It’s easy to tell when election season is in full swing at Bocconi. Suddenly, (most) Italians start speaking English, your residence representative greets you like an old friend, and Astra and Blab go fully international. They start posting more in English and sharing videos of their international friends pledging their support in their native languages. The way they approach us is absurd when you think about it—as if we are exotic beings who exist only during election season. When election season is in full swing at Bocconi, international students become more than just numbers—we become an actual part of the Bocconi community. But let’s be honest for a second: this is just an illusion. A month-long fairytale to secure votes. Aren’t we all tired of this same cycle? Representation that matters means breaking this cycle.
Last month, both associations nominated their BoD candidates. The way they held their announcements was unsurprisingly similar: Italian men cheering for their Italian BoD candidate in Italian. But what is the point of inviting all Bocconi students to such events if the plan is to do it all in Italian? Another similarity between Astra and Blab is the proportion of non-Italian candidates on their lists. Each time one of them posts about their candidates, I can’t help but notice the ratio of international students present. For each collegial body people are running for, the ratio of non-Italians to Italians is usually around 1 to 5. Disappointing but not surprising. This aligns with the latest Blab survey: only 2 out of 10 international students feel truly part of Bocconi. Believe me, I am definitely not one of them.
Those who participated in the survey cited the language barrier as the main reason for exclusion, followed by the social divide between international students and Italians, and the limited English resources. Bocconi Jobs feels more like Italian Jobs, and almost half of the emails we receive advertise events held exclusively in Italian. It is a humbling experience to see an interesting announcement, get excited about it, only to find out that it is Italian-speakers-only at the end.
Student representation should be more than just securing a BoD seat. The student body should reflect the realities of the Bocconi campus. Inclusion happens only when those in charge act with genuine intent, and real diversity goes beyond the number of nationalities on campus. These are shared concerns among international students, especially non-Europeans. Bocconi is—and should continue to be—more than just a finance school for those Golden Goose-wearing, internship-hunting finance bros. To build a solid reputation as a school of social sciences with a diverse student body, we need more than just ‘knowledge that matters’. Anyone willing to represent the Bocconi student body should hear the voices of Italians and non-Italians alike. After all, representation is all that matters.