Last Thursday, the Student Government Association began what we like to call “the push for the Presidency.” It is where little known senators and committee chairs try to drum up a little movement heading into the upcoming elections. Year after year, we’ve seen the flurry of bills, resolutions and recommendations hastily prepared make and pass right off the senate floor. Nobody’s impressed.

A monument to student organizations? Herding student organizations to Clement Hall? A soap box? Are these really the things that are on students’ minds?

Only a handful of students are able to run for the presidency, and even fewer are interested. The ability to run is greatly hindered by a rule in the SGA Constitution that requires any candidate for president, vice president or secretary general to have served at least one year on senate or appointed position within the Executive Council.

It amounts to job security, and a constant inbreeding of ideology that has kept SGA from reaching its full potential as a positive catalyst for change on an apathetic campus with a massive inferiority complex. Very few have dared to dream.

What was going on the last six months of the 53rd Assembly? At one point, the highlight of the evening was a recommendation to promote a UTM-version of “The Facebook.” Glad to see such a ringing endorsement of something they had no part in.

The SGA has made great strides this year, taking on larger issues such as helping our student organizations and recommending a Travel Study Fee. Both issues are yet to be seen to completion, though no fault of the SGA.

Today, a makeup mandatory meeting will be held at 9 p.m. in UC 111 (Legislative Chambers) for interested candidates for senate or Executive Council. We’ve seen a staggering decline in interest level for SGA positions, mostly attributed to campus apathy. We urge qualified students to take hold of this opportunity to keep SGA moving in the right direction.