Staff editorial

Toward a real senate

Many students may not be aware that two weeks ago, the ASUW student senate elected its executive officers for the 2002-03 academic year. Sean Kellogg was elected chair, Sam Castic was re-elected vice-chair, Dana Little was elected secretary and Sumona Das Gupta was elected membership coordinator.

The fact that this is likely the first that most students have heard of any of these individuals should come as no surprise. In its current capacity, the student senate serves as the "official opinionmaking" body of the ASUW. Loosely translated, this means that the senate, despite its large membership and often-raucous meetings, has little power within the ASUW.

Kellogg and company have been in power in the senate for the past couple of weeks, and already it is becoming clear that the student senate may well be headed in a new direction. Kellogg has made clear on several occasions that he supports a greater role for the senate in the actual decisionmaking process of the ASUW. Recalling the senate's oft-forgotten predecessor, the Student Assembly, Kellogg and the rest of the new senate officers hope to build an institution which provides more students the chance to have a meaningful voice on student issues.

The idea of real power for student senate has been floated before as a useful and much needed check to the total hegemony of the Board of Directors (BOD) in ASUW business. Certainly, if the senate can do a better job enforcing a code of responsibility on its own membership (all of whom are volunteers), students should support this drive. Perhaps the senate should be vested with the ability to override BOD decisions on senate legislation with a two-thirds or three-fourths supermajority.

However, while the new leadership shows potential, if students are to see real change in their senate, the new officers will have to put the work in to capitalize on the opportunity they have been given. Keep an eye on the senate next fall.