Spring Break
L&V Rep Sheds Light on his Role in the Shadows
Mark Angelo (NE), Contributing Writer
Issue date: 2/19/08 Section: News
Amongst the vast panoply of section representatives, one of the least understood roles is that of Leadership & Values rep. A current L&V rep shares his perspective, offering some examples of situations an L&V rep might face and commenting on the ups and downs of the this role.
"L&V rep? Who in their right mind would sign up for that?" That was the very question running through my mind when I first heard about the position of Leadership and Values Representative. I mean, who wants to be burdened with having to approach a fellow section mate about body odor? Or try and reason with ten inebriated class mates after a night out, reminding them that streaking across campus in the middle of January can lead to frost bite? "Definitely not me" I thought at first. However, after speaking to a few EC L&V reps, my opinion of what an L&V rep did and what he or she stood for began to change dramatically. Now, after five months of holding the position, I can honestly say that while often challenging, it's one of the most fulfilling roles I've had the honor to fulfill.
A common question I get asked is "What exactly does an L&V rep do anyways?" Of course there are the more public responsibilities that everyone sees such as leading section norm discussions, sending out emails related to diversity and gentle in-class reminders about trying to arrive to class on time. However, the vast majority of the work we do is behind the scenes, underground, and hidden from watchful eyes.
The reasons for this are obvious: it wouldn't really be appropriate to send a mass email about how Penny's frequent trips to the bathroom are disrupting class or have a section wide discussion about how Tommy's messy eating is creating a minor biohazard in the power deck. Most of these types of issues are fairly minor and more appropriately dealt with in private, and thus go largely unnoticed by the vast majority of the section.
But are these really the types of issues that L&V reps deal with on a daily basis? If they're lucky, most L&V reps get away with only a handful of minor incidents that come up through the year. Sometimes the incidents are of more concern and deal with actions that offend a significant portion of the section, such as an inappropriate comment made in class or offensive material being put up on the bulletin board. On rare occasions the incidents can be even more serious than that and involve offenses such as destruction of personal property or harassment, which eventually lead to the administration's involvement as well.
"L&V rep? Who in their right mind would sign up for that?" That was the very question running through my mind when I first heard about the position of Leadership and Values Representative. I mean, who wants to be burdened with having to approach a fellow section mate about body odor? Or try and reason with ten inebriated class mates after a night out, reminding them that streaking across campus in the middle of January can lead to frost bite? "Definitely not me" I thought at first. However, after speaking to a few EC L&V reps, my opinion of what an L&V rep did and what he or she stood for began to change dramatically. Now, after five months of holding the position, I can honestly say that while often challenging, it's one of the most fulfilling roles I've had the honor to fulfill.
A common question I get asked is "What exactly does an L&V rep do anyways?" Of course there are the more public responsibilities that everyone sees such as leading section norm discussions, sending out emails related to diversity and gentle in-class reminders about trying to arrive to class on time. However, the vast majority of the work we do is behind the scenes, underground, and hidden from watchful eyes.
The reasons for this are obvious: it wouldn't really be appropriate to send a mass email about how Penny's frequent trips to the bathroom are disrupting class or have a section wide discussion about how Tommy's messy eating is creating a minor biohazard in the power deck. Most of these types of issues are fairly minor and more appropriately dealt with in private, and thus go largely unnoticed by the vast majority of the section.
But are these really the types of issues that L&V reps deal with on a daily basis? If they're lucky, most L&V reps get away with only a handful of minor incidents that come up through the year. Sometimes the incidents are of more concern and deal with actions that offend a significant portion of the section, such as an inappropriate comment made in class or offensive material being put up on the bulletin board. On rare occasions the incidents can be even more serious than that and involve offenses such as destruction of personal property or harassment, which eventually lead to the administration's involvement as well.
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