Editorial: Extended senate session pointless

On June 11, the Student Government senate voted 21-6 to extend its session through Summer B. While it is admirable that the senate wants to be available to students all year, it seems more like an excuse for some senators to get paid for doing nothing.

The summer is a quiet time across campus and especially now that there are significantly fewer classes offered this summer term. The demand the senate seeks to fill just does not exist. In fact, the senate does little more during the summer than appoint positions and prepare for the fall and spring terms. Such preparation cannot possibly be expounded upon in any great amount during the extra month this bill provided.

Senators from the Colleges of Business and Engineering who opposed the bill should be applauded for attempting to stalwart the self-serving decision. Seeing that the students they serve are not on campus, they rightly voted against the extension. If only other senators had seen that, as well.

The fact of the matter is that with fewer students on campus, and the lull summer brings altogether, the senate does not need to extend its session.

Senate vice-president Ryan Caruso was very eager to ensure students are able to find help in the senate during that whole extra month of classes. Can there possibly be that many students seeking the help of the SG senate during the summer?

But maybe this is a step for the senate to become more active during the summer and to reach out to students in ways not seen lately, especially during the past administration. Perhaps, with this extension, the senate will be more prominent on campus during the summer. Hopefully, activities and other student outreach programs will be instituted so students know they are represented all the way through Aug. 19. After all, that’s why the senate is there.