When did not knowing become a positive attribute in one’s character?
This Tuesday, I attended the Student Government Association Elections Debate and had the honor of being one of four panelists to ask questions to the Miss Southern, President, Vice President and AWS candidates.
Usually after the debates I have a clear vision of whom I am going to vote for. But after Tuesday night, there is only one person and one position I am sure of. Everything else is up for grabs.
When we vote, we are supposed to choose a leader who is greater than ourselves to represent us. Not an average person with average ideas who believes that just because a few pennies of their tuition goes to that organization gives them the right to lead. Not everybody can be or needs to be a leader, but we can all be an active member.
Money goes towards the DIGEST, EGO and The Jaguar, but the office is not filled with writers, editors, photographers or graphic designers because everyone on campus does not have the capacity for it.
Yes, there are times when one’s GPA does not matter, but stop looking at the here-and-now and look at the future. If maintaining a 2.5 at Southern University is an unattainable goal, how are you going to get into graduate school, law school or any post-graduate program?
Being SGA president lasts only a year, why not use those two semesters for taking easy classes or electives?
When one of the panelist asked a candidate a current events question involving the economic crisis in America and what the President and Congress are doing to curb the crash, she did not know.
In fact, her attitude suggested that this was not really important because she was not directly affected.
When did not knowing current events outside of Southern gossip and celebrity news become fashionable? How can we, on the cusp of adulthood not know what we will be facing within the next two or three years?
Another candidate was asked to comment on the political unrest in Kenya and how it affected the campus. She was not aware of what was going on in Kenya and could not make the connection.
In the February 8th edition of the DIGEST, the entire front page was dedicated to professors Fulbert and Grace Namwamba, who missed weeks of school because they were unable to leave.
Every year the queens proclaim that being Miss Southern means more than looking pretty in a dress, raising money for St. Jude’s and disappearing in the spring. Yet, that is all they do.
The same goes for SGA Presidents who make false promises of wonderful SpringFest, open communication with the administrators and make them complete all the unfinished projects on campus and have many activities on campus.
This year, how about we all hold our leaders to their words and expect more from them? Better yet, why don’t we as a student body ask for things that a SGA President-a student!-can control.
With budget cuts and student admissions rates at an all time low, money is short. So before we complain about why Chris Brown and Rihanna cannot come to SpingFest, why don’t we ask for that money to be used for an emergency fund for students who might need a plane ticket to go home because of family matters?
The next time a Miss Southern candidate says she cannot tell you about the Oymplic boycott of China, we need not to clap and say, “They’re wrong for asking her that hard question,” but ask why she is not watching the news and say, “Hey, you’re representing me and I need you to do better.”
When our Vice Presidential candidate does not know Roberts Rules of Order, not laughter, but shaken heads, should follow it.
How can you led without knowing the rules?
How can you lead without knowing?
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I’m not asking for much…
April 10, 2008
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