Last week the senators from the various colleges of the Student Government Association held “Town Hall Meetings” to better connect with their constituents.

Each college held a meeting, with all promotional duties falling upon whomever in that college decided to do it. The SGA constitution requires this to occur at least once per semester.

Last Thursday, during the SGA meeting, senators reported dismal turnouts for the event, with many saying that not a single student was present.

After walking around the campus, it was very evident that the publicity of this event was a deciding factor in low attendance. Only a few flyers were posted around campus less than 48 hours before the event. In one case, the College of Humanities and Fine Arts reported no attendance, although the flyers indicated the event was to be held the following Friday. Of course the attendance was low. It hadn’t even happened yet. Another case: The Pacer did not have notice of the meetings in time for printing.

While almost every student saw the flyers, how many stopped to read them? On the other hand, how many students are reading this newspaper right now?

We can’t print what we don’t know.

But it's not entirely the fault of lackluster planning. The SGA has been fighting for years for legitimacy, and strides in “getting the name out” have been met abruptly with student apathy. The right to self-government isn't held as dear to the hearts of students at UTM as it is at other colleges.

We think that SGA should try again, and we don’t mean next semester. If they truly want voices heard, they are going to have to try harder to listen.