Page 4 Editorial Students' interest or student interest groups? Student Government has more than its share of problems this year.tScc feature on page 7.) But the actual problem with Student Government runs deeper than personality conflicts and petty issues. SGA’s primary problem lies in its structure. Student Government consists of 24 voting members, representing the students of this college. There are nine senators representing commuter students (seven at this time, two commuter slots are currently vacant); five senators representing resident students; two senators representing freshmen (one currently vacant); and the vice president of SGA holds a voting seal. The president of Commuter Council and the president of the Joint Residence Council are also voting members. Additionally, the presidents of the following special interest councils hold voting positions: Interfratemity Council, Multi-Cultural Council, Panhellenic Council, Student Programming Council, and Studept Organization Council. If it isn’t already obvious, the problem is that certain students have more than one representative to voice their concerns to Student Government. For instance, if a student lives on campus, is a fraternity member, and belongs to Multi-Cultural Council, that student, in effect, has three representatives. Theoretically, one student could have as many as seven different voting representatives in SGA! That is clearly unfair. Student Government needs to realign so that no student is represented by more than one senator. Every student is either a resident or a commuter. Representatives could be elected on that basis. For every x number of students, one senator is elected. Another possibility would be for each class (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) to be represented by a certain number of senators proportional to the number of students in that class. Either of these breakdowns would be more equitable than the current setup. As it is now, the members of special interest groups have an unfair advantage in that they are doubly represented, while nonmembers have only one representative. This dual representation for special interest groups can never result in fair government for the students of this college. The Collegian Published weekly by the students of Behrend College, Erie, PA Editor Todd J. Irwin Business Manager Adrienne Shrawder The Collegian’s editorial opinion is determined by the editorial staff, with the editor holding final responsibility. Opinions expressed in The Collegian are not necessarily those of The Collegian or The Pennsylvania Slate University. Features Editor ■ BdbfrFMw** ' . . News Editor Mark Owens c _,right to edit letters for length and Entertainment Editor lo rc j ect i etters> Letters should be unnsti Luaen submitted to The Collegian office no later than noon on the Tuesday prior to the desired publication date. Sports Editor Greg Geibet Photo Coordinator Craig Breter Copy Editor Dawn Brenneman Ad Layout A Design Rob Pfendter Distribution Manager doe Mycka Advisor Dt. Mike Simmons Postal Information: The Collegian (814 898-6488} is published weekly by the students of The Pennsylvania State University at Erie, The Behrend College; First Floor, The J. Elmer Reed Union Building, Station Road, Erie, Pa 16563. Op inion (felufcaidi From The Hip Hey you summer people -- Chill! I've been taking quite a bit of heat lately. Blame it on the heavy sweaters and the extra pair of socks. Or maybe the "hand-in-the-cookie jar" grin I've been wearing as I trudge through all this snow on my way to class. You see, I'm a winter person, and when the wind picks up and the snow starts to fall, I'm definitely a minority around here. For two weeks, I've listened to friends, roommates and even professors gripe and whine about the snow. They complain about slippery roads, chapped lips, and cold, numb ears. They whine about salt-stained boots and hair flattened under dorky wool caps. And they grumble at me in passing, just because 1 go out of my way to walk through snow banks. These are the people who have never stepped into a pair of downhill skis, never removed a bolster cover for a jaunt down the Science Building hill, and never trekked into the gorge for a cross-country ski workout. These are the people who gave no thought to Erie's weather patterns when they enrolled here; people who figured the Indian Summer of last semester would last forever. But I'm catching on. I remember many of these same people bellyaching about the September heat that turned classrooms into industrial-strength ovens and made car seats feel like tanning beds. These are the people I’m waiting on. Because the next time I hear them complain about all this snow, I'm going to have a surprise waiting. A nice, round, well-packed surprise. How about some mail? If you would like to voice your views on an issue, why not write a Letter to the Editor? The Collegian encourages letters on news coverage, editorial content or University affairs. Letters should be typewritten, double-spaced and signed by no more than two persons. Letters should be no longer than 400 words and should ...Japanese pies better quality... include the semester and major of the writer. All letters should provide the address and phone number of the writer for verification of the letter. The Collegian reserves the right to edit letters for length and to reject letters if they are libelous or do not conform to standards of good taste. All submitted letters become property Thursday, January 30, 1992 Robb Frederick is a senior communication major and the Features Editor for The Collegian. By the way, the hippie hairdo is history of The Collegian. Letters should be submiued to The Collegian office, first floor of the Reed Union Building or The Collegian mailbox located in the SGA suite also on the first floor of the Reed Building no later than noon on the Tuesday prior to the desired publication date.
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