Huntington News

Issue date: 4/10/08 Section: News

After a turbulent week in the Student Government Association (SGA), President Joey Fiore delivered impassioned remarks to the Senate where he acknowledged some of the organizations mistakes and weaknesses, but stressed that the SGA was no way "in shambles," a suggestion made by senator Derek Miller in an interview with The News early Monday morning.

At the start of the SGA meeting Monday night, Fiore spoke to the Senate, starting first at a lectern but quickly moving to the center of the room. He held Monday's issue of The News above his head, but said he refused to accept the headline, which read "SGA 'beyond shambles;' Oberg resigns."

"Senators, we are not in shambles," Fiore said. "Rather, we have hit a few bumps in the road."

During the past two weeks, the SGA has struggled to garner enough student participation in the direct election of its next president. Lack of student support for either candidate, Rob Ranley and Dan Kamyck, coupled with a six hour meeting - a record length - of the Rules Committee to address grievances against candidates, brought the SGA to a watershed moment Monday night.

Fiore said the SGA was focusing too much on "minute trifles and internal politics," concerns echoed by a former senator Nicole Keimer in a recent letter to The News ("Senator reminded why she left SGA," April 7) and another who spoke before the Senate Monday.

"From this point on, we need to move on, we need to stop the egos … and all the puppets and parasites, which I know there are some of them here," said Devin Phillip, a senior and former senator who took an opportunity to address the Senate during the Student Matters portion of the meeting.

Phillip said he had defended SGA aggressively to his constituents before, but he did not think he could do that any longer. He was highly critical of senators, accusing many of abusing bureaucracy and rules to their own personal benefit and the detriment of the Senate.

"It is not necessary to ask questions you know the answers to, to make accusations that have no basis," Phillip said.

Fiore agreed.

"This is not 'Student Government Club," he said. "We are not here to debate whether every student on campus needs to know every code and rule."

Some senators, however, seemed to disagree with the allegation that they needed the change their habits. During the meeting some called for an oral re-vote to Linda Sun's confirmation as the new parliamentarian after she was overwhelmingly confirmed by placard voting earlier in the night. There was also repeated questioning of Sun's allegiance to either campaign and criticism of Fiore's use and understanding of the word "capricious."

It is this sort of behavior, more than anything else, that is hurting SGA's standing on campus. Though few students may actually know of these practices seen at so many meetings, these actions stop SGA from debating and bringing change to issues on campus.

Until such practices are no longer business as usual for SGA, it is unlikely they will be able to garner enough student support to succeed. It is not bad public relations that is bringing the organization down, as many senators have suggested in the past few weeks. It is simply bad practices.

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