Friday, October 28, 2011
Monday, February 23, 2009
New Post(s?) coming this week
Monday, February 9, 2009
Filibuster or Just Incompetance?...
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Catching Lightning in a Bottle
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Questioning Their Own Existance
There was a ton of discussion about these entries and I just wanted to clear a few things up. "I am no Obama." First and foremost. I am not here to stand on a pulpit and to be followed and to get elected. I am simply trying to bring to light certain issues, and inspire people to think critically of themselves and their community. Not surface responses but digging into that part of the brain that would rather not touch controversial issues/thoughts with a 60 ft pole. "I am more like Martin Luther", in the sense that I have a list of general complaints about the establishment and I intend to nail that list to the proverbial front door (but not the real meeting door, because I'd get in a bit of trouble). I do not have to take the reigns and see the change through, but I can damn sure blow the whistle when I find something that is wrong.
I am not going to go into length about the budget in this entry. All you need to know is that the SGA started the academic school year with about $400,000 left in the budget and as of Tuesday that number was down to approximately $21,000. (I'll let that one sink in for a moment). I think it is time the budget committee opens up its book for a serious housecleaning and overhaul. All records need to be placed online, dating back to as far as they can, as well as making all future allocations available immediately online, for all to see. The word is TRANSPARENCY. Something completely lacking in SGA.
Friday, January 23, 2009
The ITHACAN 1/22
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
Chasing the White Rabbit
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Looking Foward...
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Introducing a little ANARCHY...
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
A Quick Word
Friday, January 2, 2009
IC SGA Vol. 4 (E-Board part II)
Lets start with the Vice President of Campus Affairs: If you were an outside observers to SGA this year and had no prior knowledge to the workings of the body or the constitution, you would
probably be very confused at the responsibilities of some of the E-board members. If you observed the VP of Campus Affairs position you would think that this positions job was to organize the pep rally...and then take the rest of the semester off! Talk about someone how has dropped the ball this year, this person has slept walked the SGA session since October. Now not to take a personal shot a fine individual, but at some point you will have to understand the magnitude of your position, the responsibilities you owe to the student body and the fact that you are falling far short of what you should be.
Why do the very least with your elected position? You are supposed to be in charge of the SGA Unity Council? Where has progress been on that this year? We know that was a product of an earlier administration, but that does not mean you should ignore it completely and promote your own agenda instead! Its a bad example when E-board members are more involved in their outside commitments than SGA and it shows that the Senate can follow suite. You know what, if any SGA member feels too bored or too involved in other ventures; then do the college a favor and tender your resignation!!! Members of the SGA and ESPECIALLY the Executive Board are supposed to be committed to this organization and improving upon it daily. Instead of promoting outside causes (which I am sure are very worthwhile) you should focus on what the senate could be doing or discussing to improve the college and the community.
There is just too much promise in this body to let it go to waste. Each senator and board member has a responsibility to truly commit to the cause or leave so someone else can. The VP of C.A.'s responsibilities are outlined in the Constitution and that person does not need me to remind him. What I do hope is that he reads this as his wake-up call to accomplish something before graduation.
Take this as my suggestion box note. Prepare better for meetings, with detailed reports relating to your office, your meetings, your groups. Initiate something, anything. Leave your mark with something worthwhile. Utilize the Unity Council! It is not as if racism or sexism were defeated on this campus. The Unity Council could be a worthwhile weapon in the fight against biases and discrimination. This is your wheelhouse, and the student body deserve your service. Become a watchdog yourself in the SGA. Make sure all of your colleagues are as focused as yourself. If not call them out. As an outsider I can only observe and recommend so much. It is up to the actual members to do the hard work.
The blog is way too despressing. I wish I could report on all the good work done within the SGA this year, or the progress they have made on some substancial issues. But I can't! In a year with a generation defining presidential election, the politics of the Ithaca College SGA has grown stale and uninspiring. Maybe the new year will bring some new enthusiasm. Maybe meetings will go as long as they need to, instead of how long the chairperson wants it to. Maybe maybe maybe maybe maybe. I believe in change. Does anyone else? Be safe and be well. 1
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Identity
Sunday, December 28, 2008
IC SGA Vol. 3 (E-Board part I)
The only way the claim above would prove true is if the Student Government fulfills its commitment to operate as a productive organization. If they fail to live up to that, then anything is up for grabs, including complete dissolution, and starting from scratch. The reason any of this is even being discussed, even though some choice to ignore that there is any problems whatsoever, is the continued troubles of this years SGA. As much as it pains me to admit, the root of the problems must be laid at the feet of the Executive Board.
