I once watched a movie where a computer programme controlled a small town called Black River. Its trademark line was: “You will be a good citizen.” It didn’t ask; it simply told you. What makes a good citizen? Paying your taxes on time? Giving to charity? Keeping the environment clean? Better yet, being a good ambassador for your country? Or maybe, just maybe, helping choose who will lead your country into what might possibly be an uncertain future?
The Student Representative Council (SRC) elections are around the corner; soon people will start campaigning for my vote. They will promise me the world in order for me to tick their name or that of their party come election day. Throughout my undergraduate years on campus I found the act of voting tedious and pointless, seeing as the same people always won. They never did a good job in power, in my opinion, and until my third year I wasn’t quite sure what the SRC did. I did not take responsibility for the people who represented students to the varsity’s managerial board.
In a recent lecture I asked my students if they would be voting in the upcoming SRC elections. Only a handful showed possible interest, depending on the contenders. When they were asked how many would be voting in the national election, only one person raised his hand. One person in a class of 120 students; 119 students felt they needn’t bother as their votes wouldn’t count. One hundred and nineteen!
We have become a society of couch complainers. We sit in our houses and complain about the state of the world, but we are not willing to do anything to change it. Young people today are caught in their (our) seemingly impossible lives of academia and a quest for money and fame. They (we) have allowed things that are important seem to slip away from them (us).
People talk about not voting as though it were acceptable. Change doesn’t happen because one wishes it; change happens because enough individuals are willing to put themselves last and everyone else first. Average university students do not vote in the SRC election simply because they feel it does not affect them.
It does affect them: those chosen to serve on the SRC are their voices to the university management; they get to decide how many parties students have in an academic year and who makes the final cut on the exclusion appeal list. There is so much apathy around institutions of higher learning, which raises the question: If today’s younger generation is the leaders of tomorrow, how can they lead when they refuse to help pick the leaders of today?
the only thing i can say “less said about the SLB’s in my school the better”! what makes one a good citizen abiding by/to the law of the country like S.A or ZIM? i however do not agree to the statement “we have become a society of couch complainers” some people are actually willing to do something, but don’t know how to go about it. myself i’m from Tsakane (Brakpan)i have come across different individuals who actually want to do somekind of projects that will help uplift our community,one thing i can say we are actually willing to do something, just lack the platform. one thing is for sure i want to improve my family’s and community standard of living and i need money to do that, however i have people that i look upto, like my high school business economics teacher Mr Nxusa, who is now the vice-principal of a local primary school(tsakane).
“…Average university students do not vote in the SRC election simply because they feel it does not affect them.”
So it means those who do vote are above/below average? I wonder what you mean when you say “average student”.
By the way they wouldn’t honestly tell you whether they went to vote or not, it seems as if you’re trusting the hands of your students too much.
Before i forget, do your students and of course yourself a favour by going through your history books , don’t be amazed when you get told that there’s nothing new in such behaviour from students, there’s is no evidence (outhere) suggesting that past ‘average’ students were voting in the SRC elections.
The number of electorates was still far lower than 70% of students enrolled in those institution.
Very, very good point. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
The right to vote is a right that was earned by blood, sweat and tears. Literally. I can understand to some extent not voting for the SRC, especially with the idea of having prefects busting those nasty smokers still firmly engrained at the back of the head. Comparisons between prefects at school and the SRC on campus are inaccurate, but widespread.
If you don’t vote, you don’t matter!
Michelle
Your blabberings here are a bit pointless. The last time I read your blog was about David Bullard’s exing which lacked dissmally on obvectivity and intelligence.
Today you take your style a bit further by making inferences about the possible SRC voter turnup based on your fewer than 40 UKZN communications class. What bravity! I have a feeling that you are just one of those unwarranted attention seeking academics who would just pose some obscure and almost prophetic statements without bothering to scientifically prove them.
Thank you for your empty thoughts.
