Ripon College Days

Grumblings of dissatisfaction with the Council of Student Organizations (CSO) broke through to the surface last semester as senior Andy Kitslaar spearheaded an effort that encouraged student organization leaders to evaluate CSO and brainstorm potential changes.

Kitslaar's complaints, combined with those of the leaders of numerous student organizations, were voiced at a Student Senate meeting in December, where President Chris Reed-Waddell, junior, formed a committee of senators and student organization leaders to look into the criticisms.

This process began at the CSO meeting last Tuesday, Jan. 27, where Quads Independent Senator Steven Miller, junior, opened the floor for the student leaders to nominate student representatives to meet with the Senate committee. Seniors Andy Kitslaar and Nicole Klaas of SMAC and College Days respectively, and junior Liz Molitor of FOR= were elected to the positions.

Kitslaar has a variety of ideas he is bringing to the table, including appointing the Student Activities and Orientation office to oversee CSO, electing the leadership of the committee from within the committee and limiting the meetings to four per semester, with only one being mandatory.

Molitor has a few ideas of her own that she believes will better everyone's experience with CSO. "I do like how we go around the table and every group announces the event they're having, but I feel like it needs something more," she says. "I'd like to see more unity between the groups," she suggests, "and if we're going to all band together to do something, we should really do something, and not throw something together at the last minute and feel obligated to do it. There should be more of a backbone."

Kitslaar notes that Student Senate Vice President Liz Leach, junior, has seen his ideas on paper and "fully supported the changes and implementations."

In fact, Leach prefers to think of herself not as an obstacle to these proceedings, but rather an enabler.

"I have, since these discussions began, supported the student organizations' position; I have not fought the student organizations. Rather, I attempted to be their advocate. The recommendations advanced by the student organization representatives to the committee will have my full support regardless of the impact to my own position as vice president," she says.

Leach also notes that Student Senate is very receptive of what the student organization leaders have had to say. Reed-Waddell concurs. "I think that there's some skepticism of the devil's CSO that forces its will on the helpless student organizations, but the Senate is more than happy to consider the matter with an open mind."

Reed-Waddell explains that the three student representatives will meet with his committee on the matter, which consists of Miller, ADPi Senator junior Steph Klompsten and Sigma Chi Senator sophomore Axel Owen. These proceedings, however, will be open to present and past members Senate Executive Council. Student Senate has yet to lay out a full schedule to determine when this matter will be settled, according to Reed-Waddell, but he notes that it should be within a few weeks.

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