I was appalled to witness such a gross display of negligence at the GSB meeting on Wednesday night (Apr. 23). With political agendas running so insanely rampant, it amazes me that they can ever get anything done. Oh, wait a minute … usually they don’t. Pardon my old-fashioned politics, but where I’m from a political representative is just that: REPRESENTATIVE! When an important issue comes before your political body, you take that issue back to your constituents and you ASK THEM WHAT THEY THINK! Then you go back to the Senate (which is the whole purpose behind having two reads for each bill), and you vote AS YOUR CONSTITUENTS TOLD YOU TO!!! You absolutely do NOT vote based on what your friends in the Senate are doing, fraternal brotherhood or not.

I saw two things that night, some of the best political maneuvering and some of the worst representation I have ever seen. I am referring to the appointment and summary rejection of Jeremy Williams for GSB finance director. It was brought to light by senators Pogge and White that both the Engineering College Council and the LAS College Council approved of Mr. Williams’ appointment. Why, then, did LAS senators Hattan and Kjergaard and engineering senator Nickell vote against this appointment? Senators, speaking as a member of the engineering college, if we wanted representation like that we would still be an English colony.

The vote that evening was about whether Mr. Williams was qualified to be the finance director of GSB. The answer to that, senators, is a resounding yes. If you had read the bill, or even listened to the reading, you would know that. Also, the entire Senate passed by unanimous consent EVERY OTHER appointment that President Wiese and Vice-President McLaren made, every appointment except their choice for finance director. On the finance director vote, the Senate became factioned. Those who voted against Mr. Williams’ appointment did so not because of any disagreement over his qualifications or the quality of his appointment. They did so because they were holding out, backing another horse, so to speak.

The problem is this: As soon as the bill calling for Mr. Williams’ appointment was on the floor, their horse was no longer in the race! Essentially they weren’t voting against Mr. Williams; they were voting for someone who was not appointed. Why, if they found no fault with any of the other appointments, did they find fault with Mr. Williams? Two words: political agendas. It was a sad day for me to finally experience our governmental body and find it so wanting.

Not that I was entirely displeased. Some senators performed quite admirably, representing the student body with arguments that were well thought-out and well presented. The only problem: Not many were listening. Most were listening to their friends’ ideas and plans of action. Some will say senators represent the student body as a whole, not just those who gave them their seats. To these people I say this: Jeremy Williams was and is the best, most qualified and most hardworking person I know, and it is ISU’s loss that you cannot put aside your friendships and your political agendas for the sake of a nonpartisan vote.

Until the day when GSB represents the student body, hence the name, and not themselves, not to name any names *COUhamiltonGH* *AAAHHnickellCCHHOO*, it will be an ineffective organization and will just be dead weight, dragging the student body under the muck it creates. Hats off to senators Pogge, White, McGriff, Wisher and Hamill-Wilson. Keep up the good work and continue the fight to clean up the GSB. To the rest of you, I am saddened and disappointed by a lot of your performances at the first meeting of the 1997 session. You know who you are.

Eric Anderson

Junior

Computer Engineering