In response to the Eagle’s student government evaluations, it seems illogical to cite improvement to the SG’s image this year while calling lackluster the performance of the person whose “job is all about communicating the SG image.” Further, while I appreciate the credit for the “great events” attributed to me, only the vice president’s and president’s cabinet organized events, including the Gala in SIS that at least 700 undergraduates heard about via social media, tabling, listserves, Today@AU messages and other publicity tools. To be fair, I accept the editorial’s frustration with certain parts of ausg.org, but the website is more user-friendly, content-rich, and up-to-date than last year’s, an improvement that I know Secretary-elect Kevin Sutherland will expand upon. What I do not accept, however, is the editorial’s dismissal of the progress the individual members of my cabinet have made this year, summarized on my website and in my Undergraduate Senate reports.
Perhaps my cabinet’s work has gone unrecognized because the Secretary is oft the least visible position on the Executive Board. My job is to tout not what I am doing, but rather what the other 200+ members of the SG are doing. The editorial rightly recognizes the improved advocacy, services, and programming every other branch and cabinet has done this year, which begs the question: If my outreach and publicity were “minimal,” how were the people writing the editorial even aware of the great SG initiatives they praised? Fortunately, every undergraduate reading this will have the opportunity to answer that question and evaluate this year's 250+ SG events, services, and advocacy efforts in what may be the first-ever SG survey, put together by my cabinet. My job is about communication, at least half of which is listening. I’ve already heard what the Eagle has to say. So please share your opinion in the survey. After all, it’s your SG.
Kent Hiebel, Outgoing Secretary
American University Student Government
