Pandering to students
When The Hatchet routinely runs accounts of the serious consequences of excessive and often underage drinking in its Crime Log, it is ludicrous that the Hatchet editorial board irresponsibly declared underage drinking “a seemingly insignificant issue” (“Intriguing Lawsuit,” Jan. 22, p. 4).
The countless tales of emergency room visits and criminal behavior associated with inebriated GW students suggest the University and police should do more to address the issue and certainly should not turn a blind eye to such blatant disregard of the law.
For its part, the editorial board should show more courage than evident in its pandering to underage students and in its remarkably weak opinion that the lawsuit is “intriguing.”
-Brandon Briscoe
     third-year law student
No term limits
I am writing in dissent with the Jan. 26 editorial with regard to term limits for Student Association senators (“Term limits necessary,” p. 4). I fundamentally believe that if students want to serve on the Senate for several terms they should be allowed to do so as long as they continue to be elected. Therefore, although I am not seeking reelection to the Senate, I will be voting ‘no’ on Sen. Asher Corson’s (U-CCAS) proposed bylaw amendment limiting terms.
It is for the voters to decide whether to reelect a senator, rather than some arbitrary rule. The editorial cites the example of the distinguished dean of the Senate, J. P. Blackford of the Engineering School’s graduate division, who it is admittedly difficult to not think about in this context. In his personal defense, I will say that he has rendered invaluable service to the SA over the last several years. Both as his colleague on the rules committee and as parliamentarian while I was here as an undergraduate, I have benefited from his broad institutional memory.
The editorial says that Sen. Blackford was elected last time with only two – presumably unopposed write-in – votes. To me this says that none of his fellow engineering students saw fit to challenge him or expressed desire to serve in the Senate. Who are we to force people to choose somebody else to represent them? Currently, almost one-third of voting Senate seats stand vacant, and to force willing students out will only exacerbate the problem. I wonder how much of an issue this really is, anyway, because – Sen. Blackford being an obvious exception – rarely does a student serve more than the two years suggested by The Hatchet.
To return briefly to the tangential subject of vacancies, I ask all students to consider serving. Graduate seats especially need to be filled. For example, I am currently the only graduate senator from the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, but there should be three of us. You will be reading more about pending elections in the coming weeks, so consider running for next year. Remember, every elected senator gets one equal vote, so there is no reason for the same people to be in charge year after year. Finally, if you really want your voice heard, vote in these upcoming elections.
-Christopher Jenkins
     graduate senator for the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences.
