Recently, there’s been a lot of talk about the ALANA issue. It’s important that the other side of the ALANA vs. SGA issue be brought up, because the other side has certainly not been addressed yet in The Daily Collegian. I hear a lot of talk about how ‘democracy’ is being threatened here, but it’s completely the other way around.

Our representative democracy is based on the notion that you run a campaign and must get elected by getting the most votes. The seats ALANA had these past years were handed to them. Their appointed senators are not responsible for getting the 25 signatures necessary for nomination. They do not need a single vote to get on Senate, which is supposed to be a democratically elected body. With the appointed seats, it is not. As a Senator who was democratically elected last year, I can saw that it caused an enormous divide in the Senate to have part of Senate be elected, and the other part be ALANA caucus members.

The Congressional Black Caucus in Washington does not just get handed seats because of its race, its members have to win elections just like everyone else. Unlike Congress in Washington, the SGA is VERY easy to get into, probably too easy. I got on with two votes last year. There’s no reason the Office of ALANA Affairs can’t put their time and energy into running campaigns for Senate seats.

Instead they put their resources into protesting and whining about not being handed Senate seats merely because of their race. This is an awful example to set. Students cannot expect to go throughout life being handed things, because it’s not going to happen. This issue is no different. In addition, the motion to eliminate the appointed seats occurred during a Senate meeting in which ALANA students were present. They didn’t even debate the motion.

Jared Nokes is not the sole person in this issue; the Senate passed this motion. He should not be the scapegoat for this; he is carrying out a Senate vote on a motion. The Senate is also not 90 percent white males as President Dave Carr suggested, as at least 40 percent of Senate consists females, let alone the minority representation.

ALANA students, if you want to be on Senate, you have to get on like everyone else by getting votes. It’s a little thing we call democracy.

Sincerely,

David Falvey

SGA Senator