As many of you probably already know, the recent termination of Associated Student Forum Senator Nicole Caceras and the Mr. ULV pageant are just the latest scene in the Shakespearean tragedy that centers on the dimwitted and dysfunctional family that comprises our student government.
Recall that back in the fall there were rumors that a special election would be held to fill the seats that were being vacated by resigning ASF officers faster than you could say “Nixon.” Well, guess what: The end of the spring semester is nearly upon us, with nary a school-wide election in sight. Instead, they decided to push through a referendum, but lo and behold, there’s been a bureaucratic snafu, and the referendum election, which was to be an in-person affair, will now be conducted through e-mail…with no other promotion. And due to the single digit turnout that is sure to result, this all but guarantees that the non-graduating incumbents will get to keep their gilded office chairs for at least another year. Of course any “new” officers elected in Spring 2006 are likely to follow in their predecessors’ footsteps and complain about having to adjust their busy schedules in order to be able to meet for less than two hours a week.
You read right: Two measly hours per week.
There are many committees and organizations on campus that put significantly more hours into their work and get stuff done to boot.
And for those of you who wish to think that ASF is simply trying to find a direction now that the Campus Activities Board has usurped many of the former’s event-planning and event-staging duties, think again: ASF was, by and large, sitting on its collective hands long before CAB was hatched.
Students were and generally still are seldom informed of upcoming events, and even when the word is put out, it seems to usually be just a few hours in advance. This failure to communicate, combined with lethally high levels of student apathy, has led to attendance figures that can be counted on one hand for untold dozens of plays, receptions and lectures. Not the sort of thing guests of the University should be seeing, eh?
Nevertheless, now that CAB is in control of activities, what’s left for ASF to do? Gee, that’s a good question. Eureka! How about ASF turns its focus to student advocacy? Sure, it sounds like it would consume more than one hour per week, in addition to requiring some actual work on both the individual and team levels, but do they have anything else in mind?
Heck, ASF has already figured out how to get on the soapbox under its own power and it recently managed to convince the suits to keep mailboxes available to commuters, albeit for a fee. It’s a nice start, guys, and we understand that you have to learn how to walk before you can run.
But just the same, the sooner you folks learn how to do something with your positions and act in the best interests of your fellow students, the sooner we (might) quit stepping on your toes.
Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.
