Search

ARCHIVES
CONTACT US
WORLD NEWS

Strange Parallels

Arizona Daily Wildcat

It's a sad day in our UA lives when the most exciting event on campus is "Loveline." Though most of us enjoy the satirical sex talk and Adam Carolla's obnoxious banter, we ought to try exposing ourselves to higher quality discussion, other than Dr. Drew Pinsky and Carolla. I thought, mistakenly, that I would find this at a weekly ASUA meeting.

Don't get me wrong - the issues that the ASUA Senate faced were of a much higher caliber than those Dr. Drew battles with five nights a week.

While Dr. Drew and Adam deal with bizarre sexual fetishes, among other distasteful subjects, ASUA was addressed by legitimate campus groups with significant issues to consider.

Most pressing was the plight of the ASUA Escort Service. Due to increases in crime, the service has been inundated with requests for escorts but is lacking in funds and, most importantly, vehicles.

"UA's Escort Service needs $80,000 or we'll basically be broke by March," Escort Service Director Rachel Reinhardt told the ASUA Senate on Wednesday night's meeting.

High maintenance costs have not allowed the Escort Service to repair damaged vehicles as quickly as possible.

Basically, the Escort Service, a program vital to campus safety, was telling the ASUA Senate it needed money - fast.

How did the ASUA Senate respond?

It didn't.

Not a single idea was presented, not even a "We'll look into it."

At least Adam Carolla says, "Get some therapy" before he hangs up on his guests.

Apparently Reinhardt knew that the senate would do little in response to her presentation.

"We're not going to ask them (ASUA) for anymore money," Reinhardt said. "They have traditionally been very stingy when it comes to giving us money."

The senate clearly cannot solve its guests' problems in one meeting, but it could have at least spent more time deliberating about ways to help get the Escort Service back on its feet.

The next most pertinent ASUA guest was an entrepreneurial duo plugging a new service that may work with the UA campus this spring.

URIDE, a university transportation plan, would allow students to pre-pay the company for transportation they may need during the year. Basically, if a student needs a ride home and does not have the cash for a cab or a sober friend with a car, he can call URIDE and be ensured a safe ride home.

As fantastic an idea that it was, it was presented to a group that, in reality, can do little or nothing to help institute it.

One senator even said, "What do you want the senate to do for you?"

True, the presentation was largely meant to be an FYI for the campus leadership. But it seems unfortunate that student government would have so little clout or ability to help institute the new program.

What is also true is that ASUA is a significant campus organization that, outside of their meetings, accomplishes many things. A recent example of this was the group's efforts toward persuading congressmen not to cut the federal financial aid budget.

But their meetings ought to be public forums that leave their guests feeling as if they can actually get results from the ASUA Senate. This is where "Loveline" and ASUA Senate meetings are too much alike - they do not seem to offer real help to those who request it.

When Drew and Carolla bring their show to Centennial Hall tonight (sponsored by, coincidentally, ASUA), ASUA Senators ought to observe them closely and figure out how not to run their meetings.

True, Loveline is a duo made up of an ultra-conservative doctor and a nasal-voiced comic that make America laugh five nights a week.

True, the ASUA Senate consists of intelligent, well-meaning student leaders that may not be experts but can actually bring about positive changes on the UA campus.

But in terms of truly helping their guests, the two are strikingly similar.