opportunities for ASUA
By Jason Poreda
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Monday, December 8, 2003
Congratulations to everyone here at the UA! We have all made it to the end of another semester. For some, this signals joyous celebration and good times. Holiday cheer, pretty lights and lots of parties can make this a wonderful, even magical, time of year. Some of us are graduating, but many of us are just excited to be going home to spend some quality time with our families and our pillows, making up for all the lost sleep we've accumulated.
For others, this can be the worst time of the year. Finals, holiday shopping, travel and cold ÷ or at least cooler ÷ weather can make the season dreadful for many students. I, like many of you, will be pulling all-nighters and consuming large amounts of caffeine in order to somehow get all my final projects done. We're going through all of this to earn some much-needed time off, which always goes so damn fast.
Whatever the case may be, it's safe to say that we are all looking forward to what 2004 has in store for us. As the world gears up to bring in the new year and celebrate another safe trip around the sun, most of us students at the UA are at what seems to be the halfway point.
This holiday break is more of an intermission than a vacation. We may be starting new classes, but most of us will be coming back to familiar territory ÷ whether a residence hall, club or favorite hangout, there will be something to come back to.
Many look forward to the spring semester as a chance to improve and build on what was accomplished during this past semester. Here at the Wildcat, it is the same story, as we move into a new office and re-shuffle our staff to make next semester even better.
The student body should look to ASUA to do the same thing.
Unfortunately, this is not usually the case. For leaders in student government ÷ or any club, for that matter ÷ this break between semesters can be deceiving. Too often, it is associated with lackluster performance claims such as, "There's not enough time to do anything anymore." This is not the home stretch at the end of a long race, to which it is too often referred. In fact, this is only the halfway point; more then enough time remains to put a project on the table and see it to completion.
This much-needed break should be a time to regroup and put what was learned over the past few months into action. The fall semester is the time to feel things out, and see what you're really capable of. Now that we all know what can and can't be done, the spring semester is the time to lay it on the line and go for the long ball.
Now that our elected officials have their feet wet, we students should be expecting great things to come after a productive first semester. As a student who closely watches our student government, I can say that this year, there has been a true effort on its part to test the waters by trying new ideas. That said, none of them have really made a significant splash. The vast majority of ideas tossed around have been things such as the Club of the Month award and the "fireside" chats with ASUA President J. P. Benedict.
Now as the fall is coming to a close, the new semester looms on the horizon. We can only hope that the enthusiasm ASUA seemed to have this semester carries over and leads to bigger and better things, instead of fading out like it has so many times before.
So roll up your sleeves, sift through the dust left behind this semester and get ready for another one, everyone. Rest and get ready, ASUA ÷ and brush up on the old Robert's Rules ÷ because the real work is right around the corner.
Jason Poreda is a communication and political science senior. He can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.