Georgetown Student Apathy: How to Foster a More Positive and Caring Environment

Georgetown prides itself on student culture, stating how it is a community that’s “bursting with energy and ideas”. Yet, when students arrive on campus, that is not always the case. Ranging from issues such as campus safety concerns to controversial speakers, there seems to be a resignation from the “temperamental” middle of the student body. This group consists of people who do not routinely engage with campus issues, either through distrust or unawareness.

Here lies one of the most consistent problems on Georgetown’s campus. While there are significant portions of the student population that are passionate about such issues, the student apathy is still wide-ranging and comes in many forms. Key problems seem to be student engagement with the Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA) as well as a larger portion of non-politics majors having such apathy. Considering that students responding to campus topics is important for improving their Georgetown experience, it’s crucial to provide more opportunity/incentive for non-politics majors to engage with student representatives and issues.

In the past few years, there have been several instances of GUSA representatives struggling to meaningfully interact with the student body. A notable example is the failure to pass a restructuring referendum due to low voter turnout. Specifically, the overall turnout rate was 20.11% of the undergraduate student body with 1,431 votes cast, falling well short of the necessary 25% voting threshold. The low turnout rate demonstrates a lack of passion and incentive among GU students to speak up about issues and concerns about the organization designed to be the liaison between students and administration. It appears that one of the important factors was the lack of understanding over the meaning of a GUSA referendum. This absence of communication and engagement between students and the administration in voting – a fundamental tool of democracy. In fact, it is not uncommon for students to look at the list of candidates running for a position and have no idea about the agenda and priorities of some candidates.

It is pivotal that Georgetown does not turn political apathy into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Some students do not engage in student-body events or advocacy because they believe one person’s participation cannot make any difference in changing school policy. However, this view is both inaccurate and detrimental. As Kailey Sjauwfoekloy (CAS ‘24) and Kiera Ferrell (SFS '26) pointed out, throughout this year, GUSA has successfully lowered printing fees, increased charging stations in Lauinger Library and extended GUTS bus schedules. Clearly, GUSA is making a substantial impact on the campus, and certainly will be more influential if a greater proportion of students partake in the effort. Moreover, engaging in those topical conversations and activities is the only way to end problematic practices and improve outdated policy, One person voting or signing a petition indeed may seem to make little or no difference, but hundreds of individuals united together in a shared cause will not only make our voice heard, but also create a supportive culture where injustice knowing that thousands of GU students will not be indifferent and silent.

Building bridges that make engaging in political events more accessible and inclusive. The BridgeUSA chapter at Georgetown in particular, is a club trying to make strides in improved understanding of the campus environment, through individual and collaborative events with the School of Foreign Service Academic Council. For GUSA specifically, one way to improve engagement and turnout rate is providing accessible and accurate information about the candidates to all GU students. Adding on, Sjauwfoekloy believes that GUSA can “host more collaborative events for OPEN dialogue” and encourage “more meaningful communication” to increase the visibility of the student government. creating more events for candidates to share their biography, priorities, skills, and passion could significantly increase voter knowledge of the people who might be making decisions that impact their everyday life.

Georgetown claims to have an engaged and passionate undergraduate population of 7,598 students. While that may be true, the lack of student engagement for student-related issues is a worrisome trend. With clubs like BridgeUSA and its various collaborators though, there is a way forward. Through hosting various different events that foster both community and important discourse, BridgeUSA represents a space for anyone to engage with, challenge notions, and learn from others. With this type of culture, the Georgetown community works toward a more inclusive and healthy space, allowing future students to better understand the resources and opportunities they have through the Hilltop.

For those who believe they have a “natural” disinterest or aversion to politics and policy, students can ask themselves if they have given themselves a real chance to understand their significance and the source of that disinterest. They might be turned away by the dramatic fallout displayed on social media or the alienating narrative that politics is for those in the certain schools or majors at this school. But it is only becoming more important for students to recognize how school policies impact their lives as well as those of their friends, professors, and other Georgetown members every day.

As part of a greater community, Georgetown students share the responsibility to care for each other and stand up against injustice. They have the power to engage in local and national issues in ways that shape the course of the country and the life of the next generation either through voting, public service, or other forms. So, the importance of getting into the habit or mindset of appreciating civic duty in a country that values transparency, justice, and equity, not just in theory but in practice, cannot be emphasized enough.

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