The story of Mary Jean Price was never forgotten, but failed to receive much attention over the years.

Dare To Excel, a promotional publication that reviews the history of the Missouri State University, mentions Price as the first African American applicant to Missouri State – and her rejection – but fails to detail the situation.

In light of the resurgence of interest in her story, students are surprised to learn about this forgotten part of the school’s history.

“She really needs to be brought to the limelight instead of being brushed off into history,” said Jeremy Fain, a member of the Delta Tau Christian fraternity. As far as recognizing the past, he said the school should at least do something to acknowledge her, because we all make mistakes. Still, he wonders, “Should we be responsible for the wrongs of the previous generation?”

But Terry Walls, son of Price, is very insistent on the need for reconciliation.

“If this is what we’re learning, we need to start re-learning,” he said. “It’s a sad commentary this type of apathy exists in 2010. You can’t rectify what you don’t recognize.”

Other students agree as well. Nursing student Stephanie Neuman suggested the school at least say something, maybe apologize outright.

Since the renewed interest in Mary Jean Price, Missouri State officials are still trying to figure out how to deal with this issue.

“Several individuals at the university have seen this story and found it historically interesting and personally inspiring,” Chief of Staff and Assistant to the President Paul Kincaid said in an emailed statement. “The university is still determining an appropriate response.”

Wes Pratt, Coordinator for Diversity Outreach and Recruitment, emailed that, “the best apology for any racial transgressions of the past” was to continue to improve diversity and provide and increase opportunities for all students at Missouri State.

Although diversity on campus has increased 36 percent in the last two years, African American students still only constitute about three percent of the student body.

And despite the assurances of university officials, Walls remains unimpressed.

When he found the letter, he says he was holding a piece of history, which was “no longer a mystery,” forgotten in the years of neglect.

“We have to learn from the past,” he said. “More things change, more things remain the same.”

His concern is that the mindset and apathy towards the issue perpetuate themselves for future generations. To hear students on campus say they have never heard of this story and see how racism continues to be an issue today brings legitimacy to his worry.

“An injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere,” Walls said, citing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

To know that injustices have occurred is only half of his concern.

He believes Missouri State must come forward on the issue publicly to bring closure to the issue.

Depending on a students course load, the costs can range from a few hundred dollars to well over a thousand.

But what if it did not have to be that way?

The technology exists now to do away with costly textbooks altogether.

Some textbook publishers already provide online e-text versions of their books for interested students, but even these only offer a marginal reduction on the price of a printed text when accounting for the fact that a student cannot sell the e-text back to the bookstore at the end of the semester.

No, current pricey e-texts are not the answer to this problem.

Instead, we advocate Missouri State to spearhead the creation of free, peer-reviewed professional e-textbooks on a multitude of academic subjects.

The software behind the popular online encyclopedia Wikipedia can make this happen. The free, open-source software allows multiple-users to work collaboratively on a project, writing and editing each other’s work.

It saves the changes made by each person in the editing process, allowing writes, rewrites, revisions, and reverts.

Unlike Wikipedia, though, these projects could only be edited by authorized users, which would include professors and select student assistants.

Working under the guidance of professors, these graduate students could write basic content or edit copy in exchange for class credit.

Why would professors work to create a free e-text, you ask?

Well, they have no reason to do so right now, but that can change with the stroke of a pen.

Professors need incentives to work on this project. Contributing to a print textbook provides both financial royalties to the professor and also is factored into tenure and advancement decisions.

Since the e-texts would be free, providing royalties would be impossible; however, the university could easily create job-related rewards for professors who contribute to free e-textbooks.

Better yet, the university could require professors to work on this project as part of their jobs and utilize the books in their classes.

With the professors on board with this project, creation of these e-texts could begin.

The initial technical setup for the project involving the Wiki online software would be minimal.

Writing, editing, and organizing these free e-texts would take a great deal of time.

Professors and graduate students could work from the ground up to create textbooks for hopefully all university classes eventually.

