The Beastie Boys’ ‘Fight for Your Right (To Party)’ was symbolic of the era it came out of, the 1980s. A time period where elected officials like Ronald Reagan encouraged individuals to indulge in their selfish desires and disregard of any greater purpose or good in society. As a result of this cultural mindset, we have slipped into greater disparity between the rich and poor in this country, which still affects many today. The Beastie Boys’ classic tune could not be any more applicable than with this fall’s SA Presidential election.

As a senior who is going to graduate in May, I have never seen anything quite like what is happening right now in this SA election in my four years at Syracuse. And as a senior who has never even been involved with SA or student government, I am frankly disgusted by the antics and campaigning methods of Hari Iyer.

While college should be a place that finds students at the peak of their idealism meant for a better world, and still in the middle of working with their rising potential in making this a better world; Hari’s campaigning for SA President are similar to the cynical world viewpoint that have led to the real world problems we face in the 21st century (problems which originate from the latter-half of the 20th century and still plague us today).

Hari’s cynical campaign methods have clearly been meant to appeal to students irrational and selfish desires. Methods which have involved potential bribing (Hari’s ‘Poll for Cash’ campaign), nonsensical student populist rage (open e-mail to Chancellor Nancy Cantor), and literally using the recent MayFest issue as a political podium to encourage students to ‘Fight for their Right to Party.’ Like any dirty politician in the past or present, Hari has used these issues to pander to his voters, all for the selfish purpose of getting elected at any cost.

Fortunately, this past Friday’s ‘Save Mayfest’ block party, which Hari sent out Facebook messages for turned out to be a dismal failure with its small turn out. Hopefully it is an indication that we, as Syracuse University students are not as self-indulgent as one cynic may figure and that we as a people have truly progressed from ‘Fight for Your Right’s’ era, just as we move to a new decade in the 21st century. If Hari’s SA Presidential campaigning proves to have been successful then I weep for the future of S.U. student politics and the precedent this fall’s campaigning may have set.