September 13, 2002
Page 15
~ . lire* _j. A Steering Committee Member
bucking Up tor senate: Responds to Last Week's Editorial
Melissa Starr
Guest Writer
This letter is in response to last
week's editorial. First, let's be clear that
I'm not writing this as a spokesperson
for Steering Committee, but as an indi
vidual person who happens to be on
the committee, expressing an individual
opinion.
Now that I've dispensed with the for
malities, my response to your article is
simply: get real.
I'm the current Student Residence
Council Chairperson of Senate - a
member of Steering Committee. I filled
that same position last year. Addition-
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on Guilford's own
1 DISBAND/KUDZU WISH At The Scene Of The Accident
2 SONIC YOUTH Murray Street
3 FLAMING UPS Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
4 DJ SHADOW Private Press
5 0 AND NOT U Different Damage
6 ATOM AND HIS PACKAGE Hamburgers EP
7 JAZZANOVA in Between
8 JOHNNY CASH At Madison Square Garden
9 WIRE Read And Burn
10 STIVE EARLE Sidetracks
Have a say in what WQFS plays!
request line: x 2444
office phone: x 2352
e-mait: wqfs@guilford.edu
ally, I served as the Academic Affairs
Chairperson to Steering Committee in
the spring of 2001. I've served in Sen
ate for three years under three differ
ent administrations. To say the least, I
have Senate experience.
In that experience, I have found
that no matter what an administration
does, they will be criticized.
I get the sneaking suspicion that if
Steering had decided to pursue a futile
election, the editorial would have ac
cused us of being ludicrous and wast
ing students' time and/or money, not
to mention paper, faculty time, space
in Founders, and so on.
ZrofUUM.
So, either way, we lose. I'm not
saying The Guilfordian should blindly
agree with everything Senate or Steer
ing does (although it would be nice to
see some positive press for once). It
is, of course, vital to hear some oppo
sition. That is why all Senate meetings
are open to all students - to gain in
put.
However, I do not consider the edi
torial criticism - there was no real at
tempt to resolve an issue or point out
possible areas which need improvement
- but rather a lot of bitching.
Why do I say that? Well, it is ex
tremely hard for me, or for anyone else
who cares to employ that elusive tool
known as common sense, to see why,
if all the Senate positions are uncon
tested, we would have an election.
If a student didn't care enough
to take the time to apply for a posi
tion, why on earth would that student
care enough to organize some mas
sive write-in campaign?
You could respond that maybe
they didn't know about the procedure.
Well, there were voice announce
ments, Guilford Announce messages,
and all kinds of other notifications -
the self same methods we were ac
cused of not using to inform the stu
dent body about the election cancella
tion - to inform students of open
houses and the election procedure.
In a sense, the editorial was im
plying that the only time we didn't send
out the information was the one time
the entire campus would refrain from
7-7 ing the message right out of exist
ence.
Three administrations of Senate
have tried to reach out to this campus
with little avail. The difference I see is
that this year, the administration is try
ing desperately to find new and differ-
UJUMUM
ent ways of reaching students. If any of
you can come up with a way, please come
out to a meeting and be heard. We're
desperately seeking your input, not try
ing to deny you any, as the paper im--,
plied. But if you don't take advantage
of the regular meetings and open fo
rums, we can hardly be faulted for your
feelings of voicelessness.
Finally, as stated in the editorial,
Steering has agreed that if any of the
positions become contested we will have
elections for those positions. If that situ
ation arises, we will be sure to inform
the student body. Should it occur, I per
sonally will take it upon myself to call
The Guilfordian, although it seems The
Guilfordian as a "news gathering
agency" should be the one calling
Steering, although to my knowledge it
hasn't yet (I certainly have not been con
tacted this year), which is not a failure
on Steering's part, but rather on the part
of The Guilfordian.
In closing, I personally will not waste
my time or my fellow senators' time run
ning an election in which ballots read: "You
may elect John Doe or John Doe for Binford
Hall Rep."
Steering and Senate can better spend
their time planning campus events, see
ing that the residence halls are main
tained, dealing with judicial and policy is
sues and, in short, doing our jobs, than
running a ludicrous election.
I will end this letter the way I have
ended every letter of this nature for th§,
past three years. I still will not give up
hope that maybe this time son ething will
come of it. Senate meetings are open to
all students. You don't have to hold an
office to attend, everyone is welcome. We
meet Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. in Boren
Lounge. I hope to see you there.
Melissa Starr is a member of t\er
Senate Steering Committee