If the turn out at Wednesday’s Student Government town hall meeting is any indication of the “state of the U,” then we’re in trouble. Fewer than five students not affiliated with Student Government were in attendance, though the audience was chock-full of current and past SG members and leaders.
Student Government President Danny Carvajal gave a 15-minute address during which he chose to look ahead to new and improved initiatives rather than, as he said, dwell on unsuccessful ventures of the past. He spoke about the transition from the Orange Bowl to Dolphin Stadium and the proposed student bridge over U.S. 1, as well as other proposals and campaign promises.
At the end of his speech, the forum was opened up for questions from the audience members. After an awkward pause, one student in the audience stood up and asked what Carvajal considered the role of SG to be. Turns out that this student was Apartment Area Senator Daniel Ohrenstein, and let’s just say that his question was a little short of hard-hitting.
If the president of the United States were to conduct a similar event and the only questions he had to field were from members of his own administration, what kind of accountability exists? None.
To Student Government’s credit, they did advertise this event with e-mails and campus-wide promotion. It was open to the university, and as a result the responsibility also lies with the students to participate and attend such events. SG did its job in proving the forum. But unless students do their part, such political formalities mean nothing.
If students show no interest in SG, then for whom is SG acting? How is SG supposed to have any legitimate power if it is not supported by the students that it is designed to represent?
It takes two for the State of this U.