The 2002-2003 Government of the Student Body Senate has suffered complaints in regards to their lack of action. Some blame it on the lack of experience in the Senate this year, but their inaction has only furthered GSB’s problems with apathy. Further perpetuating the student indifference to GSB are the Senate elections for the 2003-2004 fiscal year.

Next year, 35 seats are appropriated to the legislative branch. These seats are based upon residence and college. Seats are appropriated so that one senator represents 1,500 students.

Pathetic is the word that comes to mind when reviewing the list of candidates — not the candidates themselves, but rather the number of them listed. Only 21 students are slated as running, 14 shy of the actual number of seats next year.

This creates a serious problem for the legitimacy of the Senate. For five colleges — Design, Education, Family & Consumer Science, Graduate and Veterinary Medicine — not a single nominee is listed. The same is true for the residence areas of Union Drive Association and University Student Apartment Community.

More alarming than the lack of representation is the complication that not a single seat is contested. The Colleges of Liberal Arts & Sciences, for instance, has four students running for the Senate, but four seats are allocated to the college. The same holds true for the College of Engineering, in which three students are running for three seats. For Off-Campus seats, only three people are listed for the 11 seats.

Not only are none of the seats contested, but there is also a shortage of experience returning to the Senate, the same problem that plagued it this year. Of the 21 students running for Senate positions, only seven are currently Senate members. Although write-ins may seat a person who has served before, these seven candidates represent only one-fifth of next year’s legislative make-up.

What can be done to reverse the declining reputation of the GSB Senate? How about disbanding them? Why don’t we simply abolish our ineffective Senate?

GSB executives presented a less radical alternative, but were overruled by a substantial majority. They suggested that the size of the Senate be decreased so that each senator represents 2,000 students. This would institute more competition among the senators by creating more contested seats and a more accountable body. The order to put this referendum on the ballot for next year’s election failed at the Feb. 19 Senate meeting, by a 7 — 20 vote. Of the seven GSB members who signed on to the bill, only three were senators.

The Senate is not taking any strides to right their lack of representation to the students. If any student feels they have what it takes to change student apathy, write yourself in and have your friends write you in as well. After all, you have a good chance of getting a seat.

Editorial Board: Cavan Reagan, Amber Billings, Ayrel Clark, Charlie Weaver, Katie List