By: Steele Smith, Contributing Writer

“Failure in politics is a mean streak.”

This was the reply of Glen Niles, freshman Campus Union candidate, when asked what defines failure. This came after failing to be elected to represent the Wofford freshman class as one of six representatives on the Wofford Campus Union.

The new representatives, Ernesto Barquet-Arrambide, Amanda Clark, Timothy Davis, Mary Katherine Linn, Victoria Nwankudu and Will Randall will now shoulder the problems and issues of more than 400 of their classmates.

“Well, winning isn’t everything in my book because I’ve lost so many times in my life. What I’ve realized is that losing just sucks. Everyone wants to win, but losing builds character,” Niles says.

As we discussed life after defeat, Niles reflected on what, if anything, he could have changed as a first year representative. He highlighted issues in the Marsh dormitory where he resides.

“Knock on wood, I love the first floor, but I refuse to wash my clothes in that washing machine.”

Being a realist rather than an idealist, a self-proclaimed “charismatic guy,” Niles states that he wants to be able to “listen to problems without necessarily asking for them.”

He asserted that, “My only goal as a freshman delegate is to get the exposure to run again next year and have credibility.”

Niles then called the myWofford webpage into question. He thought that the lack of the use of printed information surrounding the election process made it not only harder for those seeking office but also the voting majority.

“The worst thing you can do is tell somebody you’re going to fix something and then don’t fix it,” he says.

Niles calls lofty promises a sure way to fail. He then explained his Wofford political philosophy, reasoning that six freshman delegates are not going to press the issue of what needs to change.

“You see, you don’t go to President Moody, student body president; you don’t go to Dean Bigger; you go to President Samhat, but trying to get him, that’s the issue, that’s the failure, trying to get that high. It’s not going to work. You have to get to know him, especially as a freshman.”

Niles expresses a powerful idea from his perspective as a political hopeful that addresses the issue: Will the first year delegates be able to accomplish their jobs, and if so, how will they do? That is a question those six delegates have all year to answer.