Student Gov. and Senate 'leaders' Squabble over Space
By Karl-Thomas Musselman
The Daily Texan reports on an issue I thought about raising last fall when I recieved the internal communications about the seemingly ongoing power plays between Student Government President Brent Chaney and Senate of College Councils Nick Staha.
After embarassingly disagreeing over the voting student on the Board of Regents issue, there was the rather curious announcment in December that SG needed the space occupied by Senate for SG purposes "to be determined" even though Senate has lived in that SG space since 1997.
In fact, at the same time Staha's eviction notice showed up in his office, another document was circulating in SG mailboxes. Several members of the SG executive committee received a copy of Staha's statement on the student regent issue, with objectionable portions underlined or commented upon by Chaney.
No direct correlation between Staha's dissent regarding the student regent and the Dec. 3 eviction notice can be made. Chaney said SG needs the space for its committees and agencies, perhaps for legislative relations, but a specific use has not been decided.
Still, without a specific plan for the office, Chaney leaves himself open to the criticism that he's acting upon a personal grudge.
But the original move-out deadline (Jan. 10) has come and gone, and Staha is still there. He may be able to ride this one out; if Senate can stall until a new SG president is elected in March, perhaps the whole issue will be dropped.
...
The two leaders should take care of this issue quickly. Facing an extremely important legislative session, rising tuition costs and decreased state appropriations to universities, SG and Senate have too much at stake to act like squabbling children.
I have a lot of respect for a number of SG and Senate people personally, but it's juvinile crap like this that damages any gains in the integrity of the organization in the eyes of students. And you wonder why people like Andrew think it's a joke.
Posted by Karl-Thomas Musselman at January 24, 2005 09:25 PM
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