Task force must dig deep for solutions

The SGA’s mandate was to name one student from their ranks of each class and one student to represent the SGA cabinet. Vice President Sam Bryson-Brockman (’11) chose himself to represent the cabinet, three senators to represent the freshman, sophomore and junior classes, but the senior seat remains empty. We object to the inclusion of so many members of the SGA’s irrelevant echo chamber. Why ask the SGA to waste its nomination on a socially narrow selection? They should have been used as a resource to find a diverse group of students. The president should not have relied on faculty and administrators only to recommend non-SGA members for the task force.

And how is it possible that they could not find one single member of the senior class interested in sitting on the task force?

Despite our concerns about the deck being stacked with SGA senators, we recognize that a working group devoted to creating a list of recommendations will help build a healthier Drew community that is necessary for our community. Currently our community is hurting from a number of issues, including an absence of alternatives to partying on weekends, the poor attendance at student- and faculty-run events and the general lack of community feeling among Drew students. The committee needs to dig deep to find answers. 

We need research and role models from other schools to fight apathy and negativity. We also need to realize that this problem is not only present at Drew, but a common problem at universities nationwide. The committee has its work cut out to turn this small campus into a tight-knit community.