For a while, I’ve promised to talk about the SGA in one of my editorials. That time is now.
I have been at this school for almost four years. I remember going to the freshman SGA debate, in my freshman zeal, to try to steal a seat on the Senate, and being called “Mr. Purple” by the moderator Professor Wharton. I thought that getting a seat on the SGA Senate would look good on my resume, and that I could probably do a lot for campus if I had the position.
I lost, probably because I really lack such charisma to be a student leader in the same way that a member of the SGA can, but it doesn’t matter. Besides, now, I think that was probably for the better.
Around that same time, then-Managing Editor of The Stute Ricky Prego made a comment about my enthusiasm to be a part of the SGA. I recall distinctly: “You don’t even know the school or its problems,” and that really stuck with me. I was a freshman; what did I know? What did any of my colleagues that made it know?
Regardless, as more and more of the school influenced me, my knowledge of campus became refined, and I routinely tried to get on the SGA. I always felt that, with my experience coming from an RSO, I’d have a better way to connect with the SGA. However, each time I was met with disappointing failure.
Was I bitter? A little bit, but that was hardly my primary emotion. You see, at the time, and still to this day, I am upset with the way the SGA acts with other organizations.
Please note, I am talking about the collective of senators, not individuals. I have met with many SGA senators on their own, and I am friends with a good handful. But when they are in a group, they are all a little different.
In my experience, the SGA as a group feels haughty, a level above other RSOs. Maybe it comes from balancing everyone’s budgets? I don’t really know. But I’ve heard many senators acting like they are in a position above me when I am speaking on behalf of The Stute, one of the only organizations that I have had the privilege of representing.
This is irksome to me because I never felt that the SGA stood above The Stute, or me, for that matter. I have only ever seen two organizations unable to adequately understand one another.
I understand, in the SGA, that corresponding with all of the organizations is stressful, tiresome, and sort of like a public relations job where everyone’s needs and interests are constantly being weighed against each other (trying to see who will get the most money and how each organization is spending said money).
From that I can see the problems with The Stute. It is an expensive newspaper that everyone jokes about not reading, with a lot of extraneous costs such as computers, cameras, and other things, too. But The Stute is more than that: it’s a small piece of interactive history. It is a medium where students and faculty can connect to one another. It is a bulletin board for student activities.
So, I know I am not fully aware of everything the SGA does, or why they do it, but I know the SGA doesn’t understand The Stute.
It pains me to go to SGA budget meetings because I hear the petty, uneducated arguments about our organization when our life is in the balance. Not often do I hear SGA senators coming up to me to ask what The Stute is about, nor why we are choosing to cover this article and not another. Sometimes, but not as often as they could be.
I know, in the past, I have raised hell at SGA meetings, and I have no regrets for doing so when I do; what would be the point in apologizing? But I have stood up for my organization, and that is all that matters to me. I am sure that other people on campus share my views as well.
If I am thankful for anything, it is this: the new SGA cabinet has reached out with the goal of understanding The Stute and its complex needs. Additionally, that I will soon be retiring from my position as the Editor-in-Chief means elections in March. It is my hope that any animosity towards The Stute on my behalf will be absolved with my exodus.
There is, or at least is supposed to be, a senator who has the responsibility of communicating with and representing the interests of the media RSOs, including The Stute. Naturally, I have no way to know if that is happening or not, but it almost sounds as if it isn’t.
There is a person who is supposed to do this, however, her primary duty, it seems, is to relegate our information about budgeting only to the SGA. We never communicate outside of this timeframe.
Even so, there should be MUCH more communication, not just with a designated representative, but with the entire Senate body with The Stute. This communication would so easily patch up any misinformation and foster a well needed friendship between these two organizations. (And, while the Senate is at it, they should do this with as many clubs as the can.)
When I wrote the SGA bylaws, it was absolutely my intent for the person handling media RSOs to regularly visit the club meetings, advocate on behalf of the clubs, etc. At the time, we didn’t see a reason to put that in writing, because people were already doing that. The Stute was probably regarded as the most important RSO because of its duty to record the history of the school, maintain the archives, etc.
If this isn’t happening anymore, you absolutely should ask the SGA to make a bylaw change to require regular meetings or attendance at a certain number of club meetings between the subcommittee chairs and each RSO they work with.
You should remind them that being a subcommittee chair doesn’t move them to the executive branch of the SGA. Senators, regardless of committee membership, are legislators first and are there to represent clubs and students, not to manage. Their role in budgeting is purely to ensure that the clubs are well represented while lightening the load of the cabinet treasurer, who used to do every club budget himself (an absurd amount of work for one individual).
Wow, I love Mr. Pfeffer’s comment here… I’m interested to see how he would respond to my most recent column because the SGA certainly wasn’t happy about it.
Is it online? I’m not seeing it.
People on the SGA and the rest of the world should best remember that opinions are only those.
However, in my experience, an opinion is more valuable than a fact. It demonstrates that whatever truth may be out there, there are individuals who feel the truth is skewed otherwise.
The SGA should take note that, while they do not see a problem, (it factually may not exist), there is a perceived problem. And that there is a problem that YOU can see with YOUR mind, means that there is a stigma about the SGA which definitely should be addressed.