Dear editor,
For years, Temple Student Government has been criticized as an esoteric student organization that only represented other student organizations. This claim is no longer true. Now, with the creation of the senate, TSG has representatives from all the schools and colleges. We recognize that our responsibility as a government is to stand up for all interests and not individual ideologies or dogmatic party platforms.
When we unanimously passed Senate Resolution S09-1, “A Resolution in Support of a Green Fee Used to Implement Sustainable Practices and Programs within Temple University,” we recognized that we could not solely rely on the administration to decide what is in our best interest. There comes a time when students and their representatives need to take action. With the passage of this resolution we have shown the support and the willingness to take action. Now we are in the process of doing so.
We know that there are many sides to every story. Nevertheless, we hope any claims made about the green fee are ones based in fact and reality – not ignorance and gross party loyalty. In today’s uncertain economy, it is easy to prey on fear by invoking slippery slope arguments and half-cocked comparisons laden with divisive assertions.
We love being a part of Temple. We are honored to represent a student body and university as respected, renowned and resourceful. But, at the end of the day, Temple is a business.
Like all businesses, it focuses on its bottom line. Its attention to profits prevented it from investing in what are perceived as expensive endeavors. When this occurs we should take pride that we can come together as students and work within the system to guide Temple’s hand.
We do this because we have a duty – a sacred responsibility – to ourselves, to our neighbors, to our city and to our future Owls (wherever they may come from) that we will act, rather than stand still. This green fee epitomizes this sentiment. With student support of a $5 fee, we can steer this university away from behavior that is fiscally irresponsible, detrimental to one’s health and environmentally degrading while asserting Temple’s status as America’s premiere urban institution. In order to achieve this we need you to take part in TSG, to take part in the discussion and to support this green fee.
Jeff Dempsey
TSG Senate President
Pish-posh. What Senate Chairman Jeff “Doof” Dempsey should worry about is saving me money. Better yet, lets make the Green Fee into a Gun Fee. Yea! Hands of my guns.