Addressing student concerns

Congratulations should be given to ASULV for generating some excitement on this campus through the elections.

The presidential and vice presidential candidates are working hard to get votes.

They are advertising with posters, tee-shirts, buttons and balloons. They are even attending club and organization meetings to speak to students about why they should vote for them.

This is the most campaigning there has been since the organization was officially established four years ago. This is great, because it is something that needed to happen to get students to think about their voting.

Since they are going to reach out to the students, the students need to care enough to reach back.

The student body does have concerns that it feels ASULV is not meeting and wants the next officers to meet.

One of the major issues students are voicing is finances. Many students do not know how funds are distributed within ASULV and how ASULV allocates funds throughout student life.

In fact, some students do not know that ASULV is student funded because the activity fee is a part of the tuition.

This year $270 was taken from tuition for students to use. That money goes toward funding Campus Activities Board events, clubs and organizations, the Multicultural Club Council and ASULV. After all of the allocations plus the 10 percent going to savings and $25,000 allocated to the Sarah and Michael Abraham Campus Center, there are still thousands of dollars left over. This money is meant to be saved for potential future projects but could also be used for other needs if the students knew that it was available.

Although ASULV is an open organization, it does not promote itself as such, so students do not know they can come to ASULV and ask about the budget.

Along with finances, some organizations have issues with transfers being done on time. In some instances the money will be transferred instantly and in others, it will take weeks. Some organizations receive the money faster than others. There needs to be some consistency.

Another issue students have with ASULV is the fact that it is inclusive.

Rarely any of the officers attend other school activities or club meetings.

One reason that is a problem is that it is hard for a group of people to claim to represent the students if they are not socializing with the students.

Also, it is a problem when organizations decide to ask for funding for events.

Since they do not go to the events, the do not know which events are successful, which ones need more work, what happens at the events and overall cannot make an informed decision about allocating money for events because they have never been to the events.

They also use to e-mail minutes from their meetings to organization presidents, but stopped doing that this year for some reason.

That was the main way students knew what ASULV was doing and what they were planning.

Students also have been complaining about the facilities on campus and the difficulty of reserving them. Some of the issues include reserving the new gym for the Greek Week lip sync, reserving rooms for events and most recently having to reserve places for the Campus Center months in advance because faculty and outside vendors have all ready started reserving rooms.

Although ASULV has voiced for some of these problems they have not and cannot vice them all because they are unaware of the concerns.

They have made several plans and ideas in work such as discount cards to be used at local businesses and a marquee to announce campus events.

It does seem like the two parties running this year are trying to change the image of ASULV for the better.

They want to give it more of a face to be seen and a voice to be heard. They both want to strengthen communication within organizations let more people know what ASULV is doing.

The hope is that they actually do this and that these are not just campaign promises.

This campus needs a president who is aware of and advocates for the student need. This campus needs a vice president who will reach out and requires its senators to come to club meetings and events.

It is time for a change in ASULV.