By Halle Brindley – Opinions Editor

In response to Roser Rise’s decision to leave her position of vice president of student  affairs under the SRC, I have conducted four interviews with former SRC Executive Members, Bryn Empey Roser Rise, Olivia Woods, and Christina Lépine to get a glimpse of what is going on in the SRC.

As a disclaimer, my goal with this is not to make the SRC look bad, but rather dive into what is going on, whatever that may be. 

The issues I will discuss are not unique to Bishop’s. “There is a national lack of support for student unions on various levels,” Woods reminds us. These former SRC employees want everyone to remember that they too are students.  

When asked if “it [working for the SRC] is worth it,” all respondents unanimously said “yes,”  however, it’s not always sunny in the SRC. As Woods mentioned, “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.”

The unofficial transition document 

When a student accepts to work in the SRC, the outgoing student who previously  maintained the position provides the newcomer with a transition document. This document consists of what the previous position holder did, how they did it, and who to reach out to for specific needs. The interviewees gave the following advice: 

Lépine: “Learn how to say no, don’t over commit, and learn slowly, committing slowly.”

Woods: “Get involved in different areas on campus, no regrets for involvement. If you’re not 100%,  then nothing else can be 100%.”

Empey: “Make sure your priorities are being met before any extra job or extracurriculars. If you can’t show up for yourself, then you can’t show up for other people.”

Rise: “Try as hard as [you] can to respect [your own] boundaries, don’t be afraid to say no, and I would maybe not recommend run[ning] for the VP role.” 

Women in a Leadership Position 

It was brought to my attention by Woods that a student from another school, working for their student union, was “slut-shamed and targeted online because of what she looked like and what she wore.”                        

The treatment of these four female interviewees along with a handful of other unnamed individuals has not reached this level, but it falls within the dark grey area of treatment towards women. “Sometimes women in student government are… judged by how they act or what they wear,” Woods said. She continued: “There are times where women in student government are judged for their personal lives and things that are going on instead of  professionally.”

On a personal level, Woods suggested that “sometimes different things I wanted to wear [I thought] I should maybe be more professional… It can be really  tricky too because I’m still a student, I still do things, like go to The Gait or go to the Lion and people would be like ‘oh, Liv, you’re drinking at The Gait,’ like yes I am, I’m also a student as well.” 

From her experience, Woods believes that the student perspective pigeonholes those in student government to act and behave a certain way. Woods recently received a comment telling her, ‘I thought you were really good.’  In the interview, Woods responded: “What does that mean? You think I’m not ‘good’ now that you’ve seen me in a non-professional setting?” 

I then pose this question to you, the student body: if you wear a crop top, does that mean you care less about things? Does it make you less qualified to be the voice of students when you, also a student, wear what makes you most comfortable? A crop-top, let alone any top, doesn’t impact your work life. If you’re off the clock, wear whatever top you want. After describing this situation to Empey, the former director of events, she replied, “That’s just ridiculous, that’s terrible, I don’t like that.” Woods added further comment by saying, “everyone has this stereotypical idea of what professionalism means and apparently it means that it transforms your life too… you’re [supposed to be] a robot.”

All Work, Some Pay… 

A frequent theme in answers was that the pay for SRC executives is not enough. I would go as far as to argue it does not acknowledge a realistic work week for SRC executives, but rather, a falsified idea. This is especially true if events are to run smoothly, especially during times like Winterfest, O-week, etc. “That 20-hour [contracted work] week would turn into a 40-hour one with no additional compensation,” Empey stated, “You were then expected to drop other things to make sure the event runs smoothly.” Empey underscores the importance of these extra hours in order to have a successful event. 

However, Empey mentioned that then these hours often come at the cost “of your  academics dropping, you don’t spend as much time with your friends, … As much as I would like to say it was a balanced ratio, I found that when events were taking place, that was my only focus. My grades and class attendance were definitely on the backburner for me.” Although not necessarily to an extreme, all four women noticed a decline in their grades during their time working for the SRC. 

