Opinion

Be the change you want to see

Have a problem with SG? Go do something about it

By Ernest J. Scheyder

Posted on Dec. 15, 2005, at 12:00 a.m.

Chris J. Allen is mad. If you read his opinion column in Monday’s issue of this publication, you know that. He asserts in his piece that members of Student Government have no interest in serving students; rather, he says they seek to advance their own careers.

Maybe he’s right; maybe he’s wrong.

I had a conversation last week with a recently promoted member of Student Government who told me – without hesitation – that he is hoping his new position will buoy him to the student body presidency next December. I wasn’t surprised by this admission; Allen hit the nail on the head when he decried “resume padding.” But it was the callous nature in which this goal was relayed to me that prompted an internal red flag. To him, this new job was not something to take true pride in, but a stepping stone to the future. It should be noted that this point-of-view is hardly unique in an organization that theoretically should bend over backwards to seek out student needs, but usually doesn’t.

Predictably, I will get angry letters about this article telling me I’m out of touch with the student body, but I stand firm. Where was Student Government last fall when Allison Fernstrom was being forced from her residence hall room? Why didn’t Student Government send a bouquet of flowers to Matt Coutu’s parents when he was shot in the back by an Iraqi insurgent last summer? Bonus points to any student senator who recognizes these names.

These are serious times and we need serious people to get the job done. And Chris J. Allen, let me tell you: Complaining about a problem won’t cause change. Jump in the trenches and get something done. Call Amy Grant, the Student Government administrative assistant, at 581-1775 and get paperwork to join the General Student Senate. Get in there and turn a few heads, argue a little, fight for the truth and always be the vanguard in the battle for students’ rights. Ruffling a few feathers every now and then is a good thing.

Yes, Student Government has its problems, recent headlines in The Maine Campus will prove that true. No, that doesn’t mean you should give up on it.

Mahatma Gandhi once said: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Applying that concept on a smaller scale, I say to my peers: “Be the change you want to see on this campus.” The duplicitous nature and incompetence of some Student Government members is a reflection of the current state of the student body.

If you think Student Government spends too much money, start by drafting a petition to have them sell their plush leather couch and donate the proceeds to Alternative Spring Break’s fundraiser for Crossroads Ministries. Merely venting frustration about a problem isn’t going to change anything; you have to want something so bad it oozes out of your pores. If all you do is complain, that’s all you’re doing.

You need to believe in yourselves and the original goal of Student Government: “to expand the scope of the educational experience” at the University of Maine.

Ernest J. Scheyder is a senior English major.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 15th, 2005, 12:00 am. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.