So I got back from Spring Break a bit early last week. You know, I figured I’d get back to Raleigh: I’d water my plants and try to catch up on some work (I had 12 unfinished assignments sitting in my fridge’s “inbox”).
When I came to campus, I noticed the faint smell of crap in the air. Over break, facilities or housing (or whoever the heck it is that does the digging around here) decided to put down new mulch in what seems like every natural area on campus.
Well, whatever. Personally, I can put up with the stench of fresh mulch if it means in a month or two we’ll get to see some pretty flowers and shrubberies; you know, landscaping stuff.
The same goes for the campaign season that is getting into full swing right now. Yeah, Student Government elections are only two weeks away, and I’ll be the first to point out there is a distinct smell of crap in the air. However, according to my (dare I say clever?) analogy, I’m willing to put up with all the B.S. if it means the student body is better off in the long run.
For example, look at this impeachment of Whil Piavis business in the Senate. Some active and responsible senators decided to finally address some serious lapses in Piavis’ leadership, and all of a sudden, people are getting their panties all in a bunch over a pirate.
The senators pushing for Piavis’ impeachment are motivated by his failure to fulfill his duties as SBP; a series of letdowns they rightly consider a blatant breach of his ethical responsibilities.
Look, I understand Piavis is a really nice guy, and I’m not trying to trash him or anything. I just think if any one SG office should be taken seriously, it ought to be the executive office.
The biggest irony is many of the people outraged over the proposed impeachment are the very same people who have been complaining SG doesn’t do anything.
Are students really looking to their Senate for action? The Student Senate is little more than a glorified debate club, a legislative body with no muscle. Individual senators sometimes take responsibility for organizing and planning events; but as a body, the Student Senate isn’t really supposed to accomplish anything tangible.
It is the responsibility of the executive to actually do stuff. As a president, Whil Piavis hasn’t done jack; that is the worst kind of failure.
If you’ve been around here for at least a couple years, you’ll remember what a fine president Tony Caravano was. Leadership to Caravano was sticking up for students and their interests, all while taking responsibility for the operation of important events and traditions.
In comparison, it seems like leadership to Piavis is little more than going to Senate meetings (the ones he doesn’t skip) dressed as a pirate.
We all had our fun last year; we had our little laugh with the pirate. I hope nobody is surprised that SG has become a very unfunny joke.
So please, take the elections at least somewhat seriously this year. There might be a lot of crap in the air, but don’t let it make you cynical. A great way to improve our community is to improve our government, and the only way to do that is to vote for candidates who are going to take their positions seriously.
Whatever you decide, please at least make your decision knowing the people you vote for have the potential to do either a lot of good or a lot of harm; God forbid we get stuck with another pirate.
If you don’t have peace of mind, give Ken a piece of your mind at [email protected]
