On behalf of the concerned students of Gonzaga University: A small, tight-knit community, a family with a proud tradition of Jesuit teaching, excellence in education, athletics and student leadership are just a few of the phrases we use when describing the values of Gonzaga University to outsiders. Oh, and that it's in Spokane.
Here at Gonzaga we are taught to "understand the world in which we live," to ascribe the values we learned to promote justice around our world. It is by giving a voice to those who are voiceless, and, with deep conviction, stand up for equality in a world plagued with disparity.
It is our call to be leaders. Leaders who face challenges with conviction, duty and the desire to bring solutions to the difficulties we face every day. Our student leaders, through our votes and as promised by their campaigns, have a responsibility to this body to put OUR wants and needs as collegiate individuals ahead of any resume building, or graduate school application boosting.
This is GSBA's role.
Yet, a haunting and disturbing report littered the front page of the Gonzaga Bulletin ("GSBA voter turnout drops" Oct. 3). The report by Mitch Forness discussing the voter turnout for this year's senatorial elections has us concerned once again.
With classes, jobs and the anxieties of a college student hanging over our heads, The "Old Boys" in the GSBA "Club" have the gall to push blame upon the student for our lack of participation in voting. The head of the elections commission, Michael Gerlach's words ring true, "a lot of students don't care about GSBA elections."
Yet, is this a reflection of the attitudes of the student or a dereliction of duty by our student leaders? Talking with our peers about the state of GSBA has us deeply troubled. Ask the engineers like Thomas "Beanie" Wilson, the English majors like Allie Huffman or any other hard-working undergraduate. Students feel disenfranchised by the process. The door is being slammed shut on people who have voices for change, yet are unable to lead because of archaic rules that leave me, you and the rest of this student body behind.
Why is there a prevailing notion that the students are the ones to blame for the lack of excitement and passion for the voting process? It's because the students feel a lack of representation. They feel that GSBA cares little about their problems and more about turning Crosby Center into Tammany Hall.
In Alex Bender's eye-opening exposé on club financing ("Where's the money? Following club finances" March 7, 2008), he says that GSBA officials refuse to reveal specific club funding requests because it might create "bad blood" among those who did and those who did not get the proper funding. As arbiters of justice, instead of standing behind the decisions they make, they are hiding behind the excuse of hurt feelings, playing the smoke-and-mirrors game while hooking their cronies up.
To them appearances are everything. Well newsflash, they aren't, ask Sarah Palin. Well, my friends, the GSBA chickens are coming home to roost. The average student is fed up with this dog-and-pony show.
From unpublished club budgets, frivolous water bottle bans, to a system designed to hand pick their successors; the GSBA "Club" fails in its attempt to bring the average student into the fold. How can you ask for change when their ivory tower has no ladder? It's no surprise students feel disenfranchised, a recent survey ("Student discontent: Campus survey reveals some feel left out" Sept. 19) published in this year's Bulletin proved this fact.
Thomas Shannon McHugh, Class of 1931 and the first student body president of this great university, orated in his first address how the voice of this body was not a reflection of his wants and ambitions. This body was rather set up to provide real solutions to the many real challenges that face students every day.
To the newly elected Senators, this is your chance to leave your mark. Challenge those in power to provide the necessary transparency. Challenge them to open the door to the common student by revisiting the election bylaws. Challenge them to put their resumes aside to champion real solutions to real problems such as rising book prices, cost cutting at the COG and student safety. These are the problems that we as students are burdened with every day. It is your duty to be the answer, to restore the brilliant reputation back on this association.
From the hallowed halls of Catherine Monica, through the loins of Desmet and Welch all the way up to the balconies of Dussault, our cries are louder than ever, let's just hope the "Old Boys" of the GSBA "Club" can hear us, for as a famed president once declared "We will not go quietly into the night!" This is OUR university.
Michael Sherman and John Reid are seniors at Gonzaga.
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