By Jonathan Stankiewicz
As a student body, we elected them. As a governing body, they have the power to fund our clubs and make changes to our lives on campus. However, the Student Government Association, our paid campus representatives, do not seem to be taking the role that they have been elected to seriously.
During the weekly SGA meeting, one of the few weekly requirements for senators, our governing body has been spotted on Facebook and on cell phones. SGA President Eric Bergenn and Vice President Liz Braun have appeared visibly frustrated and embarrassed by the ongoing pattern of inappropriate behavior and outbursts that routinely take place at meetings.
The first time I saw a senator snicker after another senator had finished speaking, I did a literal double take. The second time, I tried to ignore it, and the third time I witnessed it, I promised myself I would write this piece.
The Student Government Association is, in many ways, a circus. I haven’t seen cotton candy and peanuts yet, but I’ve seen the giggling and laughing. As a reporter for The Recorder, the funniest part to me is that SGA knows who we are and where we sit at their meetings.
We are a newspaper; we are journalists. We are here to serve as the eyes and ears of the campus community. Quite simply, we go to SGA meetings so you don’t have to. Our lofty goals aside, we cannot always speak for the entire student body here at CCSU and we encourage students to attend SGA meetings to see it firsthand.
The Student Government Association meets every Wednesday in the Bellin Gallery at 3:05 and few students who are not on the staff of The Recorder show up to keep the SGA honest.
I cannot claim to know all of the ins and outs of Robert’s Rules of Order. I cannot honestly say that I’ve never giggled when I was supposed to be a focused and responsible individual; we are all human here.
What our senators must realize is that they chose to be elected officials. They can no longer fall back on the excuse of being mere students. They ran a campaign and were elected to office through our votes.
For example, this past Wednesday, the SGA Senate spent the entirety of their meeting debating how to get students more involved, specifically with their upcoming elections. The question I wish to pose is this: how can a student be expected to get involved in SGA if the conduct at the meetings remains unchanged?
If the senate of the SGA does not take their meetings or the jobs that we elected them to seriously, how can they expect the students to take the SGA elections seriously?
What I am saying is that there needs to be a serious and conscious effort to conduct meetings in an orderly fashion. No Facebook or giggling at meetings should be permitted.
It’s not just about the lack of respect being shown to one senator from another, it is about the common courtesy of representing your constituents.
Things will continue to not get done if this behavior continues. Things need to change.
Quite simply, this is unacceptable. The need for change is now and as elected officials should be quick and noticeable.
The hope is in your hands, do the right thing.