The terms “playing house” and “I’m on GSB” have become interchangeable.

In the results of a Government of the Student Body survey circulated to students on campus, approximately 50 percent of 1,000 respondents indicated they “really don’t know much about GSB.”

This isn’t a surprise to GSB, who has conducted informal, less accurate surveys in the past and has routinely launched informational campaigns around this time of year to rouse student interest and participation within student government.

Wednesday’s letters to the editor page included two letters from GSB representatives explaining the “many gains” GSB has been making this year for all ISU students, detailing past and current projects the body has concerned itself with.

In one letter, GSB President Angela Groh stated, “The Government of the Student Body has been working actively to represent students and make a difference.”

In a separate letter, Debra Lauterbach, GSB director for information technology, said GSB has been “working on many projects” that get overlooked, as they’re “often done behind the scene.”

This is all well and good, especially for Groh. Seventy-six percent of those surveyed know who she is, yet roughly the same percentage – 73 percent – have no idea who their GSB senators are.

And the reason for this is disturbing.

In a separate internal survey circulated among all GSB members, the median number of hours spent doing GSB-related activities was 3.5 hours. Keep in mind GSB has a weekly senate meeting that last 2 to 3 hours, which more than half of its members attend.

Students spend more time on average with a three-credit class each week than GSB members spend on student issues.

Even more concerning is the time senators dedicate to meeting with their constituents. A little more than 27 percent meet with the students they represent every week. The rest, however, report they meet with students every other week or less – 22 percent report once a month and 11 percent report “hardly ever.”

It’s commendable that GSB saw the need to take a critical look at itself and then took the initiative to follow through, but we’re disappointed by the way it has responded to this knowledge.

Comments from Groh and other GSB members this week such as “run for GSB office if you’re unsatisfied” highlights the body’s fundamental inability to change and properly perform its role on campus. The attitude of “get involved, or don’t complain” only serves to further perpetuate the problem and students’ growing frustration with GSB.

As indicated in the survey, students are uniformly expressing their displeasure with GSB in a clear and succinct message: “We want to meet you.” That sentiment popped up on Wednesday’s letters page, too, when ISU Dining employees Allison Wright and Rosa Avelar noted Groh’s failure to attend ISU Dining privatization evaluation committee meetings (of which she is a member) and to respond to e-mails on the subject.

Students are asking their leaders to do a better job publicizing initiatives and projects through person-to-person communication. But, of its own volition, GSB has preferred to concern itself with “padding resumes” or “playing house” over meeting with students and addressing their concerns.

It’s not surprising the most common response about GSB from the students surveyed was: “There’s too much talk and not enough action.”

If things are getting done, great – but don’t wait until less than a month before the next election to tell us things are happening “in the background.”

You can’t fool us – we know there’s no meat loaf in that Playskool oven.