In his State of the University Address, President John T. Casteen, III reflected on the past year while also highlighting his storied career. Speaking to a crowd of mostly adults, Casteen called his 20 years as president both a pleasure and an inspiration. Looking ahead, however, he remarked that it would be difficult to "provide a more general consensus about the future." The speech yesterday marked the beginning of a farewell tour which will culminate in the presidential changing of the guard in August. Like so many events at the University, the presidential switch is cast under the shadow of Thomas Jefferson, whose presidential victory in 1800 was a benchmark for the peaceful transition of power. As the sirens of change sound, it is only fitting that we too reexamine our past before reorienting ourselves for a new direction. It will be the role of the students to address the future course of the University, most notably regarding Jeffersonian traditions and the legacy of student self-governance.
Everywhere, there are signs of progress. President Teresa A. Sullivan and football coach Mike London, besides offering their individual expertise, are evidence of the rapid strides the University has made in diversity. The ambitious South Lawn project extends Jefferson's Academical Village with modern architecture and cutting-edge educational design. Other improvements - from the upgraded Economics department Web site to the revitalized basketball team - point to an ascendancy in the school's academic and athletic rankings. But those are all aspects of the University itself. Real change at this school comes from its students.
With the recent controversies surrounding Thomas Jefferson, including his relationship with Sally Hemings and the usage of slaves to construct his school, it is understandable why some would want to distance the University from its founder. Others argue that Jefferson's teaching philosophy is more necessary than ever to prepare a new generation of leaders.
Indeed, for a generation generally lacking in civic engagement, a school that promotes self-government would seem the proper remedy. Or maybe Mr. Jefferson is altogether irrelevant - the ghost of an old man whom we disturb late at night by approaching his door and streaking across his lawn. I think it is imperative that we maintain and cherish the legacy of Jefferson. If anything, being more open about the University's founder and founding will teach students valuable lessons that cannot be found in an aphoristic quote.
The University's self-governance faces its own critical issues. If budget cuts slashed the yearbook, what will go next? Though recruitment numbers have gone up for several organizations, some may wonder if student democracy has been replaced by oligarchy: Several groups of involved students wield considerable power over their peers. The coming election process will be an example of the two-way street that is student self-governance. Students may be scorned for not voting, but they may rightfully protest that they were not really sure for what purpose they were voting. For instance, I still don't understand the purpose of Association Council. There are many opportunities for leadership at the University which highly politicize some students while drawing apathy from others. Students who try to be active feel foreign to the process; the successful student leader is chosen by a body of his strangers.
What then is our, the students, State of the University? Are we honoring Jefferson's vision with our current self-governance? If there is any hope for self-governance, we must first unite. The groups at the University act in a pluralistic manner by dividing us into our separate interests. Where is the sense of community in the student body? In an economy that favors employable skills and individual resume padding, it will be difficult to promote a community defined by seemingly archaic principles such as virtue or honor. Educational measures need to depict the importance of self-governance with clarity. Moreover, the scope of our self-governance must be broadened. We are eager to make small changes within the system, but we fail to question whether the system itself ought to be reformed. If there is truly student self-governance, then we will get an equal place at the meeting table, not merely as intermediaries between administrative decisions and the student body.
There are, of course, no basic answers for those questions. We could have today's general college experience, which comprises little more than an industrialized machine that prepares students to be interchangeable parts in a ruthless market. On the other hand, we could seek something timeless, an opportunity to etch our mark among the stones of the University's great history.
In the vague purgatory of youth, feeling alienated from both adolescence and adulthood, the path for us is not clear. A new generation of Lewis and Clarks, we have been sent out to broaden our horizons and to cope with numerous uncertainties as we navigate through the unknown territory. And so we have come back to where we started. We can never truly escape the gaze of Mr. Jefferson, the proud father of a school that would be maintained by its students - for whatever we choose to do will be exactly what he wanted.
Aaron Eisen is a Viewpoint Writer for The Cavalier Daily.
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