On Monday, Alanna Propst and Rusty Mau began campaigning for the position of 2014-15 Student Body President. Here’s what the Technician editorial board wants to see from the next student body president:
Kill Wolfpack Students—the Facebook page, that is. According to the Facebook page, Wolfpack Students is meant to be used “as an interactive forum for the discussion of concerns, ideas and questions from members of the group, as well as a resource for Student Government to share current legislation, policy, events, decisions and also… as a tool for gauging public opinion on various issues.” However, more often than not, the page is rife with posts that accomplish none of the above, and when there are serious posts, they usually receive comments that stray off topic. By the time the commenting is over, a post asking for chemistry professor recommendations has somehow turned into “Western Bojangles’ for SBP.”
Furthermore, Student Government does a poor job policing this page. There have been posts on Wolfpack Students in which students threatened violence against other students. Student Government says it monitors the group to ensure posts don’t violate Facebook Guidelines, the N.C. State Code of Conduct and the UNC System Code of Conduct. Posts that threaten other students violate all three of these.
We don’t blame Student Government for not policing the page—it shouldn’t be responsible for the group in the first place. If students want to create their own Facebook group, then fine, but Student Government shouldn’t have to waste its time drafting bills regarding its use, and it definitely shouldn’t waste time policing it. We recommend deleting the page altogether, but at the very least, disassociate Student Government from it.
Have a backbone, and stick to your morals. Just because you hold a position at N.C. State doesn’t mean you always have to agree with the administration’s decisions. In fact, if you care about N.C. State, you have an obligation to disagree with the Administration when you think it’s making decisions that are not in the best interest of the University. Don’t succumb to pressure from the administration. Your job is to represent students and voice their opinions to the Administration, not to sell the administration’s decisions to students.
Elections will take place from noon on March 31 until noon on April 1. Until then, read the Technician for updates regarding the Student Body President debate so you can make an informed decision on Election Day.
