Stage Slip-up

Just when we thought this year’s TSG election was going to be a bore, especially
since the election has practically been handed to the Owl Potential team, Temple University Anime Club showed up to add some excitement.

Or, more accurately, the Office of Student Activities fouled up.

It was a scene right out of MTV’s Punk’d.

Owl Potential was ready, geared up to talk apathy, community service and goals for next school year with the student body in the first open forum before Election Day April 10. But there was only one problem (and, surprisingly, it wasn’t attendance).

The stage that was set for the forum was being used by the Anime Club, where members, dressed in costumes, were performing martial arts stunts and fight scenes. The funny part (besides students sparring in karate uniforms) was that the club was actually scheduled to be there.

Both organizations reserved the space through the Office of Student Activities for the same date and time. Since the Anime Club’s reservation was processed by the office first, TSG was forced to cancel the forum with only a week before voting day.

In other words, TSG got played, and by an office that they work with closely.Although the scheduling mix-up was what TSG Elections Commissioner, Seth Embry called an “oversight” by the office, this incident would not be the first time the Office of Student Activities has gaffed. Earlier this semester, allocations, which are also processed by Student Activities, were suspended mid-semester in what we called a budgeting error (but some considered a minor boo-boo).

Though we can only imagine what it takes to manage and process the applications for registration, allocation and space reservation of more than 150 student
organizations, we have to question what’s going on in the Office of Student Activities?

With many of these processes now online, we assume this should improve the efficiency within the office.But when we see student groups holding meetings or dance practices in the hallway of the Howard Gittis Student Center, we have to wonder.

With the expansion of the Howard Gittis Student Center, is it a question of space or are some groups fed up with the reservation process? We just hope that the voting locations for the TSG election were scheduled months in advance.