The great thing is that once the ground work has been set, revising and updating these e-texts would be simple, easy and instant.

Each year, professors can take the latest updates they have made and create a new edition for students. Perhaps even an at-cost print edition could be made for students who dislike e-reading.

Most of all, these e-texts would eliminate a college cost barrier, allowing more people to seek a higher education at Missouri State.

- Zach Becker

For the Editorial Board

Harmless relaxation? Or addiction?

While classifying video games as an addiction might have seemed unimaginable twenty years ago, what started out as harmless fun may be interfering with the daily lives of people across the country.

Brothers Mike and Steve can attest to the addictive power of gaming.

“A year of my life is gone,” Mike said, describing how he has trouble remembering what happened outside the game world during 2007, when he played 25 to 30 hours just on weekends. “I know how, but I don’t really remember why I did those things. That’s what’s scary.

“It’s weird, it’s like everything I value, my family and friends, just disappeared.”

The brothers spoke on condition of anonymity (the names Mike and Steve are pseudonyms) because of the embarrassing nature of their problem. Mike attends Missouri State, while Steve just started at Ozarks Technical Community College.

Both men said they play more video games than they should. Steve play games nine hours on his days off from work and a couple of hours on work days as well. Mike said he has cut down slightly from his gaming peak and now spends closer to 20 hours a week playing.

Both spoke of the sense of achievement they felt from playing video games, even while acknowledging it was all virtual. “I love the teamwork aspect,” Mike said, “how everyone has a job to do and we all rely on each other to get things done.”

Steve likes how games are always available. “Doesn’t matter what time it is, you can always play,” he said. “It’s easy; it’s a good way to fill time.”

Behaviors like these impact college students all over the country. According to the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment, 10.8 percent of students reported internet use or computer games had a negative impact on their academic performance, compared to 11.2 percent for depression and 4 percent for alcohol use. One-fifth of students reported sleep difficulties, some of which could be caused by late nights of gaming or internet use.

“I’ll get home from work at eleven,” Steve said, “and I’ll be like, ‘I’m only going to play for an hour,’ and suddenly it’s three in the morning.”

“It’s not that I put off this or that specific thing to play,” Mike said, “but I’ll be so tired the next day that I won’t do as much as I want to or need to.”

Dorothy Warner, in Current Psychiatry, wrote video games facilitate, “the experience of ‘flow’ — a mental state of positive energy and effortless focus.” She compares it to the sensation reported by athletes and artists, including how time seems to become distorted.

Liz Woolley is the founder of On-Line Gamers Anonymous, whose website, www.olganon.org, supports an online community helping people recover from the problems caused by excessive game playing. She believes warnings about excessive gaming should get equal time in university programs with warnings to students about drug and alcohol abuse.

“The gaming companies spend millions of dollars a year on ‘research’ to try to figure out how to keep the gamer,” Woolley said. “Supposedly, (video games) are better than drugs or alcohol (for students), but I don’t think so.”

The OLGA website offers a list of over 40 questions people can use to assess their relationship with gaming. Some of the questions in this self assessment describe symptoms commonly associated with alcoholism, such as, “Do you try to hide how long you’ve been gaming?” and “Have you missed work/school because of your game playing?” It’s offered as a guide, not a diagnostic tool, with the website telling visitors, “You must determine if you think excessive gaming is a problem.”

Whether excessive gaming amounts to addiction is still an open question. As reported in Current Psychiatry, the American Medical Association determined last June that insufficient evidence existed to declare gaming as an addiction. The report said the American Psychological Association may consider adding gaming or internet addiction to its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-V, due to be published in 2012.

Woolley supports the addition of a gaming diagnosis to call more attention to the problem, but she doesn’t like the word “addiction.”

“Some people call it excessive gaming, others say obsessive, others say compulsive, others use gaming addiction,” Woolley said. “We tell a person if they think they have a problem with excessive gaming, they probably do.”

