By Charles L. Westmoreland
I spent a considerable amount of time last year reporting on the Student Government Association’s circus acts. Every few weeks a new editorial pointing out the most frequent demonstration of political indecision would materialize from my fingertips.
At one point I thought about excluding the SGA from the editorial pages altogether. I grew tired of giving the SGA bad ink. Most importantly, why waste time reporting on something no one cares about?
Yet, amidst impeachment hearings, illegitimate voting on season tickets, unopposed elections and frequent incompetence within the Senate, a group of legitimate student leaders emerged. Problem is – now they’re serving a near non-existent constituency.
I’ve spent a lot of time meeting with this year’s top officials and shadowing SGA functions. Last year made me determined to have The Cardinal staff watch their every move just in case similar shenanigans re-occurred.
What I’ve found instead is that despite the SGA’s noblest efforts to revitalize its image as a mature and responsible political body, students aren’t being receptive. The SGA’s plea for student involvement is falling on deaf ears.
The Cardinal’s job is to serve as the watchdog over the SGA, pouncing on every legitimate story. For better or worse, we do our best to keep students informed of how their personal budget is being spent and whether or not their elected officials are taking their positions seriously.
The student body has an even greater mission: to ensure the student government is pursuing goals and spending money that will better the unified whole.
During the SGA Days, I talked to both students and SGA officials alike and was dumbfounded that the major student concern was that the SGA ran out of pizza. Even seniors had no idea of, and even less concern for, what the SGA does. I attempted to invoke some curiosity by stating they controlled a budget of more than $550,000, but even then I received blank reactions. No one seemed to care where that money goes.
Juggle these numbers and then see if you care. According to the 2004-2005 budget I received, last year’s SGA allotted $7,500 dollars to Arts and Sciences, but the Medical, Dental and Speed schools received at least twice that much. An SGA official said disbursing funds to different departments is based on requests from departmental senates.
It seems that last year’s A&S senate, which represents the largest percentage of students, failed its student body. Or did students fail themselves by not pressuring their representatives to garner a larger piece of the pie? Last year’s SGA budget was increased $18,000 from 2003, yet funding of the ACCESS center for commuter students was cut to $60,363, nearly $25,000 less than in 2003. Commuter students lost out but none seemed to notice.
Put some heat on your elected representatives. Make them earn their tuition stipends and wages. But most importantly, make sure they’re serving your needs. They’ll respond to it. After all, their purpose is to work for you.
Charles L. Westmoreland is a senior majoring in English, and is the Editor in Chief for The Louisville Cardinal. Contact him at cwestmoreland@louisvillecardinal.com
