The Daily Egyptian's chosen candidate for Undergraduate Student Government president, Marty Obst, lost by 64 votes. Instead, the student body chose Michael Jarard, the frontman for the Freedom party - the biggest and most influential force on the student senate.
We congratulate Jarard on his win, but we must address some of our hesitations in hopes that warnings will be heeded.
First, we have noticed a disturbing trend within the Freedom party that has set the tone for a childish senate. The party seems to take an anti-administration stance to the extreme, whining and complaining at every little move administrators make.
When the senate was addressed by Chancellor Walter Wendler about the tuition proposal, it acted so unprofessionally that we wonder how long it will be before USG can regain some of the respect it lost during that episode.
The Daily Egyptian respects the Freedom party for its diversity and its gumption in defending its agendas. However, these traits are fairly worthless if the body throws a temper tantrum in front of every University father when it does not get its way.
There is an adult way to conduct business, and even to disagree, and it is fundamental for the people who represent the entire student body to act accordingly. Please, keep that courage of your convictions to continue to disagree with proposals that are not in the best interest of the students. Just learn how to do it so that you do not embarrass yourself and the students you represent in the process. Your initiatives will be far more respected by the administration and more likely to turn the heads of the powerful if you embrace professionalism.
Every year we beg and plead with the current president and senators to reach out to their constituents by attending Residence Hall meetings and introducing themselves to the people they represent. And every year they seem to be just as out of touch with the students as the year before. The result is that the senate, and its ruling Freedom party, exists as more of a clique than a congress.
We encourage Jarard to use all the pull he has now to change this very real problem. It is time for the Freedom party to step outside of party lines and truly work with the senate as one body for the students. Jarard already seems to be moving in this direction, and we hope he continues.
Jarard's major campaign promise was to keep harping on the tuition increase and try to stop the inevitable. He assures students he will not stop trying until the first day of class.
While this is an easy sell, Jarard is fairly powerless to change anything now. We hope he has some real plans for the remaining nine months of his presidency.
We support many of Jarard's plans, and we will be watching to see that the goals he recently illustrated to the Daily Egyptian editorial board will be executed.
Registered Student Organization funding has been a source of irritation for years, and we want to see a smooth funding process laid out by the start of the semester. Also, Jarard mentioned finding ways to provide more entertainment options for minorities in Carbondale, something we have endorsed in the past.
We wish him the best of luck.
Though the Daily Egyptian did not endorse Jarard, he was the most qualified candidate after Obst, and we have no doubt that he has all the ability necessary to lead USG to greatness. But the Daily Egyptian has also been covering USG since its infancy, and we understand a thing or two about a thing or two.
So be forewarned that we will be vigilantly watching for some real results - not a whole lot of tuition claptrap.
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
