Let the Barbarians in the gates?

When I first heard of the idea of University College Dublin Student Union (UCDSU) running a candidate in the Dublin South constituency I admittedly was a little ‘too’ excited.

I have always had the utmost respect for UCDSU. It may be crewed by a lot of self-righteous, pompous, political hacks, but these self-righteous, pompous, political hacks have principles and for the most part stand by them.

One of the most frightening experiences of my life as a USI candidate was my hustings in UCD Class Council; and rightly so, UCDSU can perpetuate the illusion of democracy in the student movement better than no other.

The student movement does not play mainstream politics well. It suffers from cowardice in terms of embarrassing their political masters and student apathy. There is a cleavage between those who lead and those who are unwillingly led.

Student election turnouts are shameful. Most colleges struggle to achieve turnouts of more than 30%.
If that were the extent of the problem, – if it were simply down to the fact that a wealthier generation of students can’t be bothered to vote, then it wouldn’t really be a big problem.

The fact is that in politics, movements such as the student movement are reactive, not proactive, and in an era of relative wealth, they have had little to react too.

But that isn’t the real problem. The problem is disillusionment.

Of those 30% who vote in SU elections, how many will be members of the GAA Club voting for their captain? How many will be voting for the guy (or girl) who gave them the most free drink?

How many will be gay voting for a gay person, or members of DramaSoc voting for which ever OTT actor they nominate? (Those last two are one in the same, but rhetoric demanded another example).

How many of those who turn out to vote will have actually read the manifestos? How much of those manifesto pledges are simply rehashed from three, four or five years ago? The same unachievable nonsense, just from a prettier face.

Where once the student movement was the vanguard of a social revolution, now it is on the fringes of debate, arguing for the expansion of schemes long ago adopted and now largely forgotten.

On a national level the student movement is no different. Where once it argued for financial support, now it argues for more financial support. Where once it argued for the legalisation of homosexuality, now it argues for gay adoption. Where once it argued against apartheid, now it campaigns for parking spaces.

The National Union, of which I was a member, is essentially a professional lobby group, run by, for the most part, a bunch of amateur political animals pretending not to be political at all.

It has no relevance to anybody who doesn’t want a job as an amateur political animal and isn’t prepared to pretend that they have no political ambition whatsoever!

Only the personal politics of many student leaders rule the direction of the national student movement – not student politics but kiddie politics, immature politics, playground politics.

Politics of personality, politics of popularity.

What about the real politics? Where once, the student movement could harness the idealism and activism of Labour Youth, the Military organisation of Ogra Fianna Fail, and the attractiveness of the young horsy girls in young Fine Gael, now it says:

If you have political beliefs and aren’t willing to set them aside, you have no place in our organisation.

If you have a vision, we don’t want you.

If you are very pro-choice, get out!

And if you’re pro life, no thanks!

It avoids issues that are controversial, despite the fact that nothing engages students more than controversy.

If the student movement wants to become relevant again, it needs to remember to talk the language of the people it purports to represent.

It must engage students on the controversial, so they’ll be more likely to engage on a non-controversial issue. It must become a movement that fights for what students believe in, not what it thinks students should believe in.

Running a candidate would be the first step in the student movement’s baptism in to real politics. Into relevance. Into real power to affect change.

But student leaders lack the political will and courage to take on those they aspire to be. I still have faith in the ordinary decent student however, to fight for what they believe in.

Maybe it’s time for revolting students to do just that, and stop being the barbarians at the gate, and enter it.

Steve Conlon is a former officer of the Union of Students in Ireland, holding three positions in USI. He is also a former sabbatical and part-time officer of IT Sligo Students’ Union.