Newspapers / Gardner-Webb University Student Newspaper / Feb. 18, 1998, edition 1 / Page 2
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Vfed«;esdaY, EefeniaiY 18,1998 The nlai A mere inconvenience or a constitution with power? Dear Editor, The founding fathers of our nation took great care when drafting our Constitu tion so we could enjoy life, liberty and the pursuit of hap piness. In the same manner, the founders of Student Gov ernment at Gardner-Webb University took care to protect the rights of its students and empower a group of officials to enforce these rights. Lately, however, this document has come to mean nothing to this institution. It has become a burden; something to be disre garded in favor of conve nience. Throughout my years at Gardner-Webb University, I have had the pleasure to expe rience two terms as SGA Sen ator. In these two years, I have witnessed more abusive power of government and bureaucracy than I thought could be possible. Democrat to the Editor ic ideals have crum bled in the shadow of convenience andit is this issue of convenience that must be revealed to the student body. This article is not designed to place guilt on any individual but is designed to encourage participation in campus government and bridge the gap between stu dents and their government. All officials in SGA are elect ed by the students. They are our representatives whom we are to hold accountable for the protection of our freedoms as students. It is our job to elect qualified representatives. Unfortunately, there is a short age of qualified representa tives. This puts more responsi bility on those elected to pro tect our rights within the con poteotiHr' I think; ©mve , th??leachpi:>» 4* ;y;th, gr^at opj^- mtyJQT :r^ming fines of their powers: the SGA constitution. This document is posted each year in the student hand book. Yet very few students are aware of what this docu ment contains Even our elect ed officials are ignorant of its contents. For this reason much of what SGA has done in the past has been unconstitutional. SGA has set a precedent that our constitution is nothing but a piece of paper to be used at our convenience anddiscarded for the same reason. Your Student Senate spent much of the whole first semes ter doing nothing but figuring out how the system worked and remanding acts that were passed unconstitutionally. By the time you read this, SGA President Brian Burgess, will have resigned from office for reasons which are not per tinent to this discussion. According to the constitu tion in Article V Section C- 3,“The office of Vice-Presi dent will be filled by special election should it become vacant; however, no special election will be held less than sixty days prior to the close of the academic year. If the vacancy occurs within the last 60 days of the academic year, the Senate Pro Tem will be elevated to serve as the Chair person of Senate, and the office of Vice-President will remain vacant for the remain der of the year.” Some of our elected repre sentatives have asked for a special election to be held, but others have argued that it is inconvenient to do so. They have decided to ignore the constitution in favor of conve nience and the University backs them up on this. When our constitution means noth ing, the students lose all power to protect their free doms. A solution must be found. The easiest remedy is to increase student involvement. If students want rights, they will have to fight for them. The second solution, is to revise our constitution so that its meaning is clear and no one will be able to misinterpret or abuse it. Last we must have the support of the faculty and staff at GWU. Without their sup port, all our work is meaning less. A government cannot protect its citizens if not empowered to do so. We must not ignore our Constitution. If we do, we concede all power of protection to those who know least of what we want. It is then when we lose our free dom. Joe Ramirez SGA Senator Gospel choir festival at the ‘Webb’ Star Gist sfaff writer The GWU Gospel Choir celebrated its ninth anniver sary with a gospel festival at Dover Campus Center. onSat- urday, Feb. 7 at 7;00p.m. Three choirs performed: The Gardner-Webb Gospel Choir, LIFE Revival Fellow ship Crusade Choir from Florida , and Walls Memorial Praise Team Choir from Char lotte, N. C. The event was hosted by Student Entertain ment Association. Students and the commu nity flocked to this event. GWU choirmaster John Orr described the event as a “true Holy Ghost party.” The event seemed to bring stiidents together spiritually and many described the event as uplifting. GWU Gospel Choir spent the week preparing for the event, often practicing late into the night. According to Orr, their hard work and persistence paid off in producing a won derful program. The guest choirs added a rich harmony and beauty. The program lasted until almost midnight, yet no one wanted the night of fellowship to end. The intention of the gospel festival was fellowship and attendees said it was suc cessful. People responded to the program in varying ways. Some simply revelled in wor shipping God through song, and some students realized for the first time the true nature of God. Members of the Gospel Choir hope the effects of this event will be felt for a long time around campus. Gardner-Webb University rrfj Campus Box 5272 1 rJ^mrmm%9wi Campus Phone: 4389\ Published biweekly by the Communication Studies and English Department Newspaper classes for students of Gardner-Webb University. eJMor Jenny Rogers stc^wtUen Photo Courtesy of Dr. David Parker New members of English honor society Sigma Tau Delta receive membership certificates and pins at the induction cer - emony. Students are (left to right) Suzanna Saadi, Jenny Rogers, Karolynn Stuckey, Emily Johnson, Brian Burgess, Denise Horton and Brandy Stephens. uaet ediior Ryan O’Keefe copy editor Laura Dean tpoth ecUior Randy Capps cMtor Takiya Patrick nUgfon tiiiior Suzanna Saadi ioi* irenierbmiimaKt edUor Jonathan Martin NIc Floyd Starr Gist Jennifer Grumpier Ola Ajvison Mr. Bob Carey Ms, Jennifer Cariiie
Gardner-Webb University Student Newspaper
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Feb. 18, 1998, edition 1
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