Sometimes, it's better just to hear the story from the source: "We are focusing more on internal issues instead of external things we could be doing for the student body," Senator Tristan White said at Wednesday's Student Government Association meeting.
At the meeting, it became clear that SGA has had some struggles so far this semester. Some senators are frustrated, some students are disappointed, and even SGA President Steve Geraci is disheartened.
Clearly, everyone in Ball State University's student government wants to do what's best for the students, but internal concerns have paralyzed the group's productivity.
So, while the focus on "internal issues" Sen. White and others were concerned about Wednesday does indicate a lack of consideration for the needs of the student body as a whole, it might be exactly what members of SGA need to be doing right now.
Last spring, Team Us made 21 promises to the students of the university. Today, several of the executive board's platform proposals remain stuck in various stages of the legislative process, a handful of proposed plans were already completed by other entities or finished easily before the end of last year and at least five have not even been brought to the floor this semester.
Instead of working on the executive board's platform issues, SGA members have sponsored a campus clean-up and a film with a discussion, as well as begun planning for a blood drive, wrapping paper drive and bike-a-thon.
In fact, the executive board has sponsored about half of the legislation this year, not the legislature.
Not exactly hard-hitting, change-making legislation, as students should be able to expect of SGA.
The Student Senate and executive board are operating with two different agendas, but it would be nice if they could agree on some goals and initiatives, then work together to achieve them.
This student association is limping - which is nothing new - and it needs support from within the organization before it can begin to carry the burdens of the university.
If SGA intends to rightfully serve its constituents, all the segments of the association need to open up lines of dialogue, find where compromises need to be made and finish passing legislation to clear up the "internal issues." Only then can the association - as a whole - get cracking on the university-wide issues that really matter.
And with the semester's end a mere five weeks away, the sooner the better.
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