TO THE EDITOR:
At various points during my time at UNC I have deeply questioned the legitimacy of Student Congress whose most influential responsibility is most likely the distribution of funding to student organizations.
The finance committee is almost comical attempting to cut a $300 year-long student organization budget and then approving a $5000 budget for one sole event.
Publicity of the funding process is abysmal — and yet the excuse often used for over-funding particular projects is that few groups apply for money.
Just Tuesday the committee held an 8 p.m. meeting that was mandatory for organizations hoping to receive funding.
The committee did this despite dangerous road conditions the fact that the University cancelled classes between 3:30pm and 10 a.m. and at least seven e-mails sent from concerned student organization leaders.
Do members of Student Congress actually think that their meetings are more important than basic safety?
In his inaugural address" President Obama reminded us that ""the question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small"" but whether it works.""
We should ask this question of our own student government.
As the student government election season begins to gear up" I challenge the student body to actively engage so that we might elect and maintain leaders who care about Carolina students through their actions and attitude not just in their rhetoric.
We must hold our representatives accountable when they are unresponsive to their electorate — from the national level down to university campuses.
Rachel Craft
Senior
Spanish and International Studies