The purpose of the Student Assembly, according to its constitution, is "to provide the basis of cooperative action" and "to provide a responsible student voice." These very tenants of the Assembly motivated me to run for president last Spring term. I was not alone among those who felt that the collective "student voice" was being represented by the mouths of a few. Now I am concerned about the credibility of the current Assembly for the very reason I ran to make a difference. Once again, only one point of view is being represented and heard.
Such narrow perspective is unforgivable considering the responsibility placed upon the organization. The Student Assembly is consulted by the Administration and Trustees for reactions and input on policies which affect every student. Currently, the Council on Student Life is awaiting a report from the Assembly regarding gender equity and the Greek system. At the Trustees' quarterly meetings, Assembly representatives are often asked to present their opinions and perceptions on many issues. As President, I share representative and well-researched student opinion in my weekly meetings with senior level administrators; in this way, I am able to contribute to my goal of making the students' voices heard.
Through its appointment process, the Student Assembly has a constitutional opportunity to mold itself into a very representative body. However, this year's Nominations Committee has chosen to disadvantage the Assembly by making appointments which represent only a small constituency of the campus.
If the Student Assembly is to succeed in its charge to represent students responsibly, more input is needed. It is therefore the responsibility of every Assembly member to seek out various student opinions across campus. It is also the responsibility of the student body to hold representatives accountable for their actions.
In response to an effort to redirect the currently narrow focus of the Assembly, there are some members who may call for my impeachment, simply because they disagree with me on this matter. I would hope they would take a more responsible course and join me in creating an atmosphere of open expression and responsible discourse with the students we represent. To ignore this responsibility would only serve to further discredit the Assembly and do a great disservice to the entire student body.
