In reference to the controversial letter written at the end of last year, I am called out as never mentioning my plans for Student Government or the student body as a whole, which is true.  The response to Miss Burmeister’s letter was never intended to contain a statement of goals; it was simply a response to defend my capability as a leader.  Let it be known that I have always had goals and aims for Student Government regardless of their presence in that one, and only one, particular document.  On many occasions last year, I have stated a number of starting goals I wish to accomplish if upon my entrance as President.  Those goals are; ONE to create an atmosphere that makes Student Government and essential part of a student’s experience on and off campus, TWO to strengthen the abilities and cooperation of the student organizations, namely ensure a bond between the Secretary of Activities and Public Relations with Activities Board, THREE to create successful campaign and publication efforts to provide information and to establish interest in our student assembly, FOUR to create a special committee to review the Constitution of the Students for the purpose of correcting inefficiencies and complications to better the student organizations and the student assembly, FIVE to bridge the ever increasing gap between students and the University.  Student Government has only begun this year and these goals have not been left unattended.

Over the summer I was granted the opportunity to sit as a member of the Presidential Search Committee that has brought our current President, Dr. Lowman, to our University.  As the chair of the representative body for the Student Assembly I have attended every Board of Trustees meeting since my swearing in to office and currently have arranged focus meetings in cooperation with President Lowman to continuing communication throughout the year.

It is true that I have planned to help jumpstart constitutional review and there are currently powers debating just that.  Though, I originally intended that review to take place via special committee, through cooperation the “Big 7” are gathering in a non-decision making convention that will eventually present a recommendation that will go through all proper and regular channels of the current Constitution of the Students.  As the President of Student Government, it is my duty to ensure that the integrity of the Constitution of the Students is maintained and also that changes are to be done properly through the elected branch of the Student Assembly.  

To talk on “Mr. Wintour’s” statement, it is true that I have stated that the Inter-Greek Council should receive a higher percentage of the Student Activity and Media fee.  In the original amendment that set the percentages to what they are today, IGC received 4% of the SAM fee allocations and has since then been reduced to 3%.  At the original percentage, $0.91 of each student’s SAM fee went to fund IGC’s budget.  At 3% that figure is $0.68 per student and including an approximate inflation of 13% since this amendment was approved in 2003, the cost per student would in comparison be only $0.59.  Having said that, enrollment has also played a role in budgetary manners.  In 2003, IGC’s budget for an enrollment of 3,371 would be $3,067.61 a semester and at today’s standard only $1,988.89 a semester.  Acknowledging that LSSU’s enrollment has decreased by about 20% over the last five years, today’s IGC budget per semester falls around $1,591.11, which is roughly 52% of its original budget.  Using IGC for this example is not intended to show favoritism of the organization but is only to outline why I have mentioned its particular case when talking to students about budgetary issues within the Student Assembly.  The truth is that all of the “Big 7” organizations have experienced a substantial decrease in their budgets.  The Compass that you read today was once eight pages longer, doubling its current size and WLSO might have expanded its airwaves far past the city limits had there been a consistent budget over the last five years as well as Activities Board might have brought bigger named acts.

In addition to touching on the financial reasoning for my statement, I would like to clarify for IGC the statements that were misrepresented of them.  IGC is a student organization that has limited power and function.  Their main outlined function outlined in the Constitution of the Students is to instill cooperation and communication between the Greek organizations and to recognize and fund Greeks in cooperation with President’s Council.  IGC’s relationship with President’s Council is that IGC can not directly fund an individual Greek organization but can only aid in their quest for funds through President’s Council.  This leaves IGC the ability only to fund such activities as advertisement, rush, events, Greek Week, and perhaps a very few others things not mentioned.  “Mr. Wintour” appears to present a case almost questioning why IGC should receive money from the SAM fee and I reply blatantly that IGC does help the students.  First, I will state that IGC’s events are open to all students to attend, which directly benefits them just as an event held by Activities Board would.  Secondly, Greek dues do not pay for IGC and are set at a decent sum of money as it is, ranging from $100-$400 a year to cover their own operations and insurance costs that the University will not cover, as they do for other University groups.  Thirdly, it is no secret that students who are Greek tend to have higher graduation and retention rates then non-Greeks nationwide and that many fortune 500 CEO’s, United States Representatives, and Senators are Greek.  If IGC is an organization dedicated to the cooperation and communication of the Greek bodies at this University, it would be hard to convince me otherwise that such an entity is not deserving of student support, be it financially or through membership.

Moving back onto the topic of my goals, I would like to refer to my first goal.  It is clear that Student Government is an entity designed to influence a student’s college experience.  In Student Government’s description in the very first article of the Constitution of the Students, it is to act as the voice of the students and properly deal with all student concerns. 

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