“You could have if you tried harder. f#cking b*tch.”

That was the message Grace Bechdol, a member of the Student Government Academics Board and Class of 2023, received from a fellow student in a conversation about academic policies at the university.

While Bechdol emphasized that the hateful nature of this interaction was an exception, many members of NYU Abu Dhabi’s Student Government highlighted a tendency among some students to misunderstand the nature of Student Government, to infringe upon personal boundaries and, in some cases, be abusive.

The Gazelle spoke to five current and former Student Government members about navigating student reactions to their work, especially during a pandemic which has resulted in critical administrative policies.

Ivory Lee, Athletics Committee Chair and Class of 2021, highlighted that the aggressive tone of messages could be attributed to social media.

“Messages I have been getting have been a lot more aggressive in nature than I would have received if they were face to face … a lot of times the messages I have been getting, the tone and the language of them [is] not nice to receive,” shared Lee.

In addition to the messages, several Student Government members denounced certain criticisms for being unfair, arguing that several students seem to misunderstand the nature of their roles, often overestimating their ability to influence administrative decisions.

Both Seo-Hee Hong, Dining Committee Chair and Class of 2022, and Yusril Nur Hidayat, Global Affairs Chair and Class of 2022, suggested that many students do not understand the process required to influence or change policies at the university.

“Students, some of them … [think] that we can change anything. I think students really need to understand the position of Student Government as the one that puts forward any student concerns or needs … still a lot of students think that … we have hands in literally changing or making decisions” added Hidayat.

Bechdol echoed the idea that students often unfairly see Student Government as a mouthpiece for administration. “I can understand where people might think that we could do more, but they also don’t see all the meetings we attend as a council and with admin, all the emails and proposals we send back and forth and how seriously we defend and advocate for students even when leadership says something isn’t possible.”

Bechdol also received another message from a different student that expressed discontentment with student government and claimed that they acted as an administration mouthpiece.

“Honestly f#ck all of [you] in student government you’re just on a power trip pretending you can do anything; let me know when you have something to say besides recycled admin bullsh*t,” read the message.

When discussing such misgivings about their role, several Student Government members asked for patience. Sameera Singh, former Health & Wellness Committee Chair and Class of 2022, added that the nature of Student Government at NYUAD was different from other institutions, a discrepancy that may not be recognized by many students.

“Certain student governments work differently than the one that we have here,” she argued. “The one that we have here is a middle man. The student governments that students are coming from are often at the table when decisions are made, [but] we still don't have that bandwidth which we’re trying to fight for on a daily basis with administration so that Student Government has a say in the decision making itself so that we can advise … and inform certain decisions.”

Both Hidayat and Singh also revealed that some students often displayed a tendency to expect support at odd hours, with little respect for their personal boundaries.

“Students need to remember … we are all students, and we are not full-time politicians or full-time admin … so a lot of cases that I encountered during the study away cancellation period, a lot of people texted me at 1 a.m. and then like texted me at 1:10 a.m. [expecting an answer],” said Hidayat.

“There is a lack of acknowledgement of my boundaries … there is a sense of entitlement,” shared Singh, referring to the numerous times she has received messages after 3 a.m. asking for immediate health resources. “That kind of stuff happens a little too much,” she lamented.

Nonetheless, several Committee Chairs noted that they still enjoyed their roles and the opportunity to serve the student body, emphasizing the importance of their work during the pandemic. Most members — many of whom had joined before the pandemic disrupted the traditional functions of Student Government — said that they did not regret their decision to assume the role.

“So many students that I talk to are so sweet and overly grateful for the work that we do and I appreciate that so much,” said Bechdol. “Covid-19 has made this year so difficult, and while greater compassion from everyone is needed I also totally understand why it’s so difficult to be positive and grateful during this time.”