The philosopher Voltaire once said, “Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.” On a campus where dorms are always changing, 10 year plans are expanding and the student body is continuously growing, we are used to having a lot of questions as Elon students.
But, do we ask the questions when we have them? And are we even being heard?
In short, the new role and privilege I have as serving as the Student Body Representative to The Pendulum is to help your questions and thoughts come to light in a new way.
In a weekly meeting with the hardworking Pendulum staff, I am here to provide an outside perspective, ask the hard questions and make sure your ideas and perspectives are heard.
Maybe you feel underrepresented or misunderstood by something that has happened on campus or was written in the paper, or perhaps you have a great idea and perspective to bring to a story that simply isn’t being told. In any of these cases or countless others, I want to bring forth those concerns in a way that The Pendulum may not have considered beforehand.
As a religious studies major, I have very limited insight and investment into the newspaper business. I have no important ties to deadlines or print orders.
I am not running for an office position or promotion and, luckily for The Pendulum, I will get nowhere near handling expensive equipment. I am simply here as a student, for the students. That is my purpose.
Now, some of you may be thinking, “How can one student accurately represent the whole student body?” and that is a great question.
As your representative, I am under no illusion that I either have all the answers or know exactly what the student body is thinking all the time. But that is the beauty of this role as it is simply not my position, but rather our position.
Yes, I may be the one that sits in the regular meetings, but it is the collection of your voices that I will take with me to speak at the table every chance I get.
It’s not going to be easy, and there may be a few bumps and adjustments along the way. I promise to do my best to work together with you as we navigate this new opportunity The Pendulum has graciously given us.
Therefore, I invite you to come along and join me at the table by giving The Pendulum and myself some of the wide array of thoughts, opinions and ideas that make Elon the great place it is.
If you any questions or comments, I can be contacted 24/7 at wbrummett@elon.edu, and I promise to respond as promptly as I can to your questions and concerns.
Let us be remembered for our questions. Let us leave a legacy through our activism, and most of all, let us continue to do these things together as we work with The Pendulum to let all voices be heard in a great student newspaper and at the greatest university in North Carolina.