Hardly a satellite campus

A recent Life story (“Vern Express supervisor keeps shuttles running smoothly,” Feb. 2, p. 1) described GW’s Mount Vernon Campus with a phrase about which many readers probably didn’t think twice: “satellite campus.” The Mount Vernon Campus is not a satellite campus; it is a fully integrated part of GW’s main campus. Having worked and lived at Mount Vernon, I recognize that it has a different culture than the area centered around 22nd and G streets, but Mount Vernon provides me with virtually all the facets of Foggy Bottom, even as a junior who visits The Vern to read, walk, eat and relax.
Corbb O’Connor, Junior

SA is an unnecessary organization

The “scandals” before the Student Association remind us what happens when the line gets blurred between real life and make-believe. In 2006, we considered a campaign to abolish the SA. But being seniors, it was too late to begin the process. The SA’s only purpose is to stroke the egos of a few wannabe politicians who think they are real senators. With little authority beyond allocating funds for student organizations, the personalities in the SA engage in petty squabbles surrounding meaningless resolutions that do not improve the lives of students. Strike that, we mean “constituents.” We concur with former “Chief of Staff” Greta Twombly that her position was “pointless” after her relationship with Aswani deteriorated. But, her position, like others, was always pointless. We are also shocked that the “president” has a “deputy chief of staff.” Are you joking? What purpose could it possibly serve?

The SA has one important role: allocating funds to student organizations. If we were not about to graduate three years ago, we would have suggested replacing the SA with an elected committee of students to disperse money. This committee would serve without titles and other trappings of “elected office.” There would be no bylaws that are 77 pages long and the SA’s overhead costs would go to student groups. Any good the SA could do is best done by creating student organizations focused on particular issues. For example, concerned students could form a group to create the test-bank.

We write this to concerned students who believe GW deserves better than the childish tantrums our “leaders” throw every year. We see it in the departure of “senior officials” from the Aswani “administration.” As undergraduates, we saw the attempted impeachment of an SA president, expensive SA transition dinners (how much do they cost?) and the appearance of buying election endorsements with SA funds. We ask GW undergraduates to abolish the SA and create a “drama-free” committee to allocate funds. We’re not lawyers or anything, but start by consulting the SA “Constitution” Article VIII.
Eric Jesse and Michael Calantone, Alumni, Class of 2006