THE
M•AROON
Established 1923
“For a greater Loyola”
Editorial Board Samuel David Winstrom Editor-In-Chief Sara Feldman Cami Thomas Photo Editor Sports Editor Leslie Gamboni Aaren Gordon City Editor News Editor Eric Knoepfler Managing Editor Campus Editor Topher Balfer Burke Bischoff Dwayne Fontenette Jr. Religion Editor Copy Editors Jacqueline Padilla Zachary Goldak Social Media Director Art Director Daniel Quick Devinn Adams Editorial Editor Web Editor Olivia Lueckemeyer Wadner Pierre Life and Times Editor Multimedia Editor Hasani Grayson Senior Staff Writer
EDITORIAL THE
PAGE 14
MAROON
FRIDAY, APRIL 19, 2013
Editorial Cartoon
EDITORIAL POLICY The editorials on this page represent the majority opinions of The Maroon’s editorial board and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Loyola University. Letters and columns reflect the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of The Maroon’s editorial board. The Maroon does not represent the opinion of administration, staff, and/ or faculty members of Loyola. Letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and style. Please limit submissions to 400 words. Submissions are due no later than 4 p.m. the Sunday before publication. Please send all submissions to The Maroon, 6363 St. Charles Ave., Box 64, New Orleans, LA 70118. Or write us via e-mail: letter@loyno.edu. Submissions may also be made through The Maroon Online at www.loyolamaroon.com.
Editorial
Appointments should only be temporary The new SGA executive board inherited some problems from the previous executive board, and the short time frame for new elections to fill the Senate has forced them to resort to appointments. These appointments are not a bad thing in themselves — they provide a solution at a time when students are too busy to properly consider or conduct elections — but these appointments must be short-term if the voice of the Loyola student body is to be given the respect it deserves. Thus we at The Maroon support the SGA’s decisions to appoint students to vacancies in the Senate, so long as these positions are filled by popular election in the fall along with the election of freshman senators. Students roundly rejected the sections of the SGA constitution that would have allowed for increased centralization of power within SGA. This was a triumph for student voices and student engagement — it showed that students can pay attention and decide for themselves what course SGA should take. In this case, students opted to keep the republican nature of the SGA as expansive as possible by having a multitude of senators elected by students rather than a smaller body of senators and a number of executive appointments. However, following the defeat of the proposed sections of the constitution that would have changed the Senate, additional elections were required, and not enough people ran to fill these seats. Given how late it is in the semester and how busy students are, it is unreasonable both to expect students to be able to run effectively and make major decisions about being a part of SGA and for SGA to try to force a new election through. Appointing new senators will allow SGA to continue in its constitutionally required form without putting undue pressure on anyone. These appointments are thus valuable to allowing SGA to serve students, but they are only valuable as a short-term solution. The defeated sections of the constitution would have narrowed this large selection of senators and centralized power in the hands of the SGA executive board. The defeat of these sections indicates a mandate from the Loyola student body to keep an open Senate. The executive board has been compelled to appointments by circumstances, and we support this decision. But if these appointments aren’t short-term, then SGA will betray the voice of the students. By postponing elections until the fall along with the freshman elections, SGA gives the whole student body more time to consider joining SGA and running for office. The appointments will allow SGA to marshal interested students to be a part of SGA in such a way that SGA will be able to function as its constitution requires. But SGA must make sure these appointments are only temporary, and students must use this time to decide to get involved in SGA, either as candidates for the Senate or as voters looking for excellent candidates.
SYDNEY BARBIER/THE MAROON
Editorial
The Loyola community stands with Boston AT ISSUE: Help those who you are able to help and remember that the Loyola community was injured by events in Boston
Loyola’s students come from all across the world. When in times of crisis, it is important to stand with our fellow students, united in our choice of education and in our values When the bombs went off at the Boston Marathon, people were injured, hurt and killed. But a great host of people rose up to give blood and help those who’d been wounded in the attack. As members of the Loyola community, we have an obligation to do no less. There are 87 students from Massachusetts at Loyola right now, and many faculty and staff (both past and present) and alumni may also have ties there. Our branches spread far and wide across the nation and the world, and now some of those branches have suffered injuries — if not of the body, then of the spirit. We do not know the reason yet behind the
Whadja Think?
bombings. We do not know who the culprit or culprits were and why they chose to attack. The situation remain shrouded, confused and threatening. The people of Boston stand in pain. But they do not stand alone. The people of this country stand with their fellow Americans. The people of New Orleans, no strangers to tragedy, stand with those suffering. And the people of Loyola stand with their brothers and sisters, united by Jesuit ideals that have universal appeal, committed to serving our fellow man and looking forward into the future with a contemplative vision shaped by hope. Tragedy is very real, but it can be overcome and used to spur a people on to greater heights. If there is any city that attests to this fact, it is New Orleans. So take action. Comfort those who are in need of comforting. Help those you are able to help. To those members of our community with roots in Massachusetts, extend always the courtesy, respect and care that our fellow men, citizens and members of the Loyola community deserve.
This editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial board named above.
Got an opinion of your own? Send it to us at letter@loyno.edu, tell us your thoughts on The Maroon’s website at www.loyolamaroon.com, or comment on The Maroon’s Facebook page.
HOWLS & GROWLS HOWL to the people of Boston GROWL to bombs HOWL to the start of summer GROWL to air you can swim through HOWL to Crawfest GROWL to terrible allergies HOWL to Saenger theater reopening GROWL to semester-end projects HOWL to Honors seniors being awesome
This editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial board named above.
“The commencement of anything of consequence in this material world that surrounds us is made with a certain definite object in view. The Maroon, which makes its commencement today, has for its goal of endeavor: A Greater Loyola.” — Nov. 1, 1923