This letter was written in response to Thursday’s article entitled “SG Senate spends 58 percent of meeting time on issues with little student impact.”
 
We write to you today in response to the article concerning the time spent by the Student Senate. As leaders of the Senate body, we feel that it is our duty and responsibility to defend the actions of the Senate, and to provide an alternate look at the situation.
According to Ms. Gallo, portions of our meetings which are classified as unrelated to student matters include Public Input, Executive and Judicial Officer reports, and roll calls. It seems interesting that Public Input would be classified in this manner, as this is the one opportunity for the general student populous to address the body on issues that are important to them. In the event there is a controversial matter before the Senate, we see students attend our meeting to address it.
An example of this instance was the controversy surrounding the regalia worn at commencement. Multiple students representing various organizations around campus attended the meeting to express their concerns.  We would never advocate for the limitation of free speech, especially for those we represent. The elimination of both Public Input and Petitions, Memorials and Other Communications would be comparable in our minds to the removal of features in your paper such as the online comments feature and Letters to the Editor. In terms of the officer reports, we also maintain that it is a necessary tool in keeping the overall Student Government in sync.
It is essential for each member of the organization to be in tune with the other branches, and to always coordinate with initiatives, ideas and projects. In terms of roll call, we must have an opening roll call to determine quorum in order to proceed with business. Roll calls that occur with votes are also essential, and have been used by your paper in multiple instances in the past. Roll call votes ensure transparency and accountability. While they may be time consuming, their worth is undeniable.
In our interviews with Ms. Gallo, we were stunned with her question concerning the limitation of debate time for Senators. Indeed, in certain instances, debates may come to be repetitive and un-ending. [It is, however, and should never be our right or responsibility to limit an individual from expressing their opinions.]
Each senator is elected to represent a different constituency; therefore all voices are different in a sense. We hope that an institution such as yours would never be an advocate for the limitation of free speech or expression of ideas. We will never compromise the integrity of the process for the sake of saving a few minutes of time.
The article in question also fails to address several other sides of the situation that are integral in the overall picture of the questioned effectiveness of the Student Senate. While Senators do spend the majority of their service in Senate meetings during the week, they also spend time in committee, College Council meetings, and engaging in Student Outreach opportunities. There is a large volume of work that occurs in our committees each and every week that deal directly with student initiatives, as there is no need for procedure in such a small setting.
Senators participate in their respective College Councils, and host programs for the students they represent. These officers are also charged with participating in Student Outreach events that all involve reaching out to students to solicit concerns and issues that need to be addressed. This large amount of time and work focused in on the student is in no way covered by the article, and yet it remains an essential and integral part of the manner in which the Senate operates and serves the student body.
While this article only pertains to the Student Senate, your readership may have gained an unfavorable opinion of the entirety of Student Government. Countless hours are also spent by the Executive Staff and Justices of the University Court in their respective roles in our organization. We urge you and your readership to not discount the hard work that every member of the organization accomplishes for the students week after week.
We also question how exactly this matter is hurtful or detrimental to the students. It is not the case that we do not arrive at other discussion or matters because we do not have time, or because we have spent time on matters your staff has deemed “with little or no direct student impact.” Every matter, discussion and piece of legislation that has been authored and brought before our floor has been addressed, debated, and voted upon. The extra time spent is indeed integral to the functioning and efficiency of our meetings.
In closing, we reiterate the great work that occurs each and every week by our Student Senators that should never be discounted. Our overall accomplishments and service to the student body can speak for themselves. Our Senators have done a phenomenal job over the past year, and we look forward to seeing what this coming year will bring.
In service,
Aaron Caffarel                 
Speaker of the Senate          
Brooksie Bonvillain
Former Speaker of the Senate
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Contact The Daily Reveille’s opinion staff at [email protected]