2008 Woodie Awards
A Letter from SGA president
Issue date: 3/24/08 Section: Opinion
Editor's note: The following letter is in response to "SGA keeping secrets," which ran in the March 21 issue of the WC.
It is with great humility that I respond to the opinion article written by the staff at Western Courier. SGA has been grateful to have a very cordial relationship with the WC this school year and I am very glad they have brought to light a flaw in our methods. They are fulfilling one of the many purposes of the media: to be a watchdog of government for the people. To be completely honest, I had no previous knowledge of the section of Illinois Statute declaring closed ballots illegal. Had I known this, this issue would have never come to fruition.
We cannot, however, as suggested, re-vote on these issues. The fees have been passed by the Board of Trustees and the +/- implementation bill failed so resoundingly. We will continue to work on a resolution for the +/- system that would benefit students for their hard work. There are two options being considered right now: passing a resolution to ask President Goldfarb to not implement it, or work with Faculty Senate to increase the +/- scale in students' favor.
For clarification of students, when voting on controversial topics, ballot voting is the preferred method, not out of cowardice of a voting record, but rather cohesion for benefit of the whole. Ballot voting is a less complicated means to collect votes as opposed to performing several motions of parliamentary procedure to produce a roll call. In the past, this procedure has been utilized to slow meetings, irritate genuine senators, and destroy the productive nature of the group. Ballot voting also brings equality to the senator's vote with out the harsh glare of the pundits debating either side of an issue. I believe, and many members of SGA believe, that paper ballots are the fairest way for the students' voice to be heard.
The common practice of counting the ballots outside of the room is for the expediency of our meeting. Our non-voting Attorney General and our advisor, Director of Student Activities, Ann Comerford, count the votes outside while we continue business. The total is immediately disclosed to the Senate and recorded in public in our minutes.
It is with great humility that I respond to the opinion article written by the staff at Western Courier. SGA has been grateful to have a very cordial relationship with the WC this school year and I am very glad they have brought to light a flaw in our methods. They are fulfilling one of the many purposes of the media: to be a watchdog of government for the people. To be completely honest, I had no previous knowledge of the section of Illinois Statute declaring closed ballots illegal. Had I known this, this issue would have never come to fruition.
We cannot, however, as suggested, re-vote on these issues. The fees have been passed by the Board of Trustees and the +/- implementation bill failed so resoundingly. We will continue to work on a resolution for the +/- system that would benefit students for their hard work. There are two options being considered right now: passing a resolution to ask President Goldfarb to not implement it, or work with Faculty Senate to increase the +/- scale in students' favor.
For clarification of students, when voting on controversial topics, ballot voting is the preferred method, not out of cowardice of a voting record, but rather cohesion for benefit of the whole. Ballot voting is a less complicated means to collect votes as opposed to performing several motions of parliamentary procedure to produce a roll call. In the past, this procedure has been utilized to slow meetings, irritate genuine senators, and destroy the productive nature of the group. Ballot voting also brings equality to the senator's vote with out the harsh glare of the pundits debating either side of an issue. I believe, and many members of SGA believe, that paper ballots are the fairest way for the students' voice to be heard.
The common practice of counting the ballots outside of the room is for the expediency of our meeting. Our non-voting Attorney General and our advisor, Director of Student Activities, Ann Comerford, count the votes outside while we continue business. The total is immediately disclosed to the Senate and recorded in public in our minutes.
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 6
james
posted 3/23/08 @ 11:06 PM CST
this guy is on par with Doug Smith from a few years back. search the archives for examples...oy vay
Steve
posted 3/24/08 @ 1:28 AM CST
I cant necessarily agree with James, but as someone who watched the courier attack SGA for 4 years as a student, this response is impressive, compared to some of the past responses. (Continued…)
Tabi
posted 3/24/08 @ 2:24 AM CST
Steve, I do agree with you, the Courier needs someone to actually be at the SGA meetings, in order for the Courier to write a more balanced article and to see things from the SGA's point of view. (Continued…)
Jase Ruel
posted 3/24/08 @ 9:49 AM CST
If you do notice however, while we are voting by paper ballot, our members of congress are held to a higher standard. Their votes (in chambers on legislation) are recorded and their record scrutinized. (Continued…)
Chase
posted 3/24/08 @ 10:34 PM CST
I'm pretty sure the Courier does have people at the SGA meetings... that's why they have a story with quotes from those meetings.
And the Courier doesn't need to see things from the SGA's point of view. (Continued…)
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