A Letter to the Editor From a Student Senator

Chance B. Kennedy

Senator, Budget and Finance Committee

Dear Ebbtide, I recently picked up the “Sunfest Funfest” issue (ED. Note: Ebbtide Vol. 40 number 13), and found a very interesting article which was titled, “The Club That Almost Wasn’t: The Rebel Alliance.”

As I read, I began to feel that there was a very one-sided account of discussions between the Student Senate, and The Rebel Alliance, which began on April 6, 2005. On this day, the advisor for the club, Linda Warren, came to the Student Senate requesting a full club budget, and advisor stipend for the entire academic year.

As we began to talk about the issue, we learned that the club had not met requirements as set out by the “Shoreline Community College Student Body Association Constitution” to be recognized as an active club. Keep in mind, that this constitution was ratified by the students of Shoreline Community College. These requirements are:
1) Each club must submit a constitution to be approved by the Student Senate.
2) Each club must submit a list of 10 or more names and student numbers of students who intend to participate in that club.

Last year, and every other year I have been involved with Student Government, the Treasurer requested the list of ten names for the following year in the spring. So, if you planned to be an active club in the 04-05 academic year, you needed to turn in your list of names by spring of 2004. If any club failed to do this, no budget was allocated for them until they had turned in their list of names. Then, it was pro-rated for the year. Just ask the Hip-Hop Club. The vast majority of all the clubs on campus turned their names in on time when requested.

Linda Warren told us that she had not turned in the names because she had an accident in November in which she injured her back. She went on to tell us that she wasn’t able to work, and even when she was able to come back, it was on a limited basis. Now, when I heard this, and heard the tale of how long it has taken her to recuperate, I thought that the injury must have happened in November of 2003. In further discussions with he though, we learned that it had not been in November of 2003, but in November of 2004. This was nearly six months after the deadline for submitting the list of ten names. On top of that, she was able to turn in her quarterly club activity report on time every quarter this entire year.

We highly encourage every club, to include officers and advisors, to read the constitution in regards to their club. Even if they don’t, we do everything in our power to make the requirements set out in the constitution clear to clubs. If we didn’t follow these requirements, we would not be respecting the wishes or following the intentions of Shoreline students.

I am troubled that four people affiliated with The Rebel Alliance are quoted in your article, yet not a single senator who voted on the issue is represented. I wonder how many of us you tried to contact in the nearly three weeks it has been since Linda Warren sent you her letter concerning this issue. We really aren’t that hard to reach. We have a meeting every Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. In fact, here is my e-mail if you would like to talk to someone and are having a hard time getting a hold of us.

ckennedy@shoreline.edu The Student Government has an open office is located in room 950, in the PUB. Just in case you would like to drop by.

I’m really disappointed that the Editor-In-Chief of the Ebbtide didn’t bother to substantiate claims made by The Rebel Alliance. I feel this has resulted in a mischaracterization of the Student Government which has worked so hard for the students of Shoreline Community College. In my three years of involvement with Student Government, I have never seen a harder working or more dedicated group of people striving for the betterment of others. This has been echoed by students, faculty, and administration alike. I would ask that next time, you please talk to all parties involved in a story before you print an article which I believe is misleading.

Chance B. Kennedy
Senator, Budget and Finance Committee