I think at a university level, political indifference cannot be attributed to any kind of conscious apathy or deliberate avoidance of involvement in issues involving their own governance, and has far more to do with a lack of understanding surrounding the whole procedure.
At UKZN, there is often confusion as to the role of the SRC. The broader administrative network is a vast web of indistinct bureaucratic process to, what Michelle (I think, Siphiwo, neutrally, or even statistically) termed the average student. Quite where the SRC slots in is unclear and immaterial to many students.
The atmosphere surrounding the elections also somehow trivialises the whole affair, with strange little processions and banners and small groups ululating down corridors, which come across as odd, parodical performances of democratic process, and hardly inspire students to take it seriously. Certainly not seriously enough to give up their 5th period break to stand in queues to cast a vote which has no evident impact on what is, to them, a body with no clear purpose other than to throw some parties and bring themselves into disrepute.
Surely, the same reasoning cannot be applied to the apathy of young people to national politics..? I’m afraid of the response that.
The fact that less than a percent of your students expressed interest in casting a vote at the next elections, because they feel it would have no impact, makes me wonder why young citizens place so little value on the contribution of the individual within a democracy? We clearly don’t “get it”.
There are a few possibilities. Perhaps (for whatever reason the individual is able to draw from their personal or cultural history)we expect to be told what to do rather then act towards things we want. Perhaps the electoral process, and the greater workings of our administration (unsurprising considering deviations from the initially outlined processes – floor crossing, interference with judicial independence etc) are not considered trustworthy, and the individuals vote will be “lost” in a sea of predefined agenda. Or at worst, perhaps young voters just plain don’t take it seriously.
Fine points made by Michelle. It’s always easier to complain that it is to actually take action. Just look at critics of plays, films, etc. Not one of them has ever written, directed, etc but they are first to criticise. Get up and do rather than sit and criticise.
Janet
Michelle, you’ve got a point here. This type of problem is mostly prevalent among our black folks. Don’t worry if they (black people) seem to disagree with you, it is common practice to have an external locus of focus in the black community. This is the kind of behaviour that is also prevalent in organisations like the ANC, PAC and labour unions. That’s why we continuously have leaders who have no vision. They elect one another by grouping themselves into factions that doesn’t focus on the delivery to their electorate but focuses on positions for their own interests.
Siphiwo – would love to meet your kangaroos! That aside, it is truly worrying that people don’t believe it is worth voting. In a democracy every vote oounts. Right now, we should all vote with our hearts to make this country everything ew want it to be.
No vote – then live with the consequences of apathy. Vote and you have put yourself on the line of achieving your aspirations. You have made yourself accountable and th one thing we need right now is accountability – perhaps then the politicians will also ambrace accountability!
dithabana – empty thoughts? isn’t that a bit harsh?
personally i think it’s about the fact that we have become accustomed to the idea that someone else will take responsiblity for us. yes apathy has been around forever so what? that doesn’t make it acceptable.
also i like the fact that michelle isn’t passing judgement but has included herself in the group being discussed.
it’s not about voting it’s about the no man is an island concept.
This is an interesting article Michelle, I honestly think we too relaxed so much that we allow minority to take control of all the other issues revolving around us especially when it comes to politics
Furthermore you stated explicitly when you say that we pay taxes as well as biding by the Laws of our country and nothing else. We no longer participate in any of political matters even though we know for a fact that, “everybody who has a brain should get involved in politics working within. Not criticizing it from the outside. Become an active participant, no matter how feeble you think the effort is”
Instead we make comments such as “oh they only appointing themselves” or “Nepotism is no longer a corruption among them”.
What are we doing as citizens to eradicate these negative issues? Nothing instead we critisize and lazing around…
A couple of weeks ago I saw a show on Generation Y and their attitude to politics here in Australia. The conclusion of the show was that aside from a core political group, Gen Y has little interest in politics. Now, this may well be a case of lazyu generalising – and generation theory is often suspiciously convenient – but there may be a point here: Gen Y generally don’t see the point of politics.
