By
The Wildcat Opinions Board
ASUA, the student government body charged with representing UA students, approved an open-mic forum Wednesday to be held once a semester on the Mall.
Sen. Gino Duran proposed the idea to the Associated Students of the University of Arizona in an attempt to keep his campaign promise to reach out to undergraduate students. The newly established Special Senate Committee for Student Forums will transcribe student concerns at the forums and will present a report to the Senate.
Duran almost had it.
While ASUA should be applauded for making an effort to encourage student involvement, a microphone and a committee once a semester are not the solution.
ASUA needs to take down the microphone stand and bring out the elected officials. A table should be set up on the Mall weekly with senators, both vice presidents and President Ben Graff available to hear student concerns.
As countless politicians before them have proved, sometimes reaching out to voters means shaking hands and kissing babies. Accessibility would encourage students to become involved in student government - or at least share their opinions with the officials they elected.
ASUA should also provide an agenda for that week's meeting and a list of issues the Senate is debating. If they are discussing undergraduate advising, tuition hikes or student seating at McKale, then why not go out and make an effort to find out exactly what students think?
"We always try to make policies based on student opinion. It is important to be able to reach out to students to see what they want," said ASUA Vice President Erick Negri. This seems hard to accomplish when less than 25 students have attended this year's weekly Senate meetings.
The sorry state of student government participation needs to be remedied. The Senate should be expected to reflect the collective views of the student body - not just those of fraternity houses and club members. Weekly forums on the Mall, without the parliamentary procedure, would be an ideal solution.
Many UA students are not inclined to jump up on a stage and speak to a Mall full of students at lunchtime. Students should not be forced to make pronouncements on a microphone or Power Point presentations to senators. One-on-one conversations, while old-fashioned, are the most effective way to encourage an open exchange of ideas between senators and the students they represent.
As members of a governing body elected to represent students, ASUA should be making a concerted effort to reach out to the UA population. However, the format of the forum does not encourage a dialogue between students and elected officials.
Save the open-mic for Wednesday's karaoke night at Old Chicago.
