I want to start by saying thank you for deciding to run for the Undergraduate Senate. Being a senator is a valiant position in our Student Government; unfortunately, it’s a position that has historically received little respect from most of the campus community.
The Senate’s purposes include establishing the internal policies of the SG and the advocacy positions that it presents to the administration. While the SG executives have their hands full managing departments, planning programs and representing the SG as a whole, senators are busy reaching out to students, listening to their concerns and converting those concerns into actions.
At least, that’s how it should work.
I served as the Senate’s parliamentarian two years ago, a year in which the Senate impeached one executive, suspended another and endured nasty floor fights on measures ranging from an election certification to the SG budget. Only about a quarter of the bills that year pertained to advocacy; instead, dealing with internal SG affairs and passing endless bylaws amendments took center stage. Veteran senators wrangled votes and used the rules of procedure to their advantage. Many of the newer senators simply filled seats while offering no new proposals. The toxic atmosphere of the Senate that year led many senators to resign and caused many students to call for the Senate to simply be disbanded.
Even in the Senate’s inaugural session back in 2006, then-Speaker Chris Sgro resigned mid-year, stating, “Too many senators focus on procedure, pomp and ego-inflation rather than what’s important to students. These are the focuses which force the student body at large to look at the Senate with cynicism.”
It is a shame that this is what the legacy of the Undergraduate Senate has become. But despite its flawed history, the Senate has had a number of successes. Senators’ work last fall helped bring ROTC back on campus, a major achievement towards securing equal rights for AU’s military students. They were instrumental in launching Bike Lending, supporting the reformation of AUTO and establishing funds for clean energy projects, just to name a few. Yet these achievements still feel more like the exception than the rule, as students continue to regard the Senate as the self-aggrandizing branch of the SG whose members take themselves too seriously.
But I believe the Senate has the potential to become a force of advocacy and student leadership to be reckoned with. However, it is going to take a dramatic change in how you senate candidates approach your roles. If you’re running for Senate just to add a line to your resume or as an easy way into a “better” SG position, you are doing a disservice to the student body. As a senator, it is your obligation to take the time to reach out to your constituents and connect with them. Learn about the challenges they are facing and listen to their suggestions to make AU better. Don’t just sit in MGC 262 and wait for them to come to you.
We don’t need another year of the Senate mainly writing amendments to the bylaws and coming up with clever acronyms for bill titles. We need leadership and commitment from each individual that we elect to this body. It is time for the entire Undergraduate Senate to become the movers and shakers of this university, spearheading new ideas to make student life better, and mobilizing the entire Student Government to lobby the administration to implement those ideas.
This election is not about what makes you the best candidate. It’s about what makes you our best representative. Let’s make this the year that the Senate finally earns its rightful place as the crown jewel of SG.
Douglas Bell is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. Please send comments and responses to: edpage@theeaglonline.com
