Unsung heroes

True leadership exists in both the shadows and the sun. It is thus up to leaders’ beneficiaries—here, their fellow students—to shed light on their merits. This Tuesday at 5 p.m. is the deadline for nominations for Student Government Association leadership awards, which recognize those who have made significant contributions to the Barnard community. These awards could provide still more recognition for the same people who are frequently recognized—namely, student council members. Alternatively, students could use the opportunity to break from the norm and establish a new precedent for the acknowledgment of all forms of leadership at Barnard.

Student council members are, by virtue of their positions, some of the most visible individuals on campus, which gives them a natural advantage in award nominations. Students typically know their representatives’ names, which means something at a school with so many outlets and organizations. Furthermore, the administrators who issue many of these awards work directly with those on the councils, making them obvious recipients. This is not to say that council members don’t deserve awards, but they are not the only students who can be called leaders, which is the impression that comes from looking over the average list of awardees.

Those who issue the awards, though, cannot be held personally responsible for knowing either all of the types of leadership or all of the individual leaders on campus. Deans and SGA members may not know which students spend all of their time volunteering at a health organization or hotline. This is an unfortunate reality, but it doesn’t mean that those who aren’t recognized aren’t leaders. The people who do know them should thus take it upon themselves to acknowledge them.

Rather than allowing this next round of awards to come and go with only the usual contenders as nominees, students should take this opportunity to nominate their peer leaders. There are people worthy of the SGA leadership awards who aren’t on SGA, and those whom they help and inspire can take this opportunity to thank them. Little-known leaders light up lives every day, and others should take the time to showcase their contributions.