Last night four students were elected to the Membership and Internal Affairs Committee of the Student Assembly. This committee, along with four other students elected next Sunday, will appoint one of the students who will serve on the Trustee Steering Committee on the Five Principles (I bet I don't have to explain what that is ...).
In order to be on the committee that appoints this student, you first have to be a member of the Assembly by next Sunday. Serving on this committee does not prevent you from being either elected or appointed to the Trustee Steering Committee. But it does give you the opportunity to select who does.
If none of this is of interest to you, and you feel the Student Assembly is out of touch with what you think, I'd still like you to consider joining.
I'm serious.
In the weeks before the recent Student Assembly election, and in many editorials since, I have heard repeatedly that the Student Assembly does not represent the students. I have heard that the Assembly has no interest in what other students have to say. Some think the Assembly should fight harder while others are sick of hearing the Student Assembly make its case time after time. I have heard that the Assembly is only a group of self-important students with no desire or ability to accomplish anything. Some say the Assembly is a bureaucratic mess while others claim the Assembly is another victim of the Administration's cruelty. Some even say a free round of EBA's breadsticks for the campus would be more valuable than having the Student Assembly around for a year.
So I'm inviting each of you to see for yourself.
This year's Student Assembly has more than 80 voting members. The membership becomes more diverse and representative each time someone joins. Members of this year's Student Assembly represent both affiliated and non-affiliated students. They represent many organizations and interest groups on campus. And they actively disagree with one another. Debate on resolutions and issues often brings up many different angles to each problem. Because of this diversity, the Student Assembly has become more directly representative of the student body.
Currently, however, next year's Student Assembly only has 30 members. If we are going to continue to diversify the Student Assembly, we need more members to represent the voice of the students more accurately.
Which is why I'm asking you to join the Student Assembly.
Not just for this month, not just to have input in the appointment of someone to the Trustee Committee, but for all of next year. Because something is bound to happen that outrages you. Because something is going to come up that you wish the Assembly would address.
You can become a member lots of different ways ... all it takes is 50 signatures and a quick application to become an individual representative. To become an organizational representative, get the signature of the president of your organization. If you personally don't want to be a member, make sure any organization that you are involved with has a representative or talk to your friends about being involved. All of these forms and details are available in 106 Robinson, our office.
If you don't want to get directly involved, blitz me or another Assembly member when you have questions or comments. Let us know what you're thinking and how you expect to be represented.
Talk to us.
If we want to make next year's Student Assembly truly representative of Dartmouth's student body, we are going to need to hear your voice.
