Clarification

Students of VCU,

In a former letter to The Commonwealth Times, I asserted that I was “running” for student body president. In deference to the SGA Elections Committee, it is important that I tell you the following.

All candidates for SGA office cannot officially claim that they are “running” until the Elections Committee approves their candidacy in mid to late February (based upon GPA). I meet the requirements, but you need to be informed. I am planning to run for student body president.

In addition, since I submitted that letter, Ms. Maggie O’Brien contacted our supporters and said that she did not feel she could dedicate the necessary time to the office of student body vice president. Therefore, it is with a heavy heart, yet the utmost pride, that I submit for your approval my new ticket mate of Callie Furlong. E.J. White, instead of Maggie, will be planning to run for vice president and Callie for executive director. You can stay updated on campaign news by visiting vcyou.org.

These individuals are highly skilled and passionate and would serve you well.

Have a great, productive semester!

Respectfully yours,
Tyler Bass
Monroe Park Campus SGA Senator

Promises, promises

The torture has begun again. The seemingly endless onslaught of campaign promises and politics as usual. As the chairman of the student Senate, I am used to politics, but one particular pledge – featured in the last edition of The Commonwealth Times – really struck a nerve. The letter by Sen. Tyler Bass had a number of misleading statements and the record needs to be set straight.

First of all, Mr. Bass implied that the Student Government Association has control over all of the student activities fees. This is not the case. The money is split between the SGA (for student groups), the Student Media Commission, the Programming Commission and the Student Activities Advisory Committee. We don’t take your $45 (it’s actually more like $15), but either way it is easily accounted for, contrary to what Tyler would have you believe. He stated that the data offered on where we put our Student Activities Fees was a year old. That is not true! The Web site HE gave (www.students.vcu.edu/commons/activities/finance) has CORRECT information. It may seem old at first glance, but this is because we operate on an annual budget system. The budgets were submitted a year ago for the money we give out this year. It should be hard to mistake, however, because it is CLEARLY indicated that these are the 2005-2006 budgets, and that they have recently been updated.

On the issue of the SGA Forum, which Mr. Bass also referred to, he is misleading students again. Although the executive branch does have a closed forum, it is used more as a personal e-mail system, not as a specific deliberation tool. It has not “closed its forums to the public” as he states. Rather, the executive branch has multiple public forums that are widely used. In fact, it was the President’s Office that pushed to start the forums in the first place! And on the issue of the Web site not being updated recently, I would indeed like to apologize, but as students ourselves, many SGA members were not available to do work during winter break.

In his article, Sen. Bass continues to show a lack of understanding for the way the SGA works by formally declaring himself a candidate for office. This is in direct violation of the SGA Election Committee bylaws, which state that campaigning is prohibited until the official period (which has not begun). He also violated the bylaws by not having his campaign material (the letter) approved.

I hope that in the future Sen. Bass will more closely abide by the laws he has sworn to uphold. As senators our job is to benefit the student body, not mislead it.

Jessica Lee
Monroe Park Campus
SGA Senate Chairwoman