Woolley also urges more research to be done on the effects of excessive play on the brain. “I have seen day after day the effects excessive gaming can have on a person’s life,” she said. “It is very sad.”

Dr. Doug Greiner, Director of the Counseling and Testing Center at MSU, also shies away from the word “addiction” in connection with gaming. He describes addiction as involving chemical and biological changes in the brain, as well as social and behavioral effects. Dr. Greiner said behaviors like obsessive, uncontrollable thinking about gaming are symptoms he doesn’t see often.

“Usually, behaviors like these are symptomatic of avoiding other activities, like going to class or going out with friends,” he said. In this way, excessive gaming or internet use can mask deeper problems such as social phobias, depression, or other addictions.

Steve acknowledged, since he has moved back from Kansas City, he plays games more and goes out drinking less. “Now that I’m back here,” he said, “I don’t really know anyone anymore and playing video games really fills the time where I used to be partying a lot.”

Steve’s experience of adjusting to a new social setting mirrors that of many college freshmen. Woolley said freshmen are more vulnerable to excessive, habitual playing. “This may be their first time away from home,” she said, “They may feel overwhelmed with life as an adult. They may be failing some classes. An easy escape is gaming.”

Dr. Greiner said that freshmen do typically go through an adjustment period, but they are not any more at risk than other students. “You usually see, as time goes on, freshmen getting more involved with classes and with activities at the dorm and so on,” he said, “and so I would say anyone is at risk.”

“Anybody can get pulled too far into it because it’s not something they ever think they have to be careful about,” said Peter Mastroianni, Health-Education Coordinator of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, to The Chronicle of Higher Education. “They know about the risks of drugs and sex, but who ever thinks they have to approach a computer carefully? Their guards are down.”

Dr. Greiner said this kind of problem develops slowly over time. Students may notice more and more preoccupation with the game or the internet, manifesting in avoiding commitments, cutting class, or missing assignments. He said a particular warning sign would be spending extraordinary amounts of money on your habit and borrowing or even stealing to support it.

Dr. Greiner also suggested using common sense. “We’ve all been there,” Grenier said, “where we look up something on the internet and ten minutes later we look up and say, ‘How did I get to this site?’”

Woolley said to remember to not let any one thing dominate your time. “We promote balance in a person’s life,” she said. “Do all things in moderation.”

The Counseling and Testing Center at MSU has counselors experienced in dealing with gaming and internet compulsion. Students seeking help with these or other issues can visit their offices at Carrington Hall, Room 311, or call them at 836-5116. The Center also encourages students whose friends may be showing signs of trouble to contact them for a consultation about the best way to help.

The OLGA website, www.olganon.org, has many active forums for gamers or friends and family of gamers dealing with the fallout from excessive gaming problems. They also host live weekly chats and can help find face-to-face counselors. These services are free and anonymous.

“When I was at my worst, I was deep in denial about it,” Mike said. “I would keep making plans to cut back and control it, but they never worked.” The futility of these efforts, Mike said, lead him to see the extent of the problem and begin to make real changes.

Mike plans to go “cold turkey” from games this semester, taking it as far as deleting Minesweeper and Solitaire from his computer. Steve said once he gets into school, he’ll be able to put down the games and focus on studies. Neither one ruled out seeing a counselor if gaming continues to be a problem.

Read the complete interview with Liz Woolley.

We have a suggestion; leave the car parked at home or at the dorms and ride a bike instead.

Simple, convenient, and non-polluting, it will not cost you a dime in gas money. Plus, you can tone those leg muscles.

Almost half of the trips people make in a city like Springfield are three miles or less, so why not ride a bike instead of driving a car?

Bicycles are not just for little kids or skinny men in spandex suits Riding a bike can be fun, yes, but it is also an extremely effective way of getting where you need to go.

Live a mile or two from campus and heading to class? Forget fighting for parking; ride a bike.

Going downtown for a good time with some friends? Forget about getting a ticket for accidentally parking in a poorly-labeled bus zone and ride a bike.

