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Realizing the power of X

Darren LaCour
Senior News Editor

To encourage voter turnout and inform students about the role of the Senate, the Student Government Association has launched a sweeping advertising campaign during this week’s senate elections.

Posting signs about Senate’s budget of about $750,000, past projects and the unique opportunity to give students a voice, Senate hopes to help students realize the pivotal role their student government holds. Most students, however, remain uninformed about the organization’s actions.

“I don’t know much about what Senate does nor their interaction with the administration,” said freshman Felipe Garcia-Wasnich.

This push for information is exactly what prompted the election’s advertising campaign.

“There’s a struggle with communication between SGA and the student body,” said freshman senator Carter Johnson. “Until people or clubs need SGA, rarely is there an interaction between the two.”

“A lot of student governments don’t hold a lot of weight, but we do,” said SGA senator junior Jennifer Downing. “Senate holds a lot of weight and impacts what’s going on.”

The influence comes from SGA’s large budget, which is generated from one percent of student tuition. Senate’s major role is allocating funds from that budget to all of Xavier’s clubs. A sign outside the GSC reads, “If you are in a club or play a club sport, your activities are directly funded by SGA.”

Senate is broken down into five separate committees, each of which specialize in a different aspect of student life.

The community affairs committee works with Norwood and Xavier’s surrounding environment to establish good relations and keep Xavier influential to our neighbors.

Financial affairs is responsible for estimating how much money should be allocated to each club, then submitting their proposals to the entire Senate for approval.

The committee of association affairs deals with club bylaws and organizational structure of clubs, and is instrumental in supporting new club formation.
The student affairs committee deals with housing and other student issues and concerns.

The final Senate committee is the student relations committee, which is responsible for reaching out and providing information to the student body.

It would seem that SGA is experiencing difficulty in this last area, as students such as Garcia-Wasnich feel uninformed. “I don’t know if Senate is relevant to me,” he said. “If I did research I’m sure I could find out, but I want them to tell me.”

Fortunately, Johnson reports that there is “a large effort to bridge that gap” of communication between the students and their government.

“I’d personally like to see more publicity about projects senators do and issues they’re addressing,” Johnson said. “It would increase student interest.”

The projects include the reimplementation of the 24-hour opening of the GSC, a Xavier Christmas, the Housing Fair and the Halloween Bash. Still, according to Downing, “a lot of projects go unnoticed.” Currently, Senate is working on improving the shuttle system by getting a more fixed schedule and putting lights and signs at several stops.

Despite the fact that much of the student body remains uninformed about Senate activity, the organization is still composed of highly devoted students who care about the Xavier community.

“I enjoy playing the link between students and the administration,” said Downing, “and I think it is important for us to be able to voice student concerns.”

Senate candidates must be dedicated, as there is a 12 page list of campaign rules detailing restrictions on signs and spending. Out of the 22 candidates, only 16 can be elected, so it promises to be a close race.

Julio Minsal-Ruiz, SGA Chairman of the Board of Elections, predicts a voter turnout of about 1,300. “Usually there are less voters than the SGA Executive elections, which had 1,100,” he said, “but with the extra promotion that has been done with the help of some dedicated student senators, I expect there to be a greater turnout.” He gave an eye estimate that about 500 to 600 students voted on Tuesday, March 27.

The polls are open again on Wednesday, March 28, and the hopeful candidates will find out who will be elected to office. After obtaining the final numbers, SGA will be able to determine if the added push of publicity improved voter turnout and interest.

Johnson has high hopes that the students will learn more about the role of Senate and realize the potential the students have to execute changes. “I like to think that we as students can implement our ideas, and that those ideas can have a lasting impact for the betterment of this university.”

TOP OF PAGE

Clooney encourages stand against genocide

Erika Bresee
Photo Editor

Most Xavier students could not point out Darfur on a map, few could correctly pronounce it, and even less could tell why this African region has been in international news lately.

Statistics are overwhelming. It is estimated that over two million civilians have been directly affected by a deadly conflict in this region of which we are ignorant.

However, these numbers were not used for shock value by speaker Nick Clooney who addressed the genocide that is taking place right now in Darfur. The father of actor George Clooney spoke to an attentive audience at Schiff Family Conference Center on Tuesday, March 20, discussing his personal experiences of traveling to Darfur to witness the civil war which is dividing the region and claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands.

Since 2003, Sudanese armed forces known as janjaweed have been attacking rebel groups in Darfur--the Sudanese Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement--who are claiming their right to be supported by the Sudanese government. These rebel groups, noting the successes of their neighboring regions in acquiring financial aid and technological development from wealthier countries, are attempting to bring prosperity to their own nation by what they perceive to be necessary violence. The government’s response to this appeal was to unleash the janjaweed onto civilians, encouraging them to starve, rape and slaughter the innocent population.

In his discussion on the genocide, Clooney encouraged students to empower themselves with knowledge on this subject and to then spread information on the atrocities that are being suffered overseas. He beseeched his audience to harass their Senators and Congressmen until our nation took an active stand against the brutality of this present humanitarian crisis. The event was sponsored by STANDxu, a campus club which attempts to educate fellow students about genocide worldwide in hopes that passion for this issue will bring about its swift end. As a Catholic, Jesuit university, Xavier is dedicated to the orderly discussion of issues confronting society.

TOP OF PAGE

Hello and goodbye?

Center Frease commits; Wolf explores transfer

John LaFollette
Sports Editor

Kenny Frease, a 6-foot-11 junior center at Perry High School in Massillon, Ohio, committed to Xavier on Tuesday according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Frease, one of the top-ranked centers in the country, joins guards Brad Redford and Mark Lyons as incoming recruits for the 2008-09 basketball season.
Rated by scouts.com as the fourth best center and 25th best player in the country in his class, Frease drew interest from schools including Duke, Illinois, Louisville, North Carolina and Ohio State, according to rivals.com.

Frease averaged 18.2 points, 11.1 rebounds and 3.0 blocks a game this season.

Hours before hearing from Frease, the Enquirer also reported that sophomore point guard Johnny Wolf requested and received permission from the university to explore transfer options with other schools.

Wolf’s decision does not obligate him to transfer, but frees him to evaluate his upcoming status as a third-year back-up.

“Johnny did an outstanding job as a member of two Xavier basketball teams that won conference championships and participated in consecutive NCAA Tournaments,” said head coach Sean Miller. “I wish him continued success as he pursues other opportunities to continue as a student-athlete.”

Wolf’s freshman year was spent backing up point guard Dedrick Finn, though he saw a surge of minutes late in the 2005-06 season with his promotion to the starting lineup following Finn’s dismissal.

Wolf played consistently well during the Musketeers’ record romp through last year’s Atlantic 10 Tournament and in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Wolf fought through a broken wrist to score 10 points against Gonzaga.

The eligibility of junior transfer Drew Lavender this season again limited Wolf’s role. He compiled an impressive assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.2-to-1, but started only one game as Lavender’s primary understudy.

 Contact Info

John LaFollette 
Editor-in-Chief

Rachel Peters
Ann Tassone
Darren LaCour
Senior News Editors

The Xavier Newswire
3800 Victory Parkway
Cincinnati, Ohio 45207-2129

On-campus location:
The Publications House,
3739 Ledgewood Dr.

Telephone: 513.745.3607
Advertising: 513.745.3561
Fax: 513.745.2898

Email:
John LaFollette 
Editor-in-Chief

Ellie Jaqueth 
Advertising Manager

Full list of staff contacts

www.xu.edu/newswire