University of South Carolina Libraries
USC Student does it desei I How refreshing: a Wednesday night during th regular academic year without a Student Senat meeting. last week Senate PtmMwi* Mw?u al ? w AVVBAIO UT something valuable: he neftaed to hold farther senat meetings until the problem of C ftilBCOCCS i resolved. Good move Garry, you've put a temporar end to an institution which serves little purpose to th students anyway. The Student Senate, what is this thing which claim to he the representative legislative body of th fztuftonta nf flowJina^ A mmmtammm?< ?' ? 14 * * ? jrm. i?|itcoiUiauvC UUUJf 11 IB QUI This is possibly because the vast majority of Carotin* students do not even care what the senate does, a v j demonstrated by the number of students who vote ii Student Government Sections: usually less than li percent. The Student Senate, and Student Government, is j training ground for students claiming to be politician: or students of the subject. They receive this training a the expense of the student body, through fees whicl are allocated to Student Government Many observer) of Student Government do not feel their money is well spent on this basically non-producing body. H* Gamecock feels the same way. Murray Edelman, of the University of Wisconsin stated in his book "Political Language: Words thai Succeed and Policies that Fail" that the studen governments of high schools, colleges and universitiei | were created for the purpose of giving the studen body the illusion that they have some part in tlx ? ucoMwniwung process. | Illusion is the key word here. The students havi little say in any decision at most institutions, thi administration calls the shots. Illusion takes on i double-meaning at this university: the illusion thai Student Government and the Student Senate perforn beneficial functions for the student body. One of the few beneficial results of Student Government action ii recent years was the institution of the phis grading W?tpm this naof onmnM -J?a A oprnig. 1-U1 UUKX, SUKKUI8 saw something tangible come from their elected officials If the members of Student Government reallj wanted to accomplish something, then they would use their power to lobby for students rights and input within the university system. At present they keep this j function to a minimum. A good example of the powei . .1 ! H I.Ill rn *?"' G) f T d O iV^SjTi lUG I " ll?Ml "As your doctor I'm ORDERING you to ta ; Government ? *ve our funds? potential within Student Government conea from the J tense athletic situation this past fall. InrfwaH of throwing iwwrf Kualmilfii r .P- w *v M HlWi l ?? umui I Frank McGuire and football coach Jim Carlen, students and members of Student Government should i have given their foil support to USC President Jim Holdorman. This may wA have resulted in students gaining some input Into the decisionmaking process, through the top-dog, not to say that i Hotderman does not consider student views ahmdv Lobbying should be the purpose of Student Government, not students playing politician, and any obi server of the senate can see that they don't even do i this well. i Perhaps an alternative to the problem of the inef) fectiveness of Student Government would be its abolition. The Student Government should be replaced or restructured to form an effective lobbying group. One Student Government member, and some others associated with the organization, have been kicking i around the idea of forming a lobbying group modeled after the League of Women Voters. A "League of Student Voters" may be a viable alternative to the vacuum lpft hv nairf nnH r,~" - |mu#? huu |n UTVUk IJHWCUI uvvcniments. Another issue which observers of Student Government find offensive is that the organization is funded by the Student Allocations Commission on a percentage basis. Why, these observers ask, is an organization as political as this one funded by SAC when SAf! cl?im? flw ???* ?* WWJ TTU1 UUV 1UUU |MUUUU organizations? SAC cut off funding for the campus chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, NORML, because some commission members interpreted NORML as a political organization. The Gamecock also asks how SAC can fund Student Government when they will not fund NORML. Inconsistent hrp?fc tiw^wmio ?!?? < WUO WIWWl Senate President Garry Norris probably summed up the situation best by saying he was 'fed-up'' with the senate, as many others also are. Maybe when the senate reconvenes next Wednesday we'll see some progress, but Carolina students should expect nothing more from Student Government than they have gotten in the past?very little. ?*J * Joe Politician does not meet his obligations Ito the Editor: In regard to the Student Senate issue; to say the least, I am peeved." I mean, here we are, the student body, paying well earned bucks, and some bunch off Joe Politicians that were elected by us can't seem to meet their responsibilities. It begins with the ?nmai campaigning by each candidate and his-her staff, and ends up being a matter of charges and counter charges, various slurs, etc., until finally the whole election process is such a mess that some individual group decides who our governmental officers are to be. So, after all of this, and once the process is completed, these same people that endeavored so hard to gain the office cannot seem to meet their responsibilities. For this, there is no excuse. Granted, being a student takes a great deal of time; indeed, so does being a student senator. However, if one attempts to undertake both, one must realize one's limitations. If a person cannot fulfill the duties and the responsibilities of an elective office that this person has pursued, tnen this person should not have pursued the office in the first place, or at the very least, resign, once this person realizes that he-she cannot do the job that they were elected to do. OK, so that's the case of the would-be student politician. Another matter is that of the student that continues to be a politician. The USC Student body is not the place or format to launch one's political career. As opposed to real politics, the SGA at Carolina should be a working, achieving process, rather than a platform for those who attempt to show their superior knowledge of parliamentary procedure. I acknowledge the fact that it is possible that those who lengthen Senate meetings at the ex pense of getting anything done do so for the idea of getting things done, but only in the right way. I've got plenty more to say, but it is basically unprintable, and fit only for the ears of those whom this letter is directed ?< those who gain the office and do not or cannot fulfill the duties thereof, and those who continue in the office and abuse their office for a variety of self-serving reasons. I deeply regret that thin is not a mssihilitv nt Por/rHna K..J J - *?A ? M j vw VUUM| inu lllUVAAlf tt lttCl. I ChrU jSosuowskl I Junior, Journalism gamecock f I Founded 190t I j Mark J. L under en Editor in Oilof J I rVW! PAhM .. ? ? ? ? wire editor 1 Jim Phillips News Editor Barry J. Glenn Entertainment Editor Mike Hunt Sports Editor Stephen Mc Cor mack Graphics Editor Mitch Sherwood Copy Desk Chief Judy Sims Editorial Page Editor Janice Wood Graduate Assistant Jan Easterling Asst. News Editor Brett Friedlander Asst. Sports Editor Skot Garrlck Asst. Entertainment Ed. Jill Griffin Ad Manager Fran George Production Manager Jon Cletnmensen ;. General Manager Sam McKee Business Menager The Gi?m?t*-<v-w ?? 1 - _ noiuniiCB IVTTWS from lit readers. Letters should be a maximum of 300 -j words end must be signed with the writer's ' / correct name. Pseudonyms or other aliases / are not acceptable, but the writer's name / will be withheld I* requested and clrX cumstancos warrant. Please Include the telephone number and mailing addrese where you can be reached to assist us In verifying the Identify of the writer. Also, Include class standing and ma|or. We reserve the right to edit all letters for space limitations, but not for content. Please address letters to: Campus Opinion, The Sy Gamecock, Drawer A, USC, Columbia, S.C. ) B ?? yjyi^/ Opinions expressed in the Gamecock are ft m those. If signed, of the writer and, If unjy JT signed, of the senior editorial staff.