MSU is ideally located close to the urban center.

Bicyclists enjoy the many bike routes Springfield offers. Also, the local streets are wide enough to accommodate cyclists and drivers.

Uncomfortable riding in heavy traffic? Scope out the side streets instead.

On that note, riders should be aware of the correct way to ride in and with traffic, for their own safety.

Dr. Andrew Cline, journalism professor at Missouri State, also writes Carbon Trace, a blog about cycling in Springfield.

Two things people should know, he says, is that first, riding a bike for basic transport is easy. Second, you belong on the road.

This may seem confusing, because most people learn to ride a bike during their childhood. Riding into traffic is something parents generally frown on.

As Dr. Cline points out, when you come to college, you are an adult, and cycling is a perfect example of a way to embrace adulthood by riding like an adult.

People riding bicycles have all the same rights and responsibilities as people driving cars.

What does this mean? Riders should have a “car mentality,” meaning you may not be a car, you may not look like a car, but you should act like a car.

This may seem intimidating, but studies also show that cyclists who ride in the street and follow the same traffic rules as drivers (not running red lights, yielding, etc) are far less likely to get in an accident.

Dealing with cars is not as challenging as it may seem. On a bike, riders are able to be more aware of their surroundings and can react to dangers better than a driver cocooned in a car.

While cyclists should be responsible, they should also be alert and ready to respond to the mistakes of drivers.

Some people may have the misconception they need a good bike to start riding full time. Dr. Cline says any bike will do, and “as long as it’s in good repair, cheap bikes are fine.”

Students can find inexpensive bikes at yard sales, thrift stores, and on Craigslist.

Local bike shops like Queen City Cycles, located downtown, can easily provide a tune up that will run you a fraction of the cost of any routine maintenance on a car.

Dr. Cline expects Springfield to be recognized as a “Bicycle Friendly City” by the League of American Bicyclists. This means that the civic government uses methods to encourage and support people who use bikes as transportation.

Using a bike as a way to get around town instead of the car will keep you in shape. As Dr. Cline points out, even the light aerobic exercise of pedaling without busting out high speeds on a bike burns a fair amount of calories.

Second, cycling produces no air pollution (well, except for that foul smell of sweat after a long ride).

More people on the road means more attention towards the needs of cyclists. The most obvious reason to ride is simple; it’s extremely cheap.

A good guide to getting started bicycling instead of driving is Drive Less, Live More, an informational booklet produced by the Sustainable Transportation Committee of the Ozarks.

You can download it as a PDF at Dr. Cline’s blog Carbon Trace, located at http://isocrates.us/bike/. It features a Rules of the Road section, a handy map featuring all the bike lanes and routes in Springfield, and many basics on safety and reasons why cycling is a good idea.

It is a great way to learn how to ride like an adult, ditch the car, and hit the street on a bike.

Remember, cycling can be a great way to get around, whether it’s going somewhere to pick up groceries or heading out for a good time. College is about growing up, and trying new ideas and different habits.

We encourage all Missouri State students to dust of their bicycles and get out and ride.

-Nate Bassett

For the Editorial Board

Greetings, readers.

To all of you, from freshmen to grad students, I’d like to extend to you an invitation to contribute to this publication.

We’d love to add your name to our list of contributors.

As a completely independent student newspaper, we want to comprehensibly cover the MSU campus.

But we need your help, rather it be as an occasional contributor or as a full-fledged staff member.

You don’t need previous experience to contribute, you just need a passion for the product.

We strive to make The Underground a learning environment, a place where you can really build your resume and portfolio.

And it’s a lot of fun to be a part of a dedicated team.

Email us at msu.underground@gmail.com.

by Nate Bassett

Welcome back to school.

You’re probably excited about finding a routine, whether it’s one that you had before, or a whole new one.

Numerous clubs, organizations, and sporting groups would love for you to join their ranks.

After all, college is about more than just getting a degree, it’s an experience.

