I attended my first senate meeting February third with the hope of impressing the ladies with my worldly views. But as I listened to the groans and stifled giggles when a senator proposed a series of Constitutional revisions, I realized that the SGA at WC is a joke.
It is a joke, but not a funny joke. You can't laugh at something that is grossly deformed, especially when most people think it looks fine.
Or perhaps I'm unjustly critical, coming from a school with an SGA that boasts scores of noticeable campus improvements each year. I asked three senators what the WC SGA accomplished last semester, and they each stared at me blankly.
The structure of the SGA encourages groups of friends to overrun the executive board, and sure enough, about half of them are in the same wedding party.
Most colleges have elected class officers fill the executive board positions beyond the four main officers. This diversifies and empowers the group. For instance, when I was class treasurer at McDaniel College, my freshman year I served on the executive board's social committee, and last semester I served on its campus climate committee. Each committee is headed by a different class president. Abitrary appointment of students to these important committees is instrinsically flawed.
I was confused, also, why the VP of Academic Affairs resigned because he was ineffectual, yet he collected a salary last semester greater than any RA made. Will he reimburse the SGA for the salary he didn't deserve?
This is a question McDaniel students were unable to answer when I was a freshman. We felt it was unethical to take money away from clubs. We had our own office equipped with stationery, a few old computers, and a photocopier. We considered that enough compensation.
As I understand it, the SGA typically devotes one fourth of the club budget as salaries for the executive board members. Say I start a club for pimping sorostitutes, and I need $500. The SGA would give me a max of $375. So how would I afford the fluffy garter belts?
Kudos to the senator who sought to amend the Constitution. Kudos to those students who supported him and spoke with conviction about holding the administration accountable for its decisions. You are my hope that the SGA might eventually achieve something worthwhile.