Empey was motivated to join the SRC, as she had the mindset that her role would be giving back in a fun way, yet it got to the point where she worked a 20-hour day. Although desired, and well deserved, Empey claimed that after such a hectic day, “you deserve a day off.” Empey loved her job, but in her experience, it took advantage of this passion, testing the limits of her volunteerism. For Woods, even after leaving the office, it was as if she were on the clock 24/7, “there was no distinction between when I was working and when I wasn’t,” she said. Rise stated that because there was so much to do, “it’s definitely a job that would require more than the initial [contracted] 3 hours.” Such strain resulted in her mental health declining. Some SRC workers sought out counseling solely because of their job under the SRC. 

We’re all in this, just not together 

In moments of high stress, when things are going wrong and you are the face of the SRC,  criticism can affect the representatives strongly. “Criticism… hits you hard,” Lépine mentioned, “I remember hiding from my parents… mean messages [she was  receiving].” Due to the female majority of SRC interviewees, the impact on men in leadership roles has notably not been investigated in terms of similarity in,  unfortunately, backlash. It is worth noting that the treatment towards former female  executives has been less than decent, ranging from in person to online comments,  comments to one’s partner on the ‘bad character’ of their partner in the SRC, stalking, death threats, etc. 

Empey commented that these roles are “taxing, but if something political comes into the mix,  your life is at stake as a student.” As students, they, although in a powerful role, do not necessarily have as much power as many assume.Harassment is not a way of  respecting the people who act as a unified voice for our university, even if you disagree with the actions of the SRC. On the most basic level, SRC members are not being respected. Now, on the side of the SRC, a support protocol is to be thoroughly entertained as a starting point to allow for the protection of student leaders, both physically and mentally. Currently, a stable support system is lacking. How can these women in leadership roles be successful if their work life, past the paperwork and meetings, is so heavily interfering with their wellbeing? If they are not treated 100%, how can we, as students, expect them to be  100%? 

During the 2023-2024 academic year, Lépine, Empey, and Woods worked collectively on the SRC,  through extremely unforeseen, difficult periods of time. Woods noted that she wouldn’t have been able to do it with any other team. The value of a team allows for wellbeing check-ins, a feeling of  togetherness, and an effective work life. For Rise, the element of a team was missing. Although some members would ask if they could help, the confidentiality of documents  limited the amount of support she was able to get. In total, she says she did not feel  supported. 

The SRC’s Statement: 

“The realities you’ve highlighted—long hours, personal sacrifices, and challenges related  to student leadership—are unfortunately true. Our team has recognized these systemic issues, which is why we are actively working toward a restructuring to better support SRC members and ensure a more sustainable, balanced, and effective organization. The work  of the SRC is demanding, but it is also vital in advocating for and providing services to students.  

[…] A lack of institutional and  governmental support for student governance often leads to workloads that exceed what is  reasonable for elected members, and in some cases, even exposes them to undue  harassment and threats. No student leader should have to face these conditions, and we are committed to implementing changes that prioritize well-being and fairness.  

Despite these obstacles, SRC members continue to work tirelessly for students—whether  through academic advocacy, event planning, student services, or policy reform.  Unfortunately, much of this hard work goes unnoticed or underappreciated. However, we remain dedicated to improving transparency, increasing support structures, and fostering  a healthier work environment for future SRC teams.”

Closing this article, Opening an Alternative 

Given all of this, it’s easier to focus on the negative, but it’s crucial to recognize all of the positive work the SRC has done, including advocating for fall break. Betcha didn’t know about that one. 

To the students, be kind and take time to learn how the SRC works, after all, they are students just like you and me. And to the SRC, I’m curious to see how your new strategies model will address the existing flaws. Mental health and work recognition matters; the executives are employees, not part-time volunteers. All interviewees have suggested implementing aids who they are able to confide in with confidential documents, consider such suggestions, among the other gaping holes in the format of the SRC, to best address student and exec needs in the future.  

Finally, to Bryn, Roser, Liv, and Christina, thank you for your time and honesty. You have made my time at Bishop’s particularly wonderful with everything I knew you did and everything I did not know.