The Rocky Mountain Collegian

As we won't have the opportunity to comment on SGA elections for yet another year (sigh), we thought we should make one final address to the candidates who kept us so busy-and entertained-for the last month.

Cari Johns, Joe Cirillo, Teresa Gabhardt, Elle Hogan and Evan Krauss-the student body has elected you to represent them. And everyone else, thanks.

Nothing too sentimental (tears don't look good on newsprint), but, so it is said, those who weren't elected have worked hard. During the SGA debates, between volleys of standard phrases like "Jesuit mission" and "getting in touch with the student body," we heard a few good ideas that we don't want to be forgotten.

Chris Wipke suggested once that freshman would better and more easily integrate into campus life if they weren't isolated from upperclassmen. He proposed a re-evaluation of the First Year Experience program, especially the restriction that housing be freshman only. Living with upperclassmen besides your RA would be a great way to learn your way around campus, and St. Louis, to learn about the good places to eat, and about the classes and teachers you should not leave college without experiencing.

And Andrew Chappelle's idea to frame and hang old Student Activities Board posters, many signed by classic bands from years past, around the Busch Student Center would be a great way to stimulate student involvement. He also suggested making old issues of The University News available to the student body. Printing news since 1921, the old issues show the unique perspective of our own university though a history of wars, political and cultural changes.

Also noteworthy, Matt Buhrman proposed that SGA regulations for chartered student organizations be distributed on CDs. Krauss would be wise to take advantage of this good idea.

Though their official terms don't begin for a while, next year's executive board needs to begin settling themselves into their new roles on campus-we say it every year.

But we say it for a reason. Right now is the time to get to know Fr. Biondi and faculty members.

Right now is the time to get in touch with student needs. When school starts next semester, there will be a lot going on. Right now is the best time to plant a foundation for a productive 2005-2006 school year.

SGA candidates should make sure to get acquainted with the system that they control next year, especially Krauss. He needs to get up to speed on his role. Krauss should develop better plans to help CSOs-dismissing completely his desire to consolidate them-and recognize that limiting the chartering of new organizations is only detrimental to the student body. Student organizations create involvement-limiting student organizations would hinder that involvement, something his party encourages so heartily. And while he may worry that new CSOs may diminish the available pool of money, he should remember that chartering new organizations does not necessarily mean funding them.

We'll miss the SGA candidates...wait, why would we say that? We know they'll stick around, still working hard and giving us something to write about.

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