Since student government is so broad, I wanted to focus in on motivation and representation: why do people get involved with student government and what is the full extent that student government holds on college campuses?

I started with the literature that existed on student representation. Through articles such as “Student power in a global perspective and contemporary trends in student organising” and “A Discussion About Power Relations and the Concept of Distributed Leadership in Higher Education Institutions,” I saw that there exists a comprehensive history of the power of students through both a representative body and through movements/protests. I also explored different views of leadership, especially those that are more distributed, similarly modeling our own Harvard University, where “every tub has its own bottom.” The research led me to think critically about what the Undergraduate Council’s role is at the College, University, and larger community as a whole, and what this means moving forward.

To aid me in research, I also got the chance to interview my counterpart -- the student body president at Princeton University. I wanted to hear her reflections on her role, what they had learned about leadership and themselves, and what true student representation means for her. Here’s a brief look and summary of those interviews:

Catherine: Why do you do student government?

Rachel (Princeton): Student government has a lot of power to shape the narrative and highlight things about campus culture that are not healthy. We can give it a difference voice, and for me, I’ve seen that change especially with mental health here at Princeton.

Catherine: What is the most rewarding part?

Rachel: I really enjoy meeting new people and understanding their experiences -- it’s easy to get sucked into your niche here and can be hard to meet new people. I’ve always thought about people who’ve done work to benefit me, and knowing that I can potentially do the same for someone, even if I cannot see the tangible effects, is super rewarding. I want to pass it forward like others have done for me.

Catherine: What is the hardest part?

Rachel: Definitely feeling like the position is part of your identity and feeling like you have to be on all the time. The other day, I was just trying to have a dinner with a good friend, and I ended up being bombarded with questions about student government policies from people who saw me sitting down. There is not a clear division between public and private life, and sometimes it’s hard to prioritize friends, but its about striking a healthy balance.

Catherine: What have been some of your thoughts on leadership in this role?

Rachel: I’ve realized sometimes it’s really hard working with people you’re friends with. That’s been a really weird balance to strike. I get really weird when I have to give people tasks and keep people accountable to them. It’s a point of discomfort that I need to work on. Also, the more things that are put on my plate that are not emotionally tied, I’m good at getting them done. Knowing that about myself, I’m more cognizant of having a good support team before it even happens.

It was super interesting hearing from their perspectives, especially since our three Universities oftentimes are applauded as the top ones. Doing reflection on my own -- and talking to past Undergraduate Council Presidents and members -- I realized that there will always exist a tension between students pushing the institution to change and the institution wanting to stick with the status quo, but there’s beauty in that.

One of the coolest proposal I saw was “The Case for a Harvard Student Center” created in 2011, and now, 7 years later in 2018, the Smith Campus Center is about to be opened in the Fall. To students, this timeline seems so incredibly long, considering we go through 7 full classes of students who do not get the benefits of change, but from now on, the next centuries of Harvard students will benefit from this. Similarly, the Education Studies secondary that was passed this year has been over 4 years in the making -- by the effects and benefits will last a lifetime.

So what does that mean for the Undergraduate Council moving forward?

Well, something on my mind, is creating institutional change. If we are not able to continue things as students turn over, we will never make the change that is needed at this University. I want to see more representation of the student voice at the higher governing board levels, like the Corporation and the Board of Overseers. This has also been a long time in the making -- but we are now working in tandem with Harvard Graduate Council, Graduate Student Council, and the Student Advisory Committee in the Presidential Search to create a unified voice. There are many challenges ahead -- administrators will always push back on partnership, but we think its more important than ever that we have a voice on the policies and change that will affect us. Students want to be involved, and I am excited about what the future looks like.

Check out proposals for action/reports that have been created in Spring 2018:

• Proposal to Research a Physical Space of Belonging and Inclusion
• Proposal to create a Student Advisory Committee
• Proposal for Class Committee Wide Programming
• UC Report on Subsidized Summer Storage