Although we often criticize the Government of the Student Body, seldom do we see a member of GSB, in his or her official capacity, so completely, abjectly waste students’ time with a petty distraction as President Jared Knight’s issuance of an executive order on Jan. 28.

At that time, in what seems like a joke, he wrote that the vice-speaker of the GSB Senate “assume the duties of Sergeant-at-Arms and Commander of the Secret Service of the Government of the Student Body.” He would “enforce Government Policy at official meetings and … [have] the authority to provisionally hold members found in violation of that policy with malfeasance, nonfeasance, or malfeasance of duty, subject to Rules Committee action.” 

The secret service of the Sergeant-at-Arms would “provide for the protection of the President and Vice President and shall execute any covert missions to which they are assigned by Executive decree.”

In another executive order, sent Tuesday morning, Knight modified the provisions of the original. The Sergeant-at-Arms would have the same powers at meetings, but instead of having a secret service at his or her disposal, would “select subsidiary Sergeants-at-Arms, subject to the approval of the President, who shall assist in the enforcement of Government Policy and fulfill all duties in the absence of the Chief Sergeant.”

In the second order, Knight noted a reason for creating a Sergeant-at-Arms position. “The Sergeant-at-Arms is a crucial role for any body operating under parliamentary rules of procedure, and both procedural tradition and Government Law demand the existence of these positions.”

The job of a Sergeant-at-Arms, basically, is to maintain order. Sergeants-at-Arms are the people who forcefully remove unruly members or gallery members. Aside from the immensely vague allusions to “procedural tradition” and “Government Law” (which government, and which laws, we have no idea), the GSB Senate has no need of such personnel. Never in memory has anyone made a commotion and disrupted the proceedings.

Such executive orders, and acceptance of them by the Senate, suggests playing at government more than actually working to improve student life. Instead of improving their image by undertaking projects that benefit their constituencies, they apparently are content to create and take offices that have only the appearance of making them the equal of the state legislature or Congress rather than doing the work that would make them just as important to students.

Indeed, members of GSB are content to display the dignity of their office through adopting unnecessary and empty titles, but not by adopting, say, a dress code.

If the members of GSB want more respect and credibility, they can have it — by working well, not frivolously. Respectable is as respectable does.

In a few weeks, students have an opportunity to vote for new members of the GSB Senate and a new president and vice president. They have an opportunity to choose officers of the all-inclusive club that is GSB who will take action rather than wasting their time.