Acorn

Issue date: 2/22/08 Section: News

Media Credit: facebook.com The Facebook group, "The Drew Rebellion", acts as a venting forum for Drew students. The group was started by Paul Bertolini ('10).

Students are either dissatisfied with the Student Government Association's representation or plain confused about what it has accomplished during SGA President Erik Emdur's ('09) term in office. Students like Paul Bertolini ('10) are not satisfied with the slow-paced progress of the current SGA. "The Drew student body is small and has the possibility of forming a union to cause change faster than the SGA can," Bertolini said. Bertolini set up a Facebook group called "The Drew Rebellion", which, as of yesterday, had 31 members. The group was to be addressed at the weekly SGA meeting on Sunday. According to Bertolini, the group is a forum for students to post their gripes in hope of making change.

Bertolini feels the SGA needs to take a more active role in informing the student body and getting student feedback. "They say to attend meetings, but that's not our job," he said. "The president should write a weekly letter to the student body, or post flyers on campus about what's going on. They are making policies without us knowing."

Some students don't see what the SGA can do for them specifically or how the organization functions. Jessica Hiller ('10), who joined the Drew Rebellion group, said she isn't sure what the SGA can do differently because she doesn't know what powers they have. She understands that the SGA has to work with the administration to bring about change. "I feel the administration doesn't value the students' opinions as much as they could," she said.

Paula Iwaniuk ('10) feels the SGA is not successfully representing her voice and that Emdur has not lived up to his campaign platform. "When the current president was running for office, I remember reading that he would unite the campus, but he hasn't done that." Iwaniuk suggests that the SGA e-mail their minutes to the entire campus after every meeting. "It would allow students to see firsthand what the SGA is talking about and how it works," she said.

Tolley Senator Matt Fingerman ('11) hopes that the new student engagement bill helps alleviate student concerns about the SGA not reaching out enough. "We also send out e-mails at least bi-weekly," he said. "If they're not receiving it, then it's a problem on our side."

Newly-appointed Junior Class Senator Dana Etkowicz plans to reach out more to her constituents, and has already sent out an e-mail. "It's hard because we keep putting ourselves out there," she said. Regarding criticism over passing only one bill last semester. "We're not like the U.S. Congress that gets things done through bills. We work through the University and with the students. Bills do only so much," Etkowicz said. She believes most of the negative feelings toward the SGA stem from Troy's impeachment last year.

Overall, most of the senators agree that students simply do not recognize the things they do behind closed doors and at University committee meetings. "A lot of the things we do, people don't recognize, like getting the heating fixed," Emdur said.

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