As the fall semester approaches its finals months, officials of the Student Government are working relentlessly to address student body issues and initiate projects to improve student engagement. Many students are not aware and fail to realize the importance of Student Government in a public university.
In Texas, a student governing body is mandated by the state legislature, giving students an avenue to bring issues of concern to the institution’s administration. But at this university, most students seem to be complacent with the status quo–ever so complaining about what needs to be changed, but never actually taking the time to plan, coordinate, and organize.
How many times has one complained about the increasing of fees? How many times have you become upset over the mediocre service in some of our university departments? How many times have you gone without buying all your textbooks, because you just can’t afford them? These are all valid issues and students are the only ones that have the power to truly address these problems. The framework for student mobilization already exists within Student Government; all that is needed is for more students to participate.
Although, I know most readers of this newspaper know about university issues and complexities, it is the silent giant of non-readers who fail to realize their potential in making a difference on campus.
I plead with the student body to become involved in some fashion at TAMIU, whether by joining an organization, becoming a member of a university-wide committee, or simply attending a university event. Students need to start realizing the importance of their contributions to the operation of this university, and the avenues they may utilize when a concern or issue surfaces.
In the mean time, a small band of diverse individuals will continue to work on behalf of the whole student body to ensure concerns are heard and issues addressed.