What Florida Students Think 2001

Student Government Student Government

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Activity Fees
     We all have to pay them—taxes. On campus, they're called activity fees and fund everything from student groups to speakers and concerts. Even though the money is spent for their benefit, students don’t always have a say in where it goes.
     In March 2000, the Supreme Court ruled that students must pay mandatory fees used to support organizations as long as the funding is disbursed on a viewpoint-neutral basis (Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin v. Southworth). This means students can't pick which organizations their fees go to, so controversial clubs still get funding without support from the majority of the student body.
     Do Florida leaders think they should have more input in how their dollars are spent? "Because activity fees are, by abridged definition, fees expended on behalf of organizing events for the student body, students should have a great deal of influence as to how those monies are allocated," says R. Carlyle Kent , a Student Government senator at the University of Florida. SGA Senator Cheryl Schnapp of the University of North Florida says that too many students are unaware of "the dues" they pay and how they're spent. "Activity fees and the whole system of spending that money should be made aware to all students," she says. "Too many students have no idea about activity and service fees."
     Obviously, every student doesn't have either the time of inclination to monitor proposed fees and tuition hikes, so that's where Student Government comes in. "It's the students' money that supplies the activities to prosper, therefore, a council or representative should be aware of fees and relay the message to students," says Jennifer Canals, SGA marketing and public relations coordinator at Florida International University. "Student organizations should have a say, but the general uninvolved student body shouldn't," says Nicholas DuRocher, Phi Theta Kappa president at Broward Community College-Central Campus. "Those who aren't involved in school life generally would just want the money given back to them, having a very detrimental effect on student life activities, the very things that make you feel like you're part of a community."
     However, students elect SG representatives to look out for their best interests. "As senators, we carry the responsibility of making sure our constiuents wishes are heard," says Betsy Goode, an SG senator representing the College of Fine Arts at the University of South Florida. At Pensacola Junior College, SG Secretary Gretchen Wheatley says, "I think that's the purpose of SG. If the students want to voice their opinions, they should get involved."
     Of course, there's also the opinion that the administration should be left out all together. "It's their {students} money.They should be able to vote on how it should be spent," Michael J. Shores, Student Ambassadors president at Chipola Junior College, says. "Faculty and staff shouldn't even be a part of such decisions."
     Does the average student possess the knowledge to make wise choices regarding funding? "They {students} don't have enough information to make an educated decision," says SG President Jose F. Diaz of the University of Miami. Others think students should have input but not direct control. "You may have students who feel their money shouldn't go to a certain cause, but in the long run it will benefit the university as a whole," says Angie Bowler, SG president at the University of West Florida. "That's hard to convey to some students."

On-line Campaigning
     With today's technology, SG candidates have a new tool for campaigning—the internet. Running for office using campaign web sites and by sending mass e-mails can make it easier to reach a more diverse audience, provide more information, and answer more questions. But some students feel it's impersonal and lazy.
     "Many college campus campaigns are very impersonal anyway, but isolating the people who are running for positions makes the students you represent less like actual people and more like a number," says John Domeier, a member of the Student Government Executive Cabinet at the University of Florida. "On-line voting can also create a higher chance that people will vote without knowing, and large organizations can control who's voting for whom."
     On the flip side, the web can provide more input on candidates and their platforms and allows for easy distribution to a larger audience. As Lydia Barza, parliamentarian of the Graduate Student Association at the University of Miami, says, "I believe it would reach persons who normally would not be interested and provide the kind of information and personalization people need to make informed choices." At the University of Central Florida, Student Body President Marco Pena says he found the on-line voting process to be more informative and more personal. "It actually allowed for additional interaction between my campaign and student voters," he says. "I e-mailed more students about their concerns than I ever could have spoken to on an individual basis. I used technology to reach those traditionally left outside of the electoral process. I also used electronic communications to respond directly to concerns and suggestions from our student body."
     While the internet is a useful tool, it shouldn't replace the traditional approach—meeting with groups and talking with the students candidates hope to represent. "If a person is only using on-line campaigning, then it's very depersonalized," says Dustin West, an ambassador at Brevard Community College-Melbourne Campus. "A person who has the chance to listen to their (candidates running for office) speech in person, shake hands with them, or be greeted at the door by them will have a large impact on that voter's vote. A voter can get a feel for a person by watching their movements and listening to the way they speak. You can't do that on-line," he says. "But if people are briefly meeting that person then they can go on-line and learn more. Doing both (personal and on-line) is an explosive combination." At Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences in Orlando, Sarah Stearns, Student Association vice president, says, "It's a new age. You can't hold progress back, this still allows for questions and answers, expressing plans and ideas, and shows innovation—another means to meet the students."

On-Line Campaigning Pro’s and Con’s

Pro’s

Allows for easy distribution to a more diverse group of students
Provides more information on candidates and their platforms
E-mail provides direct response to questions and concerns

Con’s

Not as intimate as traditional campaigning
A larger organization with more resources may overpower a campaign
Need to keep information up-to-date

What advice would you give up-and-coming leaders?
     “Concentrate on your personal relations with those you work with. If your fellow students respect you on a personal level, they will follow your leadership. Most importantly, take your job seriously, not yourself.”
—Jason D. Crawford, vice president, Student Government Association, University of West Florida, jcraw23@yahoo.com

     “To have patience but persistence. To never take your eyes off the goal of the team. Be open-minded, and keep your members motivated.”
—Candice S. Carreño, president, Student Government,
Nova Southeastern University, flygurl104@aol.com

     “Take the time to listen and truly hear the voice of the people. Always show compassion, believe in others, believe in yourself, and above all, never, never lose or put aside your ‘learner’s permit.’ ”
—Paullette Reed president, Student Government Association, Pensacola Jr. College, paullette@juno.com

“Don’t limit what you think that you can do because someone else says that it can’t be done, and always treat people with respect and a smile.”
—Daniel Ginn, director of health and human services Student Government, University of South Florida, DNGrulzMOR@aol.com

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What Florida Students Think (112K)