Alex Prescott’s suspension as SG Vice President on Sunday hardly came as a surprise — and for good reason. Traditionally, the office had been one of the more visible and appreciated SG positions due to its main responsibility of planning events for the AU student body. Unfortunately, students this year had few events worth actually celebrating. This week’s cancellation of the Founders’ Day Ball just made Prescott’s ineffectiveness and lack of achievements impossible to ignore, prompting the Senate to suspend him in a 12-to-4 vote with three abstentions.
Suspension aside, the loss of Founders’ Day Ball is rather disappointing. With the student body becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the performance of the SG, members of the SG could have used a successful event. The cancellation of such an AU tradition only reinforces the notion that SG is unable to represent its peers in a professional manner. If SG wants to salvage the year, there must be significant improvements in the immediate future.
In retrospect, the lack of preparation for the Founders’ Day Ball was evident in late January. Three weeks from the intended date there still were no advertisements, no catering plans and no venue confirmation. While Prescott and his defenders have claimed that the Old Post Office Pavilion was slow in signing contracts, many with event planning experience insist that contracts should be finalized much further in advance.
Without a doubt, February’s major snowstorms created the ultimate logistical nightmare —enough so that SG officials decided to give Prescott the benefit of the doubt. Yet he still was unable to recover from the debacle and pull an event together. His inability to organize any sort of an event gives serious credence to the thought that even without the two feet of snow, Founders’ Day Ball still would have been canceled.
Fortunately, next year’s executives seem poised to prevent the development of such a mess. Vice President-elect Maia Tagami’s pledge to make the event deadlines public and months in advance is admirable, and The Eagle encourages her to follow through. Tagami must recognize Prescott’s mistake of procrastination if Founders’ Day 2011 is to occur.
Moreover, executives-elect should work together to ensure that they each fulfill their respective duties. For too long, there has been a self-imposed divide of responsibility between SG executives, each concentrating solely on tasks assigned to them individually by the bylaws. While we understand why this has occurred, there must be a more cohesive work atmosphere in place so that individual mistakes can be caught and corrected with minimal repercussions.
On a positive note, SG should be commended for not making a show of Prescott’s suspension. It seems the lessons of the impeachment trial for Matt Handverger in late August were not easily forgotten. Instead of weeks of drama, debate and discontent, it took one weekend and a simple up or down vote. To be sure, the case was certainly more clear-cut. Still, the lack of spectacle was refreshing.
Moving forward, this year’s SG can still save face. Current seniors deserve to see their money put to use, not simply deferred to next year. Some event — an expanded Spring Fling, a dance outside on the quad — should take the place of Founders’ Day. Now it is up to those still responsible to step up and make this happen.
Prescott’s missteps are unfortunate and can not be corrected. By recognizing these gaffes, the SG can ensure the success of Founders’ Day Ball in the years to come.
