Three years ago, barely a week into our first semester, we walked into a Yale College Council info session and left convinced: this was a place where students could drive real change. That same week, we handwrote campaign cards, knocked on every door in Pauli Murray College and asked our classmates to take a chance on us. When we won, we showed up to our first senate meeting bright-eyed and ready to get to work.

Since then, we have served in three consecutive YCC administrations — as senator, delegate, academic policy director and speaker of the senate. We have seen the council at its best: collaborative, creative and relentless in its push to make Yale better. We have also seen it at its worst: slowed by ego, infighting and a fear of accountability. With elections underway, we are sharing what we have learned — because the YCC cannot fix what it will not face.

At its best, the YCC brings passionate students together and gives them the tools to turn ideas into action. We’ve both sat in policy meetings that started with brainstorms and ended with real, lasting change. From water fountains on Old Campus to extended add/drop periods and student representation on the Presidential Search Committee, the council is capable of delivering results — when it works together.

But that momentum is often undercut by internal politics. Some members, eager to make their mark, grow reluctant to support proposals they did not author. Others treat constructive criticism as a personal attack rather than a call to improve. Collaboration becomes a minefield, and progress stalls.

One of the most disappointing moments came earlier this year, when students came to a senate meeting to raise valid concerns about YCC spending. With two serious misuses of council funds in previous years — funds that, in part, come from student tuition — their questions were warranted. But instead of engaging in honest dialogue, many YCC members responded with deflection and defensiveness. What should have been a conversation about transparency became a masterclass in institutional gaslighting. Regardless of any disagreements over the proposal’s wording, telling students who showed up in good faith that their concerns were unfounded was unacceptable.

This cannot be the norm. The YCC cannot effectively serve students without clear structure, defined rules and a culture that welcomes accountability.

We urge the next generation of YCC leaders to conduct a serious review of the council’s constitution. Its current vagueness leads to inconsistent procedures, uneven power dynamics and little space for student input from outside the organization. As it stands, there is no formal mechanism for non-YCC students to propose changes to the constitution — unless they run for office themselves or win the backing of a supermajority of senators. That barrier makes the council less representative, not more. Earlier this year, we introduced a constitutional amendment to create a petition process that would allow students to propose changes directly. The senate voted it down. That vote, to us, was not just disappointing — it was indicative of the structural resistance to reform that has impeded the council.

To be clear, we are proud of our time in the YCC and grateful for the peers we have had the privilege to work alongside. We also recognize that we do not stand above the criticisms we have raised. Every member of the YCC has contributed in their own way to making Yale better — and that work deserves respect. And in writing this, we do not wish to call out any individual members of the YCC. But pride in what has been done should never preclude progress.

As elections approach, we urge students to think carefully about the kind of leadership they want to see. Choose candidates who listen, who share power and who are not afraid to challenge the status quo. Especially in this political moment, the Yale College Council has the potential to be a real force for good. So let’s work together to make that happen.

EMILY HETTINGER is a junior in Pierson College. She served as speaker of the YCC Senate in the 2024-2025 academic year. She can be reached at emily.hettinger@yale.edu.

KYLE THOMAS RAMOS is a junior in Pauli Murray College. He served as YCC academic policy director in the 2024-2025 academic year. He can be reached at kylethomas.ramos@yale.edu.