Spring Break
Confessions of an L&V Rep
Rukmini Balu (OH), L&V Rep, Contributing Writer
Issue date: 9/22/08 Section: News
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But in the true spirit of "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," I wrote my position paper and stood for elections almost exactly a year ago. Well, I have emerged from the RC year with nerves of steel and a resilience greatly strengthened by the many big and small challenges that typify the life of an L&V rep.
The typical day in the life of an L&V rep is not unlike that of a general manager - there are mostly good days and days when members of your team, in this case, your entire section, don't always get along. The gamut of issues that crop up are pretty amazing - from insensitive sky deck awards to frequent and distracting trips to the bathroom and more serious issues such as allegations of bullying fellow students, allegedly aided with fire arms. Before you wipe your brow and declare this is too much of a heavy-duty job for you, let me assure you that the last issue was proven to be the figment of someone's wild and rather inconvenient imagination.
In my opinion, the L&V rep is just that - a representative of the student body, nothing more and nothing less. She is neither an administrator nor someone who is entitled to make judgments and decisions. Rather, it is a role that requires the rep to be in sync with the section, to facilitate discussions so that matters of varying degrees of complexity can be resolved and often to just be there for her classmates to trust and confide in. It requires patience and total commitment to helping others, even if it means giving up precious hours that you would otherwise spend on case preparation or job searches to being on the phone, reassuring someone that you understand why something upset her in class that day.
One of the chief responsibilities of the L&V rep is to facilitate discussions around section norms. This is largely, a collective effort and an investment towards ensuring a rewarding section experience. It is also a work in progress, constantly evolving as the section gets more comfortable with discussions and indeed, in their daily interactions amongst each other, with invited speakers, admission guests and perhaps most importantly, with visiting friends, family and significant others. I have many fond memories from the RC year - that of my husband's first visit to class and the rousing welcome given by my section-mates; or the standing ovation given to a classmate who was heading out to be married over spring break; or the brave men in my section who donned brightly colored tights and gave a ballet performance on Spangler lawn all in the name of raising money for charity. None of these was ever written into standard operating practice by our section. In reality, norms are as much about etiquette and decorum as they are about spontaneity, respecting diversity and the freedom to be oneself in a safe and accepting environment. And certainly, norms are much bigger than any single person in the section, yes, even the L&V rep!
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