So, as you’re gearing up to face all of this, and learning what to expect, let me try and give you a different perspective on it.

Let’s face it, most of us are here for one reason: the carrot at the end of the stick. You know, that little piece of paper with your name, followed by initials such as B.A., B.S., M.B.A., or M.R.S. You’ll need one of those initials to get in the door at just about any good job, and those initials can add some extra zeros to that paycheck (especially for the ladies when you get an M.R.S. Dr.)

Unless you’re one of the lucky few who get a full ride scholarship, the debt you’ll incur from even attending a state school such as Missouri State will stick with you for a long, long time.

The hope is that the investment you put into your education will pay off in a way that helps you move up the social ladder, giving you opportunities that are impossible without a degree.

But there’s a flip side. Statistics say several things are working against you. First of all, the gap between the rich and the poor is widening.

Second, studies also show that social mobility has slowed, even halted, in the United States.

And, most troubling, 30 percent of freshmen will either drop or flunk out by the end of the year, and half of the rest of you will never graduate. Few will actually return to college.

So while you’re here, make the most of it. And this doesn’t mean being a total bookworm, although that will help you graduate.

It means doing things that actually matter and help you explore your passions and interests.

After all, you’re paying for it. Be grateful you have the chance to go to college, unlike many people here and abroad.

Here’s a few ideas on how to make the most of this coming year:

1. Take elective courses in things that interest you. Don’t worry about how they relate to your major. Who knows, you might find a field you like much better.

2. Meet lots of people by going to events, joining groups, and getting out of your dorm room and away from the TV or computer.

3. Talk to your professors about the subjects you’re interested in. They can help you figure out what you want to do when you get out of here.

4. Stop eating fast food. If you can afford to eat out, check out the local restaurants. Downtown is actually a really happening place.

5. Ride bikes. Leave your car at home. This will keep you in shape, keep you connected with campus and community, and it’s fun.

6. Go to a protest. Organize a protest. Counter-protest a protest. You never know, you might make a difference.

7. Speak your mind, but even more important, listen to what others have to say.

8. Take this list, tear it out of the paper, and write your own ideas down, too!

College can be an expensive waste of time, or it can be pretty awesome. You decide!

Editor-in-Chief

Mutually assured destruction.

That’s the best way I can sum up why I support the legal right to carry concealed firearms, both on campus and otherwise.

Remember the Cold War? We had two super powers, vying for power and supremacy, both with an arsenal of nuclear warheads capable of destroying the world several times over. What stopped each of them from blowing the other to kingdom come? Mutually assured destruction.

Have you ever seen the classic 1980′s movie war games? The only way to win the game thermonuclear war is not to play the game at all.

It’s pretty simple psychology and is valid at an interpersonal level as well. Really, who is going to rob a store if they think the clerk, as well as the other patrons, may be packing heat? It changes the whole risk-reward equation for a lot of crimes.

Sure, it is always best to call 911 and wait for the police to diffuse a situation, but sometimes that is not possible. Quick action can save lives.

It is well-known that if a person wants a gun, he or she can get one easily through various channels, some legal, some not. If a criminal wants to carry a concealed weapon, no little sign on the door or outside of campus banning the practice of concealed carry is going to deter them. But law-abiding citizens will respect those regulations.

Suddenly, in areas where concealed carry is banned, criminals only have to fear deadly repercussions from other criminals. All the law abiding citizens are now just blanks. So where do you think a criminal is more likely to strike? An area that allows legal concealed carry or one that bans the practice?

A lot of debate has been going on about whether the government should allow concealed firearms at the Missouri State University and other college campuses. Some students argue that allowing deadly weapons on campus will make the school a more dangerous place. But what about the thousands of deadly weapons already here (and out in the open)? Seriously, what is more dangerous than a raved lunatic in a motor vehicle?  Road rage happens. Maybe we should ban cars? Or sharpened pencils (those can hurt)? Really, I’d rather that people not have guns. But we don’t live in a perfect world and I’m a realist.

