Through Murky Waters: Now is the time for the SGA to shine
Student government to tackle issues large and small
By Alex Sirney, senior writer
Posted on January 11, 2007

Last semester was dominated by internal business, but a new semester means new priorities. Student government at JMU has some pressing external issues to resolve, and now is the time for it to restore the faith of students.

Fortunately, it took the first step in this process Tuesday night, in a meeting not ruled by the traditional rules of order. Senators and the Executive Council broke into small groups and came up with lists of positives and negatives about the SGA, then compiled lists of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats they need to take into account. While some of the things listed dealt with internal business such as e-mail and committee efficiency, the larger issues the SGA must address were there as well.

The SGA has wrestled with credibility for years and must rebuild its relationship with a student body that largely ignores it. Now that the internal affairs are in some semblance of order, the same energy that cleaned up the constitution last semester must be exerted in the pursuit of policy initiatives that push the limit of what the SGA can do. The SGA is the single greatest student lobbyist group on campus, and has started to flex its muscles in the Title IX debate, which will come to a head this Friday when the Board of Visitors votes on a proposal to postpone cutting 10 varsity sports. Regardless of the outcome, the SGA needs to use its experience in that campaign and apply it to other campus issues.

Breaking out of the Highlands Room that normally holds SGA meetings was on the list of ideas generated Tuesday, as was its natural partner — representing the students who elected the senators in the first place. Any representative can be tempted to vote selfishly, and this is what the SGA is looking to correct.

Insuring that this happens is also the responsibility of the electorate, however. As the SGA becomes more obviously relevant, it will become increasingly important that students know their senators and actually talk to them. Students and senators should be seeking each other out to address real problems on campus, and the SGA must make it easier and more convenient to do so. In a country where many people don’t know who represents them in the state or national legislature, the SGA has an opportunity to make a grass-roots movement in favor of responsible representative government.

This starts at the roots of government with the elections themselves. The last few years have seen several election scandals, including an election without rules last spring and allegations of voter fraud and outright cheating two years ago. This year it is imperative that quality candidates are recruited and fair elections take place, or the SGA will destroy any credibility it cultivates this spring.

To some degree, all these concerns were addressed Tuesday and hopefully the next few months will see progress on all fronts for the SGA. While all ills cannot be cured overnight, or even in one semester, the SGA has started the ball rolling to build a strong, meaningful student government at JMU.

Alex Sirney is a senior anthropology/SMAD major.