Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

I would like to respond to the complaints SGA received over the last few weeks.  Firstly, I witnessed the election results firsthand, and there was NOT a tie. The true story, and the only one we told, is a candidate’s name was misspelled in the system, which resulted in his votes being neglected in the final tally. Because we could not conclusively say a candidate won, we conducted a special election to ensure the student’s choice received the position. As far as the paper’s misprint, the Pacer Times received the same information as the Stall Wall, which was correct. If there was a typographical error, it was done by the individual who transferred this information.  Yes, the website was accessible on Tuesday for testing, but it was also available in this same manner during the first elections. Things were as identical as we could possibly make them to the true elections. I hope this clears up any confusion and removes any idea that “foul play” occurred.

I would also like to address the criticism stating that we do not listen to the student body’s true issues. We work hard to hear all issues of the student body, through everyday conversations to scheduled town hall meetings. Over the past three years I have seen student government grow as an organization, and the camaraderie within the organization and the shared desire to better this campus for the USCA student body is clearly evident. Before members are insulted for their lack of availability, one must look at the progress that has occurred due to their dedication. To name a few, this year we worked to find a smoking policy that follows the input of 441 students, approved graduation stoles for all campus supported organizations, developed a disc golf course, and worked to improve recycling. I believe that our current system represents the student body well, and while change has its positives, change without a purpose or reason is simply time wasted on fixing something that is not broken. If issues are not being addressed, instead of blanketing this complaint, please give us specifics. We want to be your voice, but cannot do so without knowing where we need to concentrate.