By Collin Good, Editor in Chief
The Saint Leo University Student Government Union is one of the biggest organizations on campus. Being one of the biggest organizations, however, doesn’t guarantee understanding.
Junior Amanda Cassar, president of the SGU, has made this year’s administration’s goal to be not only more accessible to students than prior administrations, but to change the way the students view their peers in government.
“We’ve created a community of love,” said Cassar. “Keeping the executive board excited about their purpose, having new programs and new ways of getting students involved in what student government does, and continually addressing the problems of students to create solutions,” are the challenges she faces this semester.
Cassar has made it clear that while it is important to review and revise the current governing constitution, adopted in 2002, it is not her top legislative priority this spring.
“During the fall semester, we held a revision day to get feedback from students on the first part of the constitution (through section nine). Since then, it’s been put on hold. We’re looking at our goals for the spring semester, having a retreat January 22, to re-examine our focus.”
When asked, Cassar admitted, “It’s clearly out of date.”
Despite the attempts of previous administrations to produce a new document, Cassar feels that it’s more important to revise “section by section,” adding that, “our goal is to get different sections working better. If someone doesn’t agree with a certain section, they’ll vote no to the entire document. Taking it section by section allows for real revision.”
Though pledging to serve the students in the best way possible, Cassar said that constitutional review was not part of her campaign platform, unlike that of her opponent, Joseph Pless, director of programming for WSLU Radio. In an interview with The Lions’ Pride, Pless admitted that while he sees the constitutional review process going slower than he would like to see, he thinks SGU is headed in the right direction.
“I doubt that the class of 2002 would come back and say how proud they are of their constitution,” said Pless. “I don’t think that I would change the entire document, because parts of it work. But if everyone tried to follow the rules to a “T”, they wouldn’t be able to govern with all of the contradictions in the current constitution.”
Pless was appointed to the Student Government Union Constitutional Revision and Review Committee in spring 2010, by the previous administration. The Committee of 2010 was given the task of cleaning up the draft presented to them by the previous administration’s executive board. That draft was never brought to the floor of the Senate, in any attempt to pass constitutional reform.
Constitutional revision committees have been created as symbolic gestures toward reform for the last three years. Where constitutions have been revised, not a single reform has been passed by the Senate.
“It’s really just ad hoc when you go to a Senate meeting. It breeds an environment where nothing gets done,” opines Pless.
But constitutional reform is just one aspect of SGU this year. Cassar believes they have made great strides, helping to improve situations directly affecting students.
“I think we’ve advanced in the parking situation – the lines being cleared up have been a big issue. We’ve talked to people to get the internet to a better level. We’ve held people accountable to their duties in representing student organizations, and we’re teaching people how to be treated with respect for their organizations, a little bit of work, not just handed to them.”
Cassar and her administration have worked diligently to improve the way students view organizations on campus, stating that, “students want to find a purpose and want to be appreciated on campus. This semester we have a weeklong program in February to do just that– to appreciate all members of the Saint Leo community and celebrate who they are and what they do for the university.”
“I’ve learned a lot about my leadership style, working, working through problems, not around problems,” she says.
The Student Government Union has a chance to retain four of five members, with only one graduating member.
In the fashion of a true politician, when asked if she plans to seek a second term, only one word was needed: “Yes.”
