Letters to the Editor
Issue date: 4/15/09 Section: Opinion
Many student votes weren't represented in ASG election
Response: "Around 400 students unable to vote in ASG elections," by Bailey McBride
First off, I would like to congratulate all of the winning candidates and wish them the best of luck in their respective offices.
However, I also feel that the student body has the right to know the details of the election beyond simply the winners and losers.
The Associated Student Government was created to serve as the voice for student opinion to the administration.
The primary way for opinions to be expressed in a democratic system such as the ASG is obviously through elections; this year, more than 400 opinions were not able to be expressed - 446, specifically.
While confirming the elections, the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement and the Elections Committee discovered that 446 students, or around 14 percent of potential voters, had attempted to log on to vote.uark.edu to cast a ballot but were unable to do so.
Multiple individuals in charge of the ASG elections and computing services knew of the computer glitch early on during the elections but did nothing to fix the problem, other than to offer paper ballots in the Union.
Of these 446 students, 114 took the time to cast a paper ballot; however, the remaining 332 did not and were therefore excluded from voicing their opinion as students.
As a candidate for the ASG treasurer position who came up only 209 votes short, I decided not to contest the election, although I had every right to do so.
Secretary candidate Erica Harmon, who came up only 74 votes short, came to the same decision.
To us, contesting the elections just for the purpose of possibly winning was not worth undermining the efforts of the ASG and the Elections Committee; however, I still believe that the student body should know that they were not fully represented in this year's elections.
Despite the outcome, we will continue to work hard for this great university and to increase the quality of student life here on campus. If you would like to work with me to ensure that every voice is heard in next year's election or have any other ideas regarding the ASG, please contact me via e-mail or Facebook. I would love to hear from you.
Once again, congratulations to Mattie Bookhout, Andrew LeNarz, David Brophey, Geoff Storm and Tammy Lippert, your '09-'10 ASG executives.
Jody Bland
Sophomore
International economics/finance
Questions for Bush should've been spontaneous
I was deeply disappointed after I read in the April 12 edition of the Northwest Arkansas Times an article regarding the visit of former President George H. W. Bush (please read "The $100,000 man").
I am aware that "celebrities" make a handsome living off of speeches given to different audiences, so the fee of $100,000 did not surprise me.
I think that bringing a personality like President Bush to campus should enrich students' lives, and the student fee is for that purpose.
My disappointment came when I read that President Bush answered questions that were pre-selected. I am sure that President Bush can handle one or two questions about the younger President Bush.
Why did the committee accept those terms?
I believe that spending $100,000 of funds collected through student fees (and not provided by a rich donor) on a speaker who does not answer any question presented to her/him by the public is simply very wrong and against the purpose of the Distinguished Lecture Series.
Where is the benefit to the students?
I wish that the university would implement a rule that if a speaker, no matter how famous she/he is, places conditions on the speech, the Distinguished Lecture Committee would simply say, "Madam/Sir, thank you, but not this time."
Juan Carlos Balda
Professor
Electrical engineering
Response: "Around 400 students unable to vote in ASG elections," by Bailey McBride
First off, I would like to congratulate all of the winning candidates and wish them the best of luck in their respective offices.
However, I also feel that the student body has the right to know the details of the election beyond simply the winners and losers.
The Associated Student Government was created to serve as the voice for student opinion to the administration.
The primary way for opinions to be expressed in a democratic system such as the ASG is obviously through elections; this year, more than 400 opinions were not able to be expressed - 446, specifically.
While confirming the elections, the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement and the Elections Committee discovered that 446 students, or around 14 percent of potential voters, had attempted to log on to vote.uark.edu to cast a ballot but were unable to do so.
Multiple individuals in charge of the ASG elections and computing services knew of the computer glitch early on during the elections but did nothing to fix the problem, other than to offer paper ballots in the Union.
Of these 446 students, 114 took the time to cast a paper ballot; however, the remaining 332 did not and were therefore excluded from voicing their opinion as students.
As a candidate for the ASG treasurer position who came up only 209 votes short, I decided not to contest the election, although I had every right to do so.
Secretary candidate Erica Harmon, who came up only 74 votes short, came to the same decision.
To us, contesting the elections just for the purpose of possibly winning was not worth undermining the efforts of the ASG and the Elections Committee; however, I still believe that the student body should know that they were not fully represented in this year's elections.
Despite the outcome, we will continue to work hard for this great university and to increase the quality of student life here on campus. If you would like to work with me to ensure that every voice is heard in next year's election or have any other ideas regarding the ASG, please contact me via e-mail or Facebook. I would love to hear from you.
Once again, congratulations to Mattie Bookhout, Andrew LeNarz, David Brophey, Geoff Storm and Tammy Lippert, your '09-'10 ASG executives.
Jody Bland
Sophomore
International economics/finance
Questions for Bush should've been spontaneous
I was deeply disappointed after I read in the April 12 edition of the Northwest Arkansas Times an article regarding the visit of former President George H. W. Bush (please read "The $100,000 man").
I am aware that "celebrities" make a handsome living off of speeches given to different audiences, so the fee of $100,000 did not surprise me.
I think that bringing a personality like President Bush to campus should enrich students' lives, and the student fee is for that purpose.
My disappointment came when I read that President Bush answered questions that were pre-selected. I am sure that President Bush can handle one or two questions about the younger President Bush.
Why did the committee accept those terms?
I believe that spending $100,000 of funds collected through student fees (and not provided by a rich donor) on a speaker who does not answer any question presented to her/him by the public is simply very wrong and against the purpose of the Distinguished Lecture Series.
Where is the benefit to the students?
I wish that the university would implement a rule that if a speaker, no matter how famous she/he is, places conditions on the speech, the Distinguished Lecture Committee would simply say, "Madam/Sir, thank you, but not this time."
Juan Carlos Balda
Professor
Electrical engineering
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