In the CSA Senate, discussions about how to involve more students in the work of CSA senate is a constant topic of conversation. Now, with the CSA elections upon us, it briefly becomes a topic the whole student body has something to say about. CSA Senate wonders how it can involve more students, and at the same time candidates running for senate demand to know why the student government is so secretive.

I decided to take moment to look at what’s being written about CSA Senate by those involved, but first I would like to say that I support Khant Khant Kyaw and Eric Hitimana for Senate, and Jinai Bharucha for Vice President. I know Robert Stevens and I hope he continues to be active in Senate and Budget Committee, but I truly believe Jinai would make an excellent Vice President and I urge you to vote for her.

Please also vote on these important referenda.

Okay, now a few words about CSA.

The Bad

• Avery Morrows’s platform: “If elected I will do my best to shut down all non-financial CSA committees and replace them with clubs, which anyone, CSA senators included, can voluntarily join as suits their interests.”
• Moshe Lavi’s platform: “All students attending will be able to vote on vital issues, rather than letting the Senate have all the power of voting.”
• Current senator Jack Boller’s Carletonian viewpoint describing senate as “stifled procedure” and “arguing over petty language.”

These comments are discouraging because they show a weak understanding of how CSA Senate works. I’ve been to almost every meeting for 5 terms now, and I truly believe that it is an open environment. There is nothing stopping regular students from joining the senate “task forces.” Students who visit CSA Senate can simply raise their hand if they want to speak, and I’ve seen visitors become more active than senators in the discussion.

Unfortunately, these quotes are representative of a conception in the student body that CSA Senate is arcane in its procedure and works only on trivial issues. Most disappointing is that most of the candidates have rarely, if ever, visited senate. There is no ban on visitors in the CSA Senate.

The Good

• Juni Muskrat’s platform, “Give me the opportunity to effect change by maintaining and continuing to nurture bridges of communication to CSA for all of Carleton.”
• Heather Yang’s platform, “Democracy can not exist without YOUR involvement.”
• Eric Hitimana’s platform, “I am interested in becoming a CSA senator because I love helping people in any capacity that I can.”

These candidates understand what CSA Senate is trying to do, however imperfectly. Behind the occasional trivial issue or complaint about procedure, CSA Senate is trying to inform, represent, and involve students. Not every student needs to be a senator to be involved in the campus life, but I think every student has at least one issue they care about.

Again, Boller’s editorial, “When you are encouraged, or pestered into voting this weekend, take a second to think about your place within the college, and if there is anything specific you care about. If you do, don’t regret you missed a chance to put your name on the ballot, join a committee or talk to someone about how to do something different. Senate is doing this, plus more busy work.”