The current E-Board was elected with such promise, and had such designs of grandeur. The Reconstruction Team vowed to revamp the entire SGA and make improvements on the past few years. The plans were pretty generalized, but there was room and time to fill in the gaps. The problem was that the semester began, the SGA got going, and the plan never took shape. There has been no revamping, there has been virtually nothing going on this semester. Why has the SGA failed to live up the promises they made in April? Maybe the more important question is, why hasn't anyway (besides me) called them out before on their lack of action. I am trying hard to pointing out individual people, so please bear with me. It is not as if I have a personal grudge against them as a group, but rather personally worried about the state of the SGA in their hands.
Lets try to run down the list of problems related directly to the Executive Board this year. Maybe the first problem has to do with the actual size of the SGA. In the past year the E-board has increased in size, adding the alumni relations position, and the increased responsibility to the note secretary and the chairperson. No knock on them, but non of these positions are voted in by the students. And I'm sure they have good intentions, but in all honesty they should not wield as much power as they do during this session of the SGA. Its my opinion that an executive board with so much responsibility will function better with a small group of people working in better unison and cohesion, than a large group that has trouble communicating. I am all for diversity in a group and having voices from different perspectives, but when it comes to the E-board, they must be able to function, make decision, provide strong initiative and oversight. The senate is more for the diversity and providing the voice of the people. The executive board should be bringing the issues to the table, and starting the debate. This years e-board is exclusively reactionary, and has not shown the initiative for real CHANGE this year.
One of the other major problems has been the fact that two elected E-Board members served only half of the year. I cannot stress this enough; this is a HUGE PROBLEM. From day one the clock was ticking on these two members, and they were basically lame ducks before October break. It is truly unfair to the student body to try to get yourself elected when you know before hand that you can only serve half a semester. SELFISH is the only way to describe this action. And it doesn't matter how much good work they were able to do before the end of fall semester, because in January they will not be there. New elections were needed in December and now we have two new VP's coming in and having to learn on the job, and mesh with an E-board and senate who has been together since September. There needs to be strict term restrictions for VP's to prevent students who plan to leave mid-semester from being elected. We do the same for students who study abroad in the fall and return for the spring. It is discriminatory to continue that current practice. We shouldn't hate on those wanting to study abroad, but it is only fair to the student population for SGA members to serve a full term (student trustees are chosen knowing they can not go away for two years and must serve their position).
Writing this blog I realize that it is hard to fit everything in an entry without sounding like a pompous ass or going too long, and losing the audience. I just want to bring to light some serious issues, and I understand it is going to take some serious time and commitment before this comes to be. But for now, I am out. Be safe and be well. 1
Friday, December 26, 2008
IC SGA Vol. 2
It is truly sad thing to consider. In 2004, the student government completely revamped their composition, changing from being representatives to senators, and added new positions. There was real enthusiasm for what was going on, and these students really cared about being apart of the SGA. In the years that followed the SGA had ups and downs, with some years great things got done, and others it seemed as if the E-board would destroy the whole operation. But this year has shown utter ambivalence. No One cares. Meetings go only as far as the attention spans of 27 (give or take) can take. But why? Why this year does no one care or nothing get done? Its multi faceted.
One major part is the whole committee system, one of the core systems of the SGA. Committee's do the leg work for SGA. Senators, e-board members, and students at large mix it up in different committees to get the grunt work done. The ideals behind the system are sound and have good intentions. A large group will have a difficult time discussing so many issues and planning events or debating campus problems. But split into smaller groups, and even some of them split into smaller subcommittees can accomplish even more, further lifting the burden off of the large group.
What happens however when no one committees the system, and it basically collapses underneath the nose of the entire e-board? Lets leave out Communications and Budget Committee because they probably deserve their own posts. Where has been the progress of the circle shuttle system been? Where has the sustainability issue progress too recently? Where is the SGA relationship with the President Rochon or even Provost Roundtree or any of the deans? (beside our SBPresident's relationship with them? There are dozens of issues that have gone unnoticed this year, and the SGA is OK to let this just fall by the waist side. There are senators who chair committees all by themselves. There are members in committees who have no clue what their group does, when they meet (if at all) and what to update the rest of the SGA about. It is sad really.
There are reports that during SGA meetings that committee updates last few moments and mostly consist of members saying that their group met or didn't and did not have anything pertinent to share. The reports go further and say that during open agenda it takes substantially longer for senators to share upcoming events for other causes and openly advertise to the group. It is sad. Gone seems the day when SGA meetings would last until nearly midnight, because that is how long it would take to go over all the issues, and engage in serious debate. There is no commitment and even when there are sparks of interest or passion on a subject, the timbers are quickly extinguished by the chairperson... in the interest of time. The most damaging statement that can be said during a meeting. Do you think Jefferson turned to Adams during the Constitutional Convention debate about the First Amendment and uttered that phrase and ended the debate? It is silly to even consider, but how many debates have been squelched because of that utterance is unknowable. It just goes to further the claim that no one gives a damn. There is more to say, but it will have to wait for another day (what a rhyme?) Be safe and be well. 1