Posted at 6:45 p.m. 2/7/10
Student Body President Michael Umhoefer and Student Body Vice President Amber Bretl do not deserve to be recalled after the whirlwind of controversy surrounding Student Senate’s approval of the Blugold Commitment.
After Student Senate approved the Blugold Commitment 17-15 last semester, a Facebook group was started in an effort to make student voices heard. Many students attended the Student Senate meeting Monday to voice their displeasure with the tuition increase.
Throughout this process, Student Senate has received an earful from students, and they have gotten the message that students care deeply about campus issues. One of the members of the Facebook group “UWEC Students in Favor of Having Their Voices Heard” – a group that has amassed over 1,100 members online – is starting a petition to recall the offices of Umhoefer and Bretl.
While this student should be commended for voicing his displeasure through the democratic process, it isn’t necessary to recall the student leaders. Student Senate has learned its lesson as a result of the study body’s outcry, and it would be for the best for them to focus on making the Blugold Commitment as effective as possible.
The students involved in the petition could make an impact in Student Senate by getting involved in the organization and ultimately voting out the senators they are displeased with. Go to meetings, join Student Senate or vote someone else in. It is possible to make this change.
The lesson to be learned from this entire process is to get involved in issues early. Too often students wait too long to get involved in controversial issues. Student Senators certainly could have done a better job of informing students, but students could have raised issues with the Blugold Commitment when it was first introduced in August.
Instead of teaching Umhoefer and Bretl a lesson by recalling their election, students should get involved with the decision-making process to make sure their student leaders are keeping their best interests in mind.
