EDITORIAL: Do we need SGA?

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EDITORIAL: Do we need SGA?

Here at The Villanovan, we know a thing or two about under-appreciated student organizations. We know all about spending countless hours on projects that can go largely unnoticed by the community. Because of this, we empathize greatly with Villanova’s Student Government. These days, it always seems like SGA is either getting flack for not doing anything, or they’re getting ignored completely. Student Government themselves can’t deny this, as both tickets for this week’s Student Body President and Vice President campaigned on developing a larger presence on campus. While this sounds like a perfectly reasonable goal, we’re going to go out on a limb here and ask perhaps what everyone else is thinking – why?

How will students not in SGA benefit from a larger SGA presence if the University and Student Body are perfectly functioning with the Student Body largely unaware and uninterested in the Student Government? The staff of The Villanovan is perhaps the most fluent in the accomplishments of SGA, as we are often called upon to cover their efforts (it was not long ago when we had a weekly SGA column), and we’re not trying to disparage the hard work of our dedicated classmates. However, we do want to submit that perhaps Villanova’s current structure does not require a Student Government. Villanova is a relatively small school, and our administration is largely accessible. Because of this, most students feel empowered to contact administrative powers directly, without need for an accompanying student representative (we saw this in the student response and protest of the deputization and arming of Public Safety officers last year). Furthermore, Villanova’s community is largely built upon student participation in opportunities like student groups, Greek life and service trips, not opportunities created by SGA. If the reported purpose of Student Government is student advocacy and community development, it’s clear that these services are rendered redundant by the systems and principles of Villanova as an institution. Therefore, it’s no wonder that most students find no purpose in SGA.

We mean no personal attack on the students that have put so many hours into our Student Government. We are grateful for their investment, but it’s time to face the music. SGA is a largely unnecessary institution, and it’s time to reevaluate its place on campus. And we mean really reevaluate. What Student Government is at other schools and should be in theory is not necessarily what we need here.