In response to the recent barrage of comments about Senator Whitehouse’s “Birth Control Act,” I was prompted to write this article. More and more so, the Student Senate is being cast in an unfavorable light around campus. I have heard the Senate called an inept body that does not care for student issues and wastes time. I have listened to criticism from everyone; the Technician staff and editors, students, administrators and friends of the University and I have sat patiently by hoping that our actions would speak for themselves. Now, I would like to provide some insight into what the Student Senate actually does. First, I would like to address the “Birth Control Act” proposed by Senator Adam Whitehouse, a junior in political science. I have had the opportunity to work with Senator Whitehouse since March of last year and I have witnessed firsthand the countless hours he has donated to Student Government and the University community. Senator Whitehouse is chairman of the Campus Community Committee, which has had to deal with all the issues surrounding athletics and tickets this year. He is the point man in your ticket appeals process, fighting tailgating restrictions and making sure students are still able to get as many tickets as possible to athletic events. While his actions may have, in hindsight, been inappropriate, his intentions were good-natured and I encourage you to remember all the hard work Senator Whitehouse has dedicated to this University rather than just remembering this one misjudgment. Moving on, I would like to highlight some of the good things the Student Senate has accomplished this year. One of the most important issues on all of our minds, senators and students alike, is the rising cost of education. Over summer break when the North Carolina General Assembly was writing the state budget and threatening to cut the UNC System’s budget by about 5 percent, the Student Senate was busy visiting legislators, writing letters and conducting call-ins to oppose these cuts. As a result the cuts were reduced to about 2 percent. The Student Senate also conducted a massive “Chained by Tuition” campaign to oppose the proposed tuition increases. We spent many hours working on this campaign and recruiting support. “Chained by Tuition” may not have kept our tuition down, but it did get attention from the media and the Board of Governors — it was a step in the right direction. Furthermore, there have been hundreds of calls, letters and e-mails to United States Senators and Representatives to fight the Budget Reduction Bill, all headed up by Student Government. Student Senate is responsible for many other good deeds as well. We are cosponsors for the online ticketing system and handle all the appeals so when you, the students, miss a game for a legitimate reason you are not penalized. We also secured a few thousand guaranteed seats at the senior football game in order to make sure seniors could enjoy their last home football game. We are fighting adamantly to keep our current tailgating traditions intact; which in turn has made the administration more open to compromise. Student Senate held open forums to discuss the now famous “Facebook violations,” which has made people more aware of the consequences of online pictures. The Senate also wrote legislation to encourage the administration to take more steps during orientation to expose students to the Code of Conduct. We also spend a fair amount of time dedicated to community service. Student Senate has helped fund “Compassion in Action,” which has provided relief to Katrina victims; we are cosponsors of Dance Marathon, and many of us have signed up to help with “Service Raleigh 2006.” Now I know as well as anybody, that Student Senate has a notorious reputation for wasting time and I will admit there are a few bad apples, but that does not spoil the whole barrel. And remember, we as a student body elected these people; if you are not happy with the results you have the opportunity to remedy that in the spring elections. When I hear complaints that we do not care about student issues, I think back to how many times I have been called or e-mailed by concerned students — maybe 10 times. As much as I try to stay up to date on what is going on around campus, I cannot know what is on your mind all the time without you telling me. I, along with most all senators, attend many campus events and have posted our contact information on the Student Government Web site. We want to hear from you, even if it is just to talk. We want to know what you are thinking. With that in mind, the CHASS delegation will be holding an open forum in the coming month and we hope everyone that has any concerns will make an effort to attend. In closing, I would encourage everyone to remember all the good Student Senate has done for the campus community. Maybe there have been a few bad decisions, but that should not detract from the fact that we really have accomplished a lot. Also, we need your help too. Call us, e-mail us, grab us in the hallway, contact us anyway you can to tell us what is on your mind. Remember, no one ever said democracy was easy; we need everyone’s help to make N.C. State the best university in North Carolina.

E-mail Bo your thoughts on the Student Senate at [email protected]