The new legislative term has, in my opinion, officially begun for our Student Government Association. At the Senate meeting on Sept. 14, the new freshman senators sat through their first full meeting. Everyone present went through the normal motions. Several items of legislation were passed, a new method for dealing with constituent issues was introduced and debated, and announcements concerning events and happenings were made. A prayer was said, and the meeting ended.

This whole song and dance seems fairly routine, especially for those who have served on Senate before. For those not involved with Student Government, I cannot imagine it being very exciting. My drab prose, however, disguises the fact that this was actually a rather important meeting.

What happened at this meeting? One of those pieces of legislation that was passed was the SGA operating budget for the fall 2011 semester. While I am, quite frankly, bored by numbers, the total amount budgeted by SGA, $211,383, is quite astonishing, especially when one considers that, for the most part, students paid for and are now in charge of administering this amount.

While a good bulk of this money has already been allocated for various programs and events routinely held by SGA, a good deal is left floating for use at the discretion of the executive and legislative branches, as well as that money put aside for allocations. This means that (in some cases) students have access to that money through their representatives on the Senate.

Here is where I call on all those representing the student body this year. Be responsible with this money. Throughout the course of the semester, there will be numerous opportunities to spend the money; groups will come forward asking for funding for random activities or supplies that they need. What I challenge the Senate to do this year is to not wait for people to come begging for money, but to actively seek out their constituents who have ideas on how to truly improve campus life in a tangible and lasting way.

I also present a challenge to those who don’t control the purse strings. It is your responsibility to come up with these ideas. If there is something on campus that you don’t like or don’t think works, don’t sit there and ignore or complain about it for all four years you are here. Do something. Find some way to fix it. If it is a big enough problem, those members of the Senate who control the purse strings have a responsibility to you to help you in correcting it.

The heart of what I am trying to convey is that this campus is not just the responsibility of a few people. We are all part of the community, and thus have obligations toward it. Fulfill those obligations by finding ways to better your community. And, for SGA, make sure you spend our money in a worthwhile way.

Garrett Fontenot can be reached at [email protected]