A drivers license is fairly simple to obtain, but not so with a CCW permit. An individual must be at least 23-years-old, have completed a training program and be fingerprinted at the Sheriff’s office.

Much of the debate has focused on how concealed carry may have stifled a campus massacre like the one at Virginia Tech. While I think it may have made some difference in that situation, these incidents are few and far between. Let’s look at a more likely scenario. Burglary. Assault. Rape. From 2005-to-2007, MSU police reported 144 robberies on campus, 8 cases of aggravated assault and 18 incidents of forcible sex offenses.  Shouldn’t students be allowed to defend themselves?

While I don’t know if I’d carry a gun myself, if my wife was out on campus after dark for classes, I’d feel a heck of a lot safer if she was carrying a concealed weapon. What rapist is going to attack a women if there’s a possibility he gets his dick blown off? If it happens a few times, I bet potential campus rapists might think twice.

Mutually assured destruction. You hurt me and I’ll hurt you. I wish this type of logic wasn’t needed in the world. Maybe someday it won’t. But for now, we should allow concealed carry of weapons in most public places, including campus. It could save lives.

Editor-in-Chief

The message on the signs are clear. Firearms are not allowed on the Missouri State campus, concealed or otherwise.

But will those signs stop a maniacal gunman?

Not according to MSU non-traditional student Andrew Simpson, who believes tragedies like the shooting at Virginia Tech could have been averted had law-abiding students been allowed to carry licensed concealed weapons on campus.

Students are protesting concealed carry bans on campus by wearing an empty holster.

All this week, Simpson and thousands of other students at MSU and around the nation will be protesting bans on concealed weapons on college campuses. But they won’t be carrying signs or shouting on megaphones. Instead, the message will be conveyed simply by wearing an empty holster.

“The empty holsters show that there really is not a whole lot of protection between you and (the assailant),” Simpson said. “Give us equality on campus. If bad guys can have (guns), why not us?”

A determined maniac willing to die in the process of killing others could obtain weapons, including automatic rifles, illegally through black market channels fairly easily, according to Simpson, which is why it is so important that students be allowed to carry concealed weapons to defend themselves. The mere threat of return fire may be enough to scare some assailants away.

According to Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, 11 schools around the country allow concealed carry on campus, and none have reported incidents of gun violence in the several years since it has been allowed.

“Virginia Tech was a disaster,” Simpson said. “We need to do something creative and new (to prevent future disasters).”

Students who wish to know more information about this cause can contact Nelson at (417) 551-1210. He is encouraging other students to participate in the protest by simply wearing an empty holster. Information from Students for Concealed Carry on Campus can be found at www.concealedcampus.org.

Contributor

Pulitzer Prize winning poet Ted Kooser entertained a crowd of MSU students for an event sponsored by the English Department on April 17.

Kooser, also a two-time U.S. Poet Laureate and Stanley Kunitz Prize winner, read several of his most famous works, while also discussing his life and experiences, before a packed crowd in the Plaster Student Union Theater on Friday evening.

With a soft, but resonant voice, Kooser began with a humorous introduction of himself, in which he recalled the story of a young boy who noted Kooser’s resemblence to a hobbit in a picture from the newspaper, before turning to his poems.

His simplistic works have called forth a generation of memories and vivid images that almost any audience could relate to. Among the many poems he read, a few were “Tattoo,” “Father,” “At the Cancer Clinic,” and “Site.”

The depth of his words captured many in the audience and few appeared disinterested. In the hour that he read, he spoke of death, life, the plains and about several people that influenced his own life in one way or another. He visited an era long forgotten by the fast paced world of today.

After the reading, his books Delights in Shadows, The Poetry Home Repair Manual, and Sure Signs were for sale and a book signing took place.

Prior to the reading, Kooser visited several MSU creative writing poetry classes and gave a question and answer session. For many students, the ending of the poem is the most difficult portion to complete, so one student asked him how he finishes his poems so well.

