Editors,
This is a response to the Maneater editorial: MSA needs to fulfill its own bylaws. I find it disappointing that The Maneater has chosen to address the MSA Senate committee liaisons in the manner that was portrayed in this editorial. The Maneater was unaware of this issue until I brought it forth into the spotlight in my weekly Senate cabinet meeting where I discussed my plans to fill these positions and therefore fulfill our requirements per our bylaws.
My strategy to improve the communication issues with our liaison appointments has two components. I have created a Google Document for each of the liaison appointments that will serve as a public record of each meeting the liaison attends. These Google Documents will be automatically published to the web. Secondly, I am in the process of creating a separate webpage on the MSA website that will provide links to each of the Google Documents for public viewing. This process will improve transparency between MSA and other student groups on campus and will provide an easy method of viewing by any student. As Senate Speaker, I will be taking a much more hands-on approach to improving our external relations with other student groups in an effort to ensure this never happens again. Additionally, I am disappointed in The Maneater’s specific attack against Chairman Levin. I am ultimately responsible for ensuring that MSA fulfills its bylaw requirements and overseeing the committee chairs — therefore if any blame should be cast, it should be cast upon me.
Regarding the argument that MSA should improve recruitment, if the editorial board had looked at Senate’s attendance roster (which is publicly viewable by any student) they would have noticed MSA is currently at maximum capacity — per our bylaws. Additionally, I find this argument strange, considering The Maneater wrote this article last week: MSA senator retention shows improvement.
Lastly, both myself and Chairman Levin were approached by a Maneater staff writer and interviewed regarding the liaison appointments. It is disappointing not a single aspect of my plan to improve our failed fulfillment of the bylaws was mentioned in this editorial. Additionally, I find it important to note not once have I (or my committee chairs) considered to “rewrite the bylaws” and “(take) the easy way out.” I have owned up to our failures and am now working to solve the issue – not hide it as was suggested by The Maneater editorial board.