I’d be interested to know how involved Sasco is in those elections. Based on my own experiences from the mid 1990s, Sasco are a bunch of Malemas.
@Janet
Careful. Rob Schneider had the same critique for his critics. In particular, a critic named Goldstein gave Schneider’s film Deuce Bigelow:European Gigolo a scathing review.
Schneider responded that Goldstein had never written anything nor produced any noteworthy films, but made a big hullabaloo over the fact that Goldstein had never won a Pulitzer prize.
Schneider phoned his friend, famed film critic Roger Ebert. Ebert gave Schneider’s film another scathing review. Ebert then pointed out that he had in fact won a Pulitzer prize. And that he thought Schneider’s film sucked.
Beware of those statistical anomalies, they tend to bite you in the rear.
@Michelle
You are quite right. People died for our right to participate in citizenship. SRC elections are nothing to scoff at, since the SRC tends to get pupils into hot water when they organise strikes.
National elections are nothing to scoff at, because if you want to complain, you have to realise that you are ultimately responsible for who governs the country.
And here I thought I was the only one noticing the apathy of our generation. I agree with you wholeheartedly, and not just when it comes to voting.
I recently became involved with a nature reserve and a local community nature reserve and I was utterly shocked by how desperate the committees of these very important organizations (looking out for our environment and safety respectively) were ti get young people on board. I am probably the youngest individual on both organizations by around 20 years!
Our generation has been conditioned to absorb artificial content and emotion from the myriad of media sources out there and seemed to have lost interest in everything that really matters. Unless it comes of a store shelf or a screen, it’s just not important anymore!
Nice piece Michelle!
Your class does reflect the general apathy of students. At UKZN, Pmb campus, only 19% of students vote. Basically, 81% of students have not voted the SRC into ‘power’. Phew! Now that says something… but about who?
Perhaps the best way to drum up involvement in anything these days is to start a Facebook group.
@Sarah Britten
You’re right, a Facebook group seems to be the answer to everything these days.
@suntosh
Who indeed
@Matt
I agree, if we’re not purchasing something it has very little value in society or so it seems.
@Grag
We get groomed for the world out there at varsity, so indeed we really shouldn’t scoff at SRC elections; it’s our practice for the nationals. Plus today’s student politicians might very well end up in parliament tomorrow.
it seems an opinion from the “black folks” don’t matter! according to abe, silence is golden when you’re about to raise stupid comments, everyone has a right to raise their opinion black or white, the kind of attitude some people have sucks, i wouldn’t be suprised if it were to emerge that some people actually provide wrong identities just to criticize, who said being black and criticizing other black folks was marvellous?
@ Bongani,
Sorry to hurt your feelings broer, actually I am not against anyone providing their comments especially black people. I actually want them to get involved and this is what Michelle is concerned about, although she did not specifically focus on blacks per say.
The non-participatory attitude of people especially around issues that concerns them is very shameful. Eventually people will complain at the results of something they refused to take part in, in the beginning. Failing to realise that if they contributed in shaping those results, it could have made a difference.
I never said that black folks’ comments don’t matter, please don’t misquote me. I also acknowledge that everyone have the right to raise their opinion, which is why I would like to encourage people to take an active role in their social activities. I can see you don’t like to be criticised, well …shame on you.
@ Abe
criticism managed to break blocks of demented ideas, i am not hurt by any means, was just confused about the merits in which your comment was based on. we’re all allowed to see things differently, it’s however not about what you assume i don’t like.
Isnt that the classic flaw in our society. . . Its often said that the people of the world can be split into 2 groups ; Leaders and followers. . . isnt the point that if anyone is going to lead, they need to learn how to follow, and learn from the mistakes of those leaders?? Does that mean that our generation will yeild no brilliant leaders??