The Half Way Point

The Fall 2010 semester is in its final week here at UWM, and with that comes the halfway point for the Romero-Boeck administration, of which I am a member. If I were to issue us a final grade for the semester, I think I'd give a solid B+. We've been working hard for months battling administration over issues like parking, and that effort has taken its toll on our ability to focus energy on things like Senate recruitment, and increased visibility.

Next semester we're going start implementing some programs to raise awareness of the Student Association as a place for suggestions, as well as a problem solving unit. I'll need to devote a large amount of time to laying out plans for these programs. I look forward to it, and hopefully we'll see a semester that can be used for more student activities, etc, instead of having to grapple with administration. Things would be a whole lot easier for both the SA official, and the campus administrator if we were to not be blatantly lied to every time administration sees fit. Turns out renewing the Lake Front parking lot was never formally off the agenda, so during the senate meeting Dec. 5th we tabled the U-Park budget. A few days later some mass email goes out explaining how County Parks Director Sue Black turned down the SA's offer to continue the lease. That pretty much finalized it, CSM will replace the Lakefront, at $4 per student per day. We fought, but in the end administration found a way to force its will on the student body once again.

My editorial on the lack of music practice rooms goes out this week, and I hope people still read the Post during exam week. Hopefully the piece will do a bit more to raise visibility for this problem. I plan to work with Peck's black and gold committee during next semester, and we can find a solution together.

I love writing, but lately keeping up this blog has felt more like a chore than a hobby. The problem is that so much goes on, and it takes so long to properly explain, that sometimes the task itself seems too daunting, and I dread even beginning. I'm caught as to whether this is mainly an opinions blog, or if I should take up the task of properly explaining events, since no one else really does that. I could assume that the only people who read this are StuGov nerds anyway, but you know what they say about assumptions..

Also, I look back to some of my older posts, and I realize how much more "opinionated" I was. It's not that I don't feel the same way now, but it's hard to write like that while also trying to be a news source for SA. I have to remind myself that this blog isn't here to educate the masses on SA procedure. Over the holiday I shall we very busy, working on future projects, and hopefully reading, writing, and having a bit of fun. Next semester will be really big over here, I can promise that, so stay aboard comrades.

-Red Menace, out