Another Students' Association Senate meeting, another half-empty conference room.
It's not exactly breaking news that Senate meetings are poorly attended by senators, but the fact that Wednesday's meeting was the first in the 34th administration was important.
Vice President Jon Erickson said that there was a "lot going on" that night that kept 14 of the 32 senators from attending. Sounds like a case of the dog eating the homework.
How can these senators expect to make any vital action or be taken seriously when almost half of SA failed to attend the first meeting? What could possibly be some of the excuses these senators will have for missing the first meeting of the new administration?
Car trouble: "My car broke down." This can also be interchanged with "I got a flat tire" or "I couldn't find my keys."
School stuff: "I had to study for a really big test tomorrow" is a classic one. "I was at another meeting" or "Too much homework!" will also suffice.
Sickness: "My arthritis was acting up again" may be a little sketchy, so try "I stubbed my toe and was bedridden" or "That burrito I ate this afternoon totally upset my stomach" for maximum effect.
While the senators are seriously hurting their chances at being taken seriously by the UH community, they are also lowering themselves in the eyes of the students. Why should we care what the Senate does if its head honchos can't even attend required meetings?
SA officials often criticize the lack of students voting in their elections. The only way to get us to vote is to show that you care. Leaving a bunch of elected seats empty doesn't exactly get you started off on the right foot.