2008 Woodie Awards
View print edition front page as a PDF
News
University office vacancies impeded some SG goals
By Patrick Ambrosio, Adam Bender and Kyle Butts on 3/1/07
While campaigning last year for the position of Student Government vice president, Pat McGill promised to replace the annual Founder's Day Ball with "Bender Bash," a carnival in Bender Arena that would conserve funds for other events.
One year later, McGill is the SG vice president, and yet the Founder's Day Ball was held Feb. 17 at the Willard Hotel. It cost almost $35,000, or about $70 per person in attendance.
"I ran the campaign, and basically had no clue what I was talking about," McGill said. "I thought [Founder's Day] was too much money to spend, and I still think it's a lot of money, but people wanted the event."
McGill's change of heart on the Founder's Day Ball, which ended up being one of the most successful SG events of the year, is one example of how some SG executives were unable to fulfill their campaign promises. While high interest in Founder's Day saved it from being cancelled, some of the executives' proposed ideas have proven to be nearly impossible to execute, while others have been modified to more realistic plans of action.
The major problem has been a lack of cooperation between the SG and the university offices that could work to make those changes, SG executives said.
"The executives did get a bit done this year, and we didn't squander tens of thousands of dollars on T-shirts," Peter Wahlberg, a member of the Undergraduate Senate, and a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said.
SG President Ashley Mushnick promised during her campaign to make Microsoft Office free for all students, not just AU employees. However, with the position of Director of Information Technology currently unoccupied, Mushnick said there was nobody for her to even propose the idea to.
Mushnick was also working with Julie Weber, former director of the Office of Housing and Dining, on a way for students to manage their EagleBucks accounts over the Internet, an idea Weber said she put in her budget request. However, Weber left her position in early February and Mushnick said she has not heard anything since from Housing and Dining.
One year later, McGill is the SG vice president, and yet the Founder's Day Ball was held Feb. 17 at the Willard Hotel. It cost almost $35,000, or about $70 per person in attendance.
"I ran the campaign, and basically had no clue what I was talking about," McGill said. "I thought [Founder's Day] was too much money to spend, and I still think it's a lot of money, but people wanted the event."
McGill's change of heart on the Founder's Day Ball, which ended up being one of the most successful SG events of the year, is one example of how some SG executives were unable to fulfill their campaign promises. While high interest in Founder's Day saved it from being cancelled, some of the executives' proposed ideas have proven to be nearly impossible to execute, while others have been modified to more realistic plans of action.
The major problem has been a lack of cooperation between the SG and the university offices that could work to make those changes, SG executives said.
"The executives did get a bit done this year, and we didn't squander tens of thousands of dollars on T-shirts," Peter Wahlberg, a member of the Undergraduate Senate, and a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said.
SG President Ashley Mushnick promised during her campaign to make Microsoft Office free for all students, not just AU employees. However, with the position of Director of Information Technology currently unoccupied, Mushnick said there was nobody for her to even propose the idea to.
Mushnick was also working with Julie Weber, former director of the Office of Housing and Dining, on a way for students to manage their EagleBucks accounts over the Internet, an idea Weber said she put in her budget request. However, Weber left her position in early February and Mushnick said she has not heard anything since from Housing and Dining.
Be the first to comment on this story