To The Editor,
A month ago, Student Senate held an emergency meeting regarding damage to the campus during the Red Sox riot. The resolution passed there had three points to it: condemning the acts that occurred the night of the World Series, asking those who caused damage and/or knew clues as to who did damage to step forward and lastly asked that if nobody was found to be guilty, then all students will be charged for the costs incurred. Their recommendation to the administration was to be made after December 1.
This past Sunday was the day of reckoning. One student has been arrested, and two more are likely to be charged. At the Senate meeting President Steen said the administration’s position is that it does not want to charge all students; instead, the money not charged to the aforementioned two students will be coming out of other funds. Unfortunately, I must question this statement, since if the money is not coming out of state, federal or donated funds, as she stated, it MUST come out of student pockets. Just because we won’t see it on our Bursar’s bill does not mean we won’t miss it being snuck into our mandatory fees or some other cost.
Student Senate was to make a recommendation at this same meeting regarding what THEY thought was appropriate action as well. They passed a small, insignificant line at the bottom of another resolution WITH NO DEEBATE. Whoop-de-freakin’-doo. What happened after the Facebook group, an emergency meeting, articles in The Clock, other meetings, etc.? Did Student Senators forget to stand up and remember that they are not supposed to simply go along with the administration? Even if I disagreed with their recommendation, at least they would have been doing their job.
This was not the end of astonishing things I observed Sunday evening. VP Hage was also at the Senate meeting, and he informed me that it was illegal to charge any charged students for damages that could not be directly tied to them. My question is this: if students who are implicated cannot be charged more than the cost of damage they caused, then how can it even be recommended that the entire student body be charged when we know for certain 99% of them caused no damage?
Lastly, there is no need for the newly created Student Senate Anti-Riot Task Force. The administration has had several years to create a policy. Despite the risks inherent in doing so, in order to truly protect students here on campus and upkeep the improving reputation of this school, a standard policy should have been created and utilized in all such situations, for riots small and large. To do anything else, which seems to be the case, is a violation of their duties as representatives and heads of this campus. Even if I disagree with the policy-having one police officer with squirt guns shows more planning and thinking ahead than nothing.
Thank you,Dustin Siggins