STUDENT GOVERNMENT-MMC: Political parties admirable, but possible complication

Alex Sorondo / Columnist

By: Alex Sorondo / Columnist

The focus of the Oct. 31 meeting was a brief and encouraging presentation outlining the early foundations of a plan to create political parties at the Student Government Council at the Modesto Maidique Campus.

Delivered by SGC-MMC Advisor Jose Toscano,  Assistant Director of Campus Life Michelle Castro and Graduate Assistant for Student Government Carlton Ng, the presentation displayed an outline for how the political parties would function.

As Toscano was quick to say, the idea is far from fleshed out. Plenty of research, planning and debate await the actual creation and subsequent autonomy of these parties and the system to which they will belong. Early as it is, the prospects sound promising so far.

One of the distinctive features, which may or may not surprise anybody, will be the exclusion of Democratic and Republican parties.

As Speaker of the Senate Donovan Dawson explained, the parties in national politics are interested in carrying the nation toward different goals, whereas with University politics, “The overarching goal is the same: how can we make FIU a better university?” Thus, the campus parties.

Enticingly progressive as it appears, though, the thought is inevitably tainted by the sobering sense that this will probably only complicate things, will become one more source of frustration and bureaucratic heckling.

Imagine going out with somebody who is just insanely attractive and perfect but who, on the first date, is already throwing jealous glares toward whoever looks at you, muttering the occasional Latin curse through gritted teeth and sporting a clear affinity for sixes. The prospective delights are endearing, but the chaos so clearly there, waiting to surround every minor delight, is equally harrowing.

SGC-MMC’s model is influenced by other universities – where political parties have been around long enough, looked over and regulated enough to ensure success. By taking them as our influence and composing our own system from what is hopefully the assembly of their strongest parts, things should kick off smoothly, and the adjustment period will be a brief and easy one.

Nonetheless, there will invariably be a learning process as the first-generation party candidates acclimate to the rules, wherein they will likely exploit some of the system’s first-stage flaws.

Thus, given the precariousness with which transparency is currently being upheld, the addition of another political entity in demand of considerable attention probably means that something else will be neglected, certain duties will be forgotten and the council will fall back to the governing Dark Ages of this past September.

The ambition here is admirable, and an intelligent and penetrative Q&A explored the nuts and bolts of how it would work, the limitations on funding and the formation of caucuses – few of the answers were concrete, young as the project is, but the answers seemed imminently attainable.

If, for whatever reason, neither Toscano nor his associates had a solid answer, they were able to say when and how it would come to light.

Political parties seem like a step toward a boosted political legitimacy for SGA, looming contention and all.

SGC-MMC Commentary is a feature that evaluates the student council’s performance. Look for it every Friday.