The student government’s town hall was basically an episode of House of Cards
They held an ‘underground’ meeting in a chapel due to ‘potential fear of backlash from the administration’
On Monday March 7th, the student government leaders held a town hall regarding USC’s recent announcement to raise 2016-2017 tuition by $2,000.
The meeting was held in the United University Church in an effort to keep the meeting private. The claims I heard from the leaders were eerily similar to an episode of House of Cards.
The leaders said that they organized the event quietly, potentially because they feared backlash and being individually targeted.
Inside the dimly lit church chapel, they explained the ways they prevented the administration from infiltrating their plans.
Below are the claims I heard from unnamed student government leaders:
“We avoid cameras and administration on campus. All private meetings are held in the chapel, because the chapel doesn’t have cameras or in our own apartments.”
“We’ll scope out the students who want to join, before we actually let them because they’ve had some sketch people try to join before.”
“We never use @usc.edu email to communicate, because USC monitors for words like “unionize,” “organize” and “protest. We use other emails.”
“We’re careful on who we trust. We think the administration has planted some students in their meetings in past, and they have them report back with our plans.”
Frustration in United University Church, USC
These student leaders claimed to be sidestepping USC emails, avoiding campus cameras, hiding from administration and preparing against potential moles in their meetings.
I had walked into that chapel, expecting to cover another pointless, cliché town hall. Instead, I’d accidentally crossed into a shady backroom in Washington.
Even though I’d grown used to seeing the fictional Frank Underwood scheme behind closed doors, seeing a vulnerable and overly cautious student government organize in a dark chapel was a disturbing difference.
However, not for one second did I blame the student leaders’ for implementing such excessive methods into their organizing.
I could only blame our administration for allowing so much distrust and fear to grow within its own student government.
So yes, I think Frank Underwood was right. “We get the leaders we deserve.”
But, I’m not talking about Donald Trump. I’m talking about USC’s student body recognizing we needed student government leaders who were willing to fight for us.
We needed leaders willing to fight, even from underground.
The Tab USC approached one of the student government leaders and asked to do a profile on her organizing efforts. She declined.