This morning the Student As-sembly took time out from its busy schedule to drop a note in my HB and let me know what they have been up to. As I look at the five "projects completed by this year's SA" there is a clear demarcation between projects that have made a positive impact on my life and those that were rather worthless.
The Assembly seems to be perfectly competent at accomplishing tasks that require intense amounts time and money but little in the way of thought.
Computers that serve as BlitzMail terminals in the Hop and the gym are the perfect example. Projects such as these require legwork - talking to people in charge, making arrangements, obtaining a computer. While this probably involves a lot of work, it requires nothing in the way of intellectual ability. The availability of public computers is not the sort of issue that is going to have Nicole Artzer standing on a chair proclaiming, "Students and BlitzMail, now and forever, one and inseparable."
Unfortunately, the Assembly does not always constrain itself to issues that require low brain wattage. Two years ago the SA tried to tackle issues as complex as initiatives in other states to restrict the civil rights of homosexuals. This year, amidst an atmosphere of change, the Assembly once again approached an issue that was beyond their intellectual grasp: the controversy over the Greek system at the College.
In a fine display of mental incompetence the SA posed a referendum that was written like a bad true/false question. To answer false was to say something so extreme that one was almost forced to say "Yes, I support the continued existence of [some] single sex fraternities and sororities at Dartmouth."
I am not questioning the mental capacity of any individual Student Assembly member, or of the SA leadership. There is plenty of evidence that the Assembly contains some of Dartmouth's brightest scholars.
The problem comes when they try to play make-believe government on issues that are rather complex; their combined intellect proves to be substantially less than the sum of their parts.
The Assembly would have plenty to do if it concentrated on projects that simply require a dedication to helping students and the energy to get things done. For instance, working again for more public BlitzMail terminals, still needed. The current terminals are frequently jammed by students who live off campus. Sometimes I am standing behind these students at 5:50 p.m., just wanting to see if my friends are meeting me for dinner. Meanwhile, the student in front of me has received 50 new blitzes since checking his mail.
There is, perhaps, a reason for the existence of the Student Assembly. The reason is not to provide a forum for would be politicians to play make-believe government, form make-believe parties such as "Reform SA!" and then attempt to debate serious and complex issues.
If the Student Assembly does have a purpose it lies in the contributions it makes to student life. The strength of the SA lies in its ability to obtain for students those things that any individual student cannot obtain for himself. If, however, the Assembly insists on playing make-believe government, it should be assigned a budget of make-believe money.
