Marshall students deserve a strong SGA
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Carla Lapelle, interim dean of student affairs, swears in apprentices as senators at Student Government Association meeting.
Student Government Association elections will soon be underway.
While some view SGA positions as coveted and have tried their entire college careers to get involved, other students are disenchanted with the process.
The mysticism involved with the title of “SGA president” has all but faded away: to some students, this position reads more of a figurehead rather than someone who will actually make change in the university.
Connections between current president Duncan Waugaman and interim university president Gary White were obviously great, seeing as Waugaman had referred to White as a close friend multiple times. Where’s the transparency? What really went on during all of those long hours spent in the president’s house? It needs to be said there is nothing to prevent the opinions of higher ups to be placed onto those in SGA positions.
The university will only benefit from students who are steadfast with opinions that cannot be swayed.
Marshall University students don’t deserve a candidate who only seeks to gain a popularity boost through the election.Students deserve someone who has truly cared for the university, perhaps even before their freshman year. Students, also don’t deserve someone who will wait until the week of the election to do their networking.
Marshall students deserve someone who has been making connections since day one.
Students should vote for the candidate who matches their morals and ideas for the campus as closely as possible. As for SGA hopefuls, the idea of receiving pay or multiple stipends should not be the sole reason for announcing candidacy. Candidates need to remember these positions are here for students and the advancement of things campus or student orientated.
Students need someone who will view them as a living, conscious body of people instead of just more numbers or enrollment data.
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Cody Jones • Mar 11, 2016 at 9:06 am
I disagree with this piece, if we want a strong student government we need higher levels of participation. The more students that participate the higher the quality of students accepted into positions in the senate, this would create a culture of higher standards as well.
Secondly I completely disagree with this statement,”The university will only benefit from students who are steadfast with opinions that cannot be swayed.” We must grow as human beings and learn to adjust our opinions when new contrary information is presented unless we want to be a nation or campus of ignorance backed by our own closed minded perspective and reinforced by those we surround ourselves with who only confirm our biases and prejudices, I’m speaking of intersubjectivity an idea that I was introduced to in intercultural communications class.
I also think that this article could have taken a positive approach, a call to action if you will, that emphasizes the importance of student government while encouraging participation. If the point of the article is to create comments such as mine then I would say that it is a success. If the intent was to sway people to join and take a positive perspective on the possibilities then I argue that it has a contrasting effect.
Cody • Mar 10, 2016 at 4:55 pm
Do you have ANY idea what it is like to serve as the President of the Student Body? Do you truly believe that our current president just goes to the president’s house to screw around and do whatever he is told? You have absolutely NO IDEA what Duncan Waugaman has done for our campus, along with his staff and the fellow members of SGA. Imagine being a full-time student, and having to go to meeting after meeting, appear at events to represent the student body, work with your fellow VP to implement a bus system for the students, and still maintain everything outside of that. He has done a fantastic job of representing the student body, and while you may feel that there is a “lack of transparency”, the sad truth is that your lack of educating yourself on what truly goes on is the real issue here. Duncan Waugaman is a man with great integrity who does not let his opinions be easily swayed, nor does he allow them to be swayed at all by any higher power. In fact, if you did notice any changes in opinions today compared to what he thought in the past, then did it ever occur to you that it was because the student body felt a certain way about an issue and he knew that the will of the students was greater than that of his own? I will say, you are entitled to your own opinion, but before you write an article bashing our president, our current administration, and our current student senators, perhaps you should consider looking into joining SGA and learn what they really do. Duncan is very transparent, as is anyone else in SGA. There are no secrets to hide and everyone in SGA works extremely hard to the best of their ability. Nobody does it for popularity, nobody does it just for the pay. These are non-existent ulterior motives that you have brandished potential candidates with just to make it look as if that is all that SGA is good for. I can guarantee you that our current administration cares deeply for the students, putting them at the top of their list, and those running all seem to have the students interests first and foremost.
Lora Walker • Mar 10, 2016 at 4:17 pm
Once again, I would love to know why SGA is getting bashed. If people have complaints, they’re more than welcome to approach any senator from their college or anyone else on SGA. Why all of this sudden uproar? If people have so much anger, why has nothing been done until the past week of campaigning? Our meetings are open and we all work very hard to represent students. As much as some would like to think, SGA isn’t just something we all slap on our resume. I’m also slightly confused as to why it is considered a bad thing to have a student body president who has a good relationship with a university president? You are fundamentally incorrect in whatever argument this is supposed to be making: students need to help other students, which is what SGA strives to do at every meeting. Thus, if you feel as if we have not done a sufficient job, why not politely voice your concern to us?
Shaylin Reid • Mar 10, 2016 at 4:09 pm
Most of the harsh opinions placed on the Student Governement Association come from the outside looking in. I personally did not fathom how much the organization actual does before entering. The student government does a lot of things behind the scenes. No, we do not plan events and host activities like the Campus Activity Board because we use bills to enact change.
I am confused about the point of this article. Are you trying to say that we need a new SGA or are you just trying to promote a candidate for presidency? The SGA senate is a strong group of students who come from multiple backgrounds and do want what is best for the school. All of this negativity towards the organization is not going to help it grow, but yet drive students away.