“My endings are not always deliberate,” he said. “The objective is to set it up, confine the reader, squeeze them in, before letting them go at the end.”

Kooser’s poetry is world-renowned for it’s deft and detailed imagery.

“I have always be known to be a descriptive poet,” he said, “and simplicity is key.”

Kooser mentioned throughout the question and answer session and the reading that he prefers not to write in the first person. He said he despised putting himself too much into his own work.

As the Student Government Association transitions into the 2009-2010 session, the new administration would do well to look into record-keeping practices at SGA that are at best suspicious and at worst illegal.

On February 23, The Underground requested SGA budget and attendance records going back to 2005, the year that SGA became wholly funded by student fees.

It took 18 days for SGA to produce this year’s budget, and no explanation for the delay was given outside of being busy.

The attendance information provided for the current year was incomplete, as it didn’t list the names or total number in attendance for many of the meetings.

Courtney Wendell, a junior and SGA’s director of public relations, referred reporters to the SGA archive in Meyer Library to obtain attendance and budget information from previous years. However, there were no recent attendance records on file, and the most recent complete budget in the archive dates back to 1993.

Missouri’s Sunshine Law states that all records of public governmental bodies, with certain explicit exceptions, shall be open to public inspection.

The law also mandates that such bodies appoint a custodian of records, who will respond within three business days in writing to any records request.

It also states that in the minutes of public meetings, a record of members both absent and present will be included.

Currently, SGA minutes do not include information on attendance.

Jon Stubblefield, sophomore and SGA’s sergeant-at-arms, said that sign-in sheets, the method of taking attendance at Senate meetings, are used primarily to track absences and determine if a quorum is present.

“When I first took on the position, I don’t know if I counted everyone in attendance,” Stubblefield said, “but since January I’ve had a numerical count.”

Overall attendance numbers and trends are not collected or reported to anyone.

Additionally, in the Bylaws of the Senate, Article I, Section 2, Paragraph A states that minutes will be available in the Senate office and, “on the SGA website no later than 5 p.m. one day prior to the next meeting.”

The minutes from February 17, 24 and from March 3 were not posted on the website until March 13.
As of press time, minutes from SGA meetings since March 3 are not on the website.

Far from a small matter, Article IV, Section 9, Paragraph D of the SGA Constitution states that SGA officers are subject to impeachment by the Senate for, “failure to uphold this constitution and its bylaws.”

SGA does not have a custodian of records position, but Ashley Hoyer, junior and SGA’s chief of staff, said that she is in charge of keeping records and uploading minutes to the website.

SGA has no equivalent to an inspector general or government accountability office, according to Hoyer.

“Our Senate is our accountability office,” she said. However, in the SGA Constitution, the Senate is not given the power to conduct investigations, compel witnesses, or audit records.

Without a complete record, nor a clear charge of responsibility for checking and auditing records, accountability becomes impossible.

For example, Wendell said there were significant decreases in the amount of payroll taken by the cabinet in the past couple of years.

“I’ve only taken six hours (of payroll) this semester. Whitney (Paul) works entirely for free,” Wendell said.

As of December 2008, salaries in the current budget accounted for 40 cents of the one dollar charge each student pays to support SGA. This is roughly in line with the amount spent in 1993 (thirty-nine percent).

But, without recent budgets to compare, it’s impossible to gauge how much progress is being made in saving money, or even whether Wendell’s statement is accurate.

The SGA Senate Archival Act of 2009, passed on February 3 of this year, begins to address the problem of record keeping.

It mandates that all resolutions, memoranda, executive papers, and Campus Judicial Board decisions be delivered to the library archive and that all those documents from the current session and the past two sessions be available in SGA’s Document Management System, a computer based system.

However, attendance and voting records are not addressed in the act and neither are budgets.

There is also no mention of a system for organizing the records or summarizing their content, making it onerous for students or SGA members to sift meaningful information from the data.

The act does not create a system for handling open record requests, nor does it charge any officer or committee with investigating and auditing records.