Staff Editorial
SGA's representation, communication falls short
Issue date: 5/6/09 Section: Opinion
Just like in real government, here at Bakersfield College, it is important to know who represents you. Student Government Association officers were elected last spring to do just that: represent BC students. The Renegade Rip editorial board feels it is necessary to evaluate these officials and the job that they have done this past school year. We feel there are many places where SGA has done wrong by the students it represents.
The SGA claims they are available for all BC students, and that anyone can drop by their offices to talk to them. We have seen firsthand, time and time again, how untrue this is. The SGA has refused to talk to The Renegade Rip for many articles this semester, even when they were the best source for the articles. This refusal may or may not be due to an article printed in The Renegade Rip last semester about three SGA officers being kicked out of a conference and then SGA itself because of drinking alcohol at said conference.
Regardless of any hard feelings over the article, the SGA is not only refusing to talk to us as a newspaper but also as students. We are students just like everyone else, and, supposedly, we are invited to come talk to our elected officials about any problems or upcoming events. Two Rip staff members even had a meeting with SGA to discuss their avoidance. No good came of this meeting.
What SGA apparently fails to realize is that if they don't talk to The Renegade Rip, no one on campus is going to know what the SGA is up to, which, as will be mentioned later, isn't much. The Renegade Rip provides BC students with information on what the SGA is doing. When they refuse to talk to us, they are essentially refusing to talk to the entire student body.
Spring Fling this year was a joke. SGA gave us a DJ and bands that hardly anyone listened to, a teacup ride that very few people rode (maybe because of the waiver they had to sign to ride?) and some nonsensical "caterpillar decoration" in the Campus Center that served zero purpose. For all this, the SGA spent $9,000, including $3,800 for the teacup ride alone. Throughout all this, SGA was nowhere to be seen. Apparently even they did not enjoy the "festivities" of Spring Fling. The Delano Campus SGA, on the other hand, did a lot more with a lot less funds. They had a cakewalk, a chess tournament, an inflatable boxing ring, a dunk tank and even a pie-a-teacher event and all with $2,500. BC's homecoming activities last semester were equally ridiculous. The standout event was the expensive tent where a movie was shown. SGA claimed to not know how many students utilized the tent. Maybe there were so few students that SGA was embarrassed by the turnout.
The SGA claims they are available for all BC students, and that anyone can drop by their offices to talk to them. We have seen firsthand, time and time again, how untrue this is. The SGA has refused to talk to The Renegade Rip for many articles this semester, even when they were the best source for the articles. This refusal may or may not be due to an article printed in The Renegade Rip last semester about three SGA officers being kicked out of a conference and then SGA itself because of drinking alcohol at said conference.
Regardless of any hard feelings over the article, the SGA is not only refusing to talk to us as a newspaper but also as students. We are students just like everyone else, and, supposedly, we are invited to come talk to our elected officials about any problems or upcoming events. Two Rip staff members even had a meeting with SGA to discuss their avoidance. No good came of this meeting.
What SGA apparently fails to realize is that if they don't talk to The Renegade Rip, no one on campus is going to know what the SGA is up to, which, as will be mentioned later, isn't much. The Renegade Rip provides BC students with information on what the SGA is doing. When they refuse to talk to us, they are essentially refusing to talk to the entire student body.
Spring Fling this year was a joke. SGA gave us a DJ and bands that hardly anyone listened to, a teacup ride that very few people rode (maybe because of the waiver they had to sign to ride?) and some nonsensical "caterpillar decoration" in the Campus Center that served zero purpose. For all this, the SGA spent $9,000, including $3,800 for the teacup ride alone. Throughout all this, SGA was nowhere to be seen. Apparently even they did not enjoy the "festivities" of Spring Fling. The Delano Campus SGA, on the other hand, did a lot more with a lot less funds. They had a cakewalk, a chess tournament, an inflatable boxing ring, a dunk tank and even a pie-a-teacher event and all with $2,500. BC's homecoming activities last semester were equally ridiculous. The standout event was the expensive tent where a movie was shown. SGA claimed to not know how many students utilized the tent. Maybe there were so few students that SGA was embarrassed by the turnout.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
John Ornelas
posted 5/06/09 @ 11:24 PM PST
oh, you.
Elka Desjardins (Wyatt)
posted 5/23/09 @ 12:01 AM PST
Homecoming was also a dud. What the hell were they thinking renting that huge tent for the movies that no one gave a rats tail about, and what was up with the stupid chalk on the sidewalk?
When I interviewed the person in charge of these poorly planned festivities, she gave me a list of all the things that were to be going on. (Continued…)
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