Ripon College Days

Issue date: 11/17/04 Section: Opinion

The Student Senate is considering a very bold amendment that would make student organizations acknowledge the senate as the source of their funding. The amendment's purpose is to make students more aware of the senate's role on campus. But putting a great emphasis on senate's role as financier would only serve to obscure the many other, often more important roles the senate fills.

There is no denying the importance of senate as an organization with a pretty big wallet. They alone are the ones who make every concert, every speaker, every movie possible.

But this year the senate has taken great strides toward becoming more than a bank.

The senate this year has been a group often confronting the key issues facing students. They used a meeting with President Joyce to ask tough questions and get straight answers about issues like financial aid and the college's future--issues that affect each one of us. They've tried to get to the bottom of the food service contract so organizations know what they can and cannot do. And they have finally made real progress toward changing the parking situation that so many of us feel is a huge inconvenience.

Indeed, the Student Senate has taken good steps so far and for those they deserve credit. That's why we agree with the spirit behind the amendment senate is now considering: Namely, that students must be made more aware of the many missions of the senate.

However, there are simple ways to highlight the importance of senate as an organization, and not strictly as a money source.

For example, senators could be proactive in involving the people they represent into senate's processes. Posters in halls could say,"I'll be voting Wednesday, what do you think?" Or a sweep through the hall could briefly explain issues and end with a, "Yay or nay?" Finally, brief e-mails could highlight what will happen at the upcoming meeting. This kind of personal contact could, in part, help us understand the work senate does and give them the recognition they so richly deserve.

Let us be clear, we're not asking to be told what happened at the last meeting. For that, we can get up every Saturday at 8 a.m. and watch the public access cable channel or read the Senate Rewind in the paper. What we suggest is a way of communication that focuses on what's upcoming and encourages constituents to get involved in the process.

Certainly senators are busy like the rest of us, and we're not asking them to devote huge chunks of time to trying every trick to woo us out of our apathy. But we do believe a few minutes could spark some interest in a surprising number of us.

Regardless of what happens with the proposed amendment, we appreciate senate realizing the fact that there needs to be more student recognition of the college's political process, both monetary and otherwise. They would be well advised to continue in the spirit that the amendment entails, while not limiting themselves to simply being the college's checkbook.

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