Students of Colorado State University,
First off, Taylor and I would like to thank all of those who voted in the 2015 ASCSU elections, regardless of choice. Those who ran opposite us had the courage to stand for their values amidst public ridicule, and to finish at the end is a victory in itself. Usually, when someone wins public office, they eagerly throw around rhetoric of exceptionalism and optimism, but this is by no means a victory speech — rather, a call to action.
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Taylor and I took on this endeavor because we saw something within ASCSU and throughout this campus consuming the very genuine aspirations of us all: a corrupting notion that erodes at our ambitions and causes us to imitate success and apathetically view education as a check in the box. This notion is what Matthew Taylor, of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, calls this the “social aspiration gap,” and it is not exclusive to our community, but also bleeds throughout our nation.
The social aspiration gap is a concept that “there is a gap which exists between the kind of aspirations we have for the kind of society we want to live in and the trajectory on which current behavior and attitudes places us on.” What we wish to achieve for ourselves and our community is largely derailed because we believe that the political game is inherently rigged. Why put forth effort in ASCSU, our College Councils, fraternities and sororities if the change we wish to see seems futile because of forces outside of our power?
We need to fully realize the challenges that face us — that there is a crisis of confidence in our ability to solve complex issues as a collective unit. These obstacles have always been there before the students of CSU, and from time to time they have overcome them. By taking a step back, we can realize that these issues that run deep within our community consciousness can rid our capacity to act as members of a society. I can promise you that taking hold and defining your community — your future — is going to be hard and daunting. But I couldn’t see us as Rams or Americans tackling anything less in order to ensure the best possible experience at CSU.
We plan on hitting the ground running, and we are not afraid of making changes. If you want to be a part of this revolution, please join us.
Visit https://sydalba2015.squarespace.com/ and click “Become a Part of the Change We Need.” There you will find our executive branch structure, brief job summaries (currently pending approval from ASCSU Senate) and an application to become part of our administration. We hope to bring many many new student leaders to ASCSU who truly want to make a difference. What we’re promising, though, won’t come easy — but nothing good ever has. ASCSU has a past with doing amazing things. Past administration helped save the Ramskeller, created RamRide and started the initiatives that would go on to become SLiCE, Off-Campus Life and other departments. However, I do not reserve the complete solution through my cabinet. I urge that everyone practices their civic duty, whether within the cabinet, or other branches of ASCSU and student organizations. Join us in rebuilding our government.
Empowering others in such a broad sense takes the effort of many. With the help of the Senate, job descriptions will posted on Thursday with their respective salaries and requirements.
The change we need begins now in us.
Jason Sydoriak
ASCSU President 2015-2016
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