Opinion

Letters to the Editor

By Chelsea and Rich Williams

Posted on Dec. 05, 2010, at 10:25 p.m.

Letters to the Editor

GSS liberty with collective student voice unwarranted

This is a response to the Dec. 2 article in The Maine Campus entitled “GSS endorses the DREAM Act.”

Let me start off by saying this letter is composed of my opinion and I am only representing myself in this matter.

Below are two descriptions of the role the General Student Senate has here on campus, found on the University of Maine website: General Student Senate (GSS) is the fiduciary body of Student Government. It consists of no more than 35 Student Senators who serve as direct representatives of students in their respective colleges. The GSS has final authority on all Student Government monetary issues, student organization matters and student administrative committee appointments. It is also takes official stances on student concerns; University of Maine Student Government, Inc. is funded and controlled by undergraduate students with the sole purpose of benefiting students through educational, cultural and social programming.”

I may be mistaken, but nowhere in those descriptions did I read that the GSS will be representing the school’s opinion to our state on national political issues.

Do not be confused, Sen. Goodman, as you feel it is your “duty to promote the interests of college students,” but the pushing of your political view on national issues is not of my interest.

Regardless of my political position on the matter and regardless of the fact that the undergraduate student body did not vote you nor any of the other senators in the last election into Student Government, the audacity to assume that the population at

UMaine even has a collective interest in the issue is astounding. I have not attended a debate, voted in a poll or heard a presentation on the matter on this campus. I have not spoken to any senator about my thoughts on the act. Where is your evidence of student concern?

Thank you, Sen. Mary Emmi, for remembering the jurisdiction of the student government in their senator’s political “leadership.” We may be students living in Maine, but if I want to support an issue that will impact the state, I will vote in my state elections or talk to my state senators, as it is their job.

Here’s an idea: Why doesn’t Student Government work on issues that directly benefit students currently here, as stated in the description, and not assume the authority to speak for the majority of the student body, who again, did not elect you?

Do not be confused of my argument here: this is not about the DREAM Act. This is about how the Student Government, a group at UMaine that represents a small percentage of students, should be attempting to better the university and the university alone — a goal similar to many other service, leadership and Greek organizations. The delusions of grandeur need to stop and focus needs to be brought back to the issues, of say, what to do with the student activity fee? How much should meal swipes be worth?; how will we ever have enough parking?; stick with what you know, GSS, and leave my “voice” out of it.

Chelsea

Promoting Pell Grant praise

Thank you for writing and publishing the article “Pell Grant funding caught up in debate.”

My organization represents students across the country and we have been working hard to get Congress to fill in the Pell Grant funding gap so students mentioned in your article don’t suffer.

I have been courting Sen. Collins and Sen. Snowe’s office because both of their votes would allow Congress to move forward on filling the gap in the next few weeks — ideally before Dec. 3rd.

Rich Williams

US PIRG

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