Response to ethics editorial

Do you people even read the editorials you write, or do you simply slap something together to meet an arbitrary word quota and pray the Student Body forgets your asininity as quickly as it’s read?

Back on Aug. 27 in “Eating your money away,” this very editorial board opined that “SG could be influenced by the fact that its officers get free meal plans.” And yet today in “Ethics, what a wonderful thing” you sardonically counter that Student Government has no influence at all. So apparently we have enough power that something like meal plans are a dangerous influence, but not enough power to expect that students be kept informed when things like meal plans are received. Your tortuous logic is rivaled only by your equally tortuous grammar.

Once again the unsigned Technician editorial has devolved to nothing more than puerile antagonism masquerading as punditry, precisely the reason I stopped writing for the Viewpoint section two years ago to rejoin the Student Senate. Say what you please about the Student Government’s lack of power (or abundance thereof, depending on which day of the week the editorial is written) — at least the Senate is consistent in its advocacy.

One final note: there is no “Office of Student Governmental Accountability and Standards” in the Ethics Act or anywhere else. I recognize you were likely too busy congratulating yourself on another trite masterpiece to notice, but at the very least you could stick to facts amid your infantile attempts at mockery. Your readers rightfully expect nothing less.

With Wolfpack Pride,Greg DoucetteStudent Senate President (87th Session)Executive Vice President of the Student Body

Ethics and Student Government

When I read in the Technician about the proposal of legislation requiring any elected student representative to report gifts, I was surprised. Surprised in a good way. It is a firm belief of mine that those who go to the trouble to be elected to any office are usually more power hungry than concerned about their civic duty. Like rain and homework, it’s a part of the system. I don’t really like it, but I don’t expect it to change.

The idealist in me still feels a glee of triumph when any governing system makes an attempt, regardless of size, to limit its own power. A governing body that rises to the challenge of maintaining its own integrity, and willingly undertakes that responsibility, is honorable and shows forethought.

Someone always seems to be complaining about something SG is or is not doing that is causing students to be poorly represented. It seems to me that this year’s SG wants to ensure that one particular avenue for swaying an elected official away from their civic duty to represent the students is a punishable offense. As small a scale as this is, the student government represents all of us. In the past week, I’ve been reading about a student government that fruitlessly fought fee increases and is trying to guard the integrity of it’s present and future members. The idealist in me is dancing for joy. My conclusion is stand back and let the men and women work!

Sydney ParkerSophomore, Textile Engineering

Disappointed in fee increase

I am extremely disappointed with the fee increase, even though I sadly knew while I was voting “no increase” for every proposal that our votes as students wouldn’t matter. The referendum was simply to make it seem like the administration cares about and would take student opinions into consideration. Not everyone’s parents pay for part of or even all of their college, and not all of us are lucky enough (yes, lucky) to be a minority to get scholarships even if we are an average or better student than someone of “minority” status. How can they expect to draw in more students (or even keep students enrolled now) at NC State if they can’t afford the increases every year?

Ashley RandolphFreshman, Criminology major

Technician back to old tricks

Wow, saying that letting students vote on a referendum on how they felt about student fee’s that was directly sent to the committee itself was a sham and passing an ethics bill for the people that you and I elect is a funny joke. WOW, just wow. After praising SG, it is nice to see the Technician’s is back to its old tricks.

First, this was the first year of the referendum and got a decent showing, nothing to brag about but decent, but I can promise that as more students learn that they can actually see what is being raised and express their own opinions, they will vote and vote loudly. Let see what Mr. Stafford and Mr. Fowler say when at least 7,000 students vote and 80 percent of them still disapproved of the athletics fee AFTER reading and finding out how it was going to be used via Athletics own request form.

And as for the ethics bill, I could outline a scenario why it is good, but I only got 250 words so I will just say, since when is it funny for any organization on campus to have ethics outlined in their governing rules & policy? People always complain that SG doesn’t do anything (which is a lie in itself) yet when they do things that [actually] get a little publicity it is mocked, not matter how good it is for students, WOW, just WOW

Michael Lloyd Senior, Chemical Engineering

I support the troops

As the brother of a AFROTC, I know that our soldiers in Iraq have the best of intentions. It is truly brave of them to risk their lives for justice and freedom. Yet I feel, as many do, that the war in Iraq does more harm than good. I support the safety of our soldiers, preferably by ending the war. If they want to stay and fight then I’ll still pay for their equipment, and I’ll still hope for their safe return, but I am not obligated to support the war.

Aaron JordanJunior, Computer Science