I sit through a lot of meetings as ASSU Vice President. Some are about serious policy issues — like how federal funding and executive orders affect ethnic theme dorms. Others? Making sure Crepe Night happens this weekend. Sometimes, the contrast is overwhelming.

So yesterday, when Provost Martinez asked me and ASSU President Diego Kagurabadza ’25 what I would change about social life funding, my answer was simple: “Give it to someone else.” The problem is, fun is a temporary solution. 

When I was a freshman, Stanford’s social life was in shambles. The pandemic had wiped out student-run traditions — no one organized FLiCKS, Full Moon on the Quad or Bay to Breakers. Without upperclassmen to pass down traditions, all we could do was hear about the good old days.

Many people tried to fix this. The administration introduced the neighborhood system and councils. The Office of Student Engagement (OSE) funded Cardinal Nights. But nothing really worked — until former ASSU executives Sophia Danielpour ‘24 and Kyle Haslett ‘25 made a strong push with their “Fun Strikes Back” campaign. With new funding from the Provost, they restarted Row programming, revived FLiCKS and Annie Reller ‘24 and Emily Deng ‘25 centralized social life in the “In the Cards” email.

What was meant to be a temporary intervention, however, has now become a permanent burden on the ASSU. When deciding what to do with funding for example, we must split our agenda between funding the N+O lines of the Marguerite and funding Margaritaville. When deciding what to present to the provost and president, our items vary from ensuring the Bridge remains funded and securing resources for the next FLiCKS. With more responsibilities, come more tradeoffs. 

Running student government like a party planning committee distracts from our core mission: student advocacy. Right now, we split our time between approving Crepe Night funds and fighting for recorded lectures. The reality is that trying to do both means we can’t do either very well.

At the same time, we don’t aim to pretend that fostering community at Stanford isn’t part of ASSU’s responsibility. A strong student community makes for a more vibrant, inclusive campus, and sometimes student government should step up to fill the gaps. But this cannot be a solo effort — other students also need to take initiative. Just look at Peyton Klein’s ‘25 work with On Call Cafe or Danny Kim’s ‘25 leadership in the pub initiative. These efforts show that sustainable student-led programming is possible beyond ASSU intervention.

The Solution: A permanent, student-led institution

This isn’t just a COVID problem — it is a systems problem. Stanford has no mechanism to preserve the institution’s traditions. We need a structure that ensures traditions persist beyond the memory of a single four-year cycle.

What might this look like? An alumni-backed board? A council of seniors? A dedicated social life committee? The specifics are up for debate, but the core principle is clear: Student-run social life needs a stable, long-term home outside the ASSU.

A permanent institution dedicated to preserving campus traditions would not only relieve the ASSU of its event-planning burden, but also ensure that student social life remains vibrant and self-sustaining. Without this effort, future leaders will face the same exhausting sacrifices — when they should be fighting for student rights, not just student nights.

It’s time to move past this Band-Aid fix and build something permanent. As a senior, I see a sustainable approach as an investment in Stanford’s longevity. Thinking beyond temporary solutions will establish a structure that allows campus traditions to thrive, independent of who holds office in the ASSU.