore, McNellie cited a dubious opinion poll that he conducted on campus in which 75% of the students questioned said that they oppose the purchase of a ceremonial mace. His sample size was only 75 students, which is too few for a statistically significant poll. We also question the objectivity of the polling methods and questions.
Regardless of methods, however, we believe McNellie’s piece unveiled a deeper problem at Hillsdale’s campus: apathy for student government. Though it might not seem like it to the uninformed observer, the decision to purchase a ceremonial mace was thoughtful and deliberate. The federation planned how to spend its budget surplus for more than a year and a half, and not a single student came to a meeting to share their opinion on this matter during the public comment period. Despite coverage in the Collegian, the establishment of a special committee, and an opinion poll for the student body, student interest in the Federation’s $109,000 surplus and budget was virtually nonexistent.
Despite widespread exclamation across campus for the mace decision, not a single student showed up at the next federation meeting to speak out. That’s an indictment of our campus-wide interest in governing ourselves, and it’s the story of every federation meeting. Only on rare occasions do students participate in public comment or come to watch for the sake of staying involved, despite the fact that meetings are advertised in the Student Activities Office email.
We are going above and beyond to make sure students know what their student government does. Two weeks ago, we hosted a funding proposal workshop to teach student groups how to request funding from the federation and eight clubs were represented. Tonight at 8 p.m. in the Formal Lounge we are hosting our first ever Student Federation Town Hall meeting. We invite every Hillsdale student to join us for a Q&A session and individual meetings with representatives. Please, come learn about student government and let us know what you think so we can serve you.
Brandt Siegfried is a junior studying history. He is the president of Student Federation.
Tom MacPhee is a sophomore studying economics and accounting. He is the vice president of Student Federation.
Isabella Maciejewski is a junior studying economics. She is the treasurer of Student Federation.
