Friday, Jan. 23, 1998
USG branches discuss communication, goals
During a light moment at the Undergraduate Student Government meeting Wednesday, when USG members began offering each other words of comfort about the intimidating elements of the organization, one member laughed and said the meeting was like a USG support group.
Support was key at the first all-USG meeting in recent history,
which almost 60 students from all branches of USG attended.
Geoff Ramont, chairman of the outreach committee, opened the meeting,
which the committee organized, by pointing out the benefits of
bringing USG's different bodies together to work more closely.
USG President Jaime Desmond, Chief Supreme Court Justice Josh
Snyder, Academic Assembly President Desha Girod and Senate President
Josh Smith each gave short speeches explaining their branches'
roles in USG as well as their current and future projects.
Snyder told stories of USG-initiated student protests from the
1960s and challenged USG to be more critical of issues that effect
students today.
There are a lot of things, Snyder said, that USG should be angry
about right now such as the University's limited observance of
Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the high cost of downtown apartments.
Smith asked for ideas and feedback on items of concern to the
senate, such as support for fall break and alcohol rights.
In the open forum that followed the speeches, some members spoke
openly and frankly about their uncertainties and expectations
relating to USG.
"I think this meeting needs to happen again, and it's gonna
happen again this semester," said John Polk, vice president
of USG.
--by Daryl Lang
