Tags
Related Posts
Share This
And the winners are…
In the recent election for the 2009/2010 TWUSA executive positions, all candidates that ran uncontested, secured their positions. The only opposition to play out was between Chrisy Vanderloon and Sam VanderVeer who both ran for V.P of Academic Relations. VanderVeer won out.
425 students logged on to give make their choice for V.P. Of Academic Relations, and give their affirmation to the other four candidates running unopposed.
Next year’s TWUSA Executive roster is made up of:
Dave Vander Ende
as the V.P. Of Finance.
Sam VanderVeer
as the V.P. Of Academic Relations.
Nathan Tedrow
who will move from his current position as freshman rep, to be the V.P Of Student Relations.
Jason Brandl
will revisit his role as Executive V.P.
David van Hemmen
as the President-elect of TWUSA.
In his election speech, van Hemmen said, “I am committed to do what it takes to make the campus flourish.”
For Brandl, this will be his third year on TWUSA and second year in his current position. “Progress has come to TWUSA,” he said. He committed to working for continued progress in further projects such as revision of the student handbook, and the creation of the position of ombudsmen who would “serve the students in confidentiality.”
Progress has come to TWUSA…from someone who’s been on TWUSA and is in his second year as an executive member, and still the organization languishes in obscurity and has yet to become relevant to the actual needs of the student body. Right now, it is just one big siphon of money to throw a couple of events. Student Life could do that. Instead, we need actual student advocacy, of which TWUSA does absolutely none. It sits on committees. How nice. What about students who are fined unjustly? What about true needs, like class schedules and professor-student relationships and off-campus PR. Instead, we have students sitting on the bookstore committee doing nothing. Wow, impressive. Progress indeed.
Actually, TWUSA looks into all those things, behind the scenes. However, it also need to prioritize, because it can’t possibly take on all important things at once. Why don’t you help out?
ps. some concrete examples:
TWUSA has been looking into creating ombudsmen (see last line of article) who would do exactly what you are talking about. Already, two TWUSA members sit on the responsibilities of membership hearings and although they act in the best interest of the school, whatever the specific case may be, it means students aren’t completely unrepresented even now.
Off-campus PR: TWUSA sponsors so many student activities, all of which indirectly boost Trinity’s reputation. If TWUSA had the time to compile a list of everything they’ve ever done, the tone of your comment would be a lot different. Furthermore, Brian Weir, Craig Ketchum, Jason and others have been looking into setting up relationships with other school student bodies; this will take time to establish rapport and everything, but it’s being looked into.
Why don’t we hear from people like you in our business meetings, instead of ranting to Mars’ Hill about everything we’re doing wrong? Change happens when you talk to the right people. Swing by.
I think TWUSA does do good things for the community that are overlooked because they aren’t always visible, much like any political machine. But at the same time, there have been years where TWUSA has allowed student concerns to be taken as personal assaults and many students feel like TWUSA becomes overly like a clique and thus causes people to feel a sense that TWUSA isn’t a welcoming environment, this is no ones fault, just the current nature of things. Accessibility is key, but how that happens is probably anybodies guess.
reading the original comment, it looks more like twusa’s taking [veiled] personal attacks as student concerns.