Staying committed

The Red & Black received an advanced look at SGA’s latest report, and we like.

Commitment is a tricky subject. Someone or something can make a commitment in their rhetoric, but until action is taken, true feelings can never fully be judged.

We at The Red & Black were refreshed to hear Sunday that the Student Government Association is taking steps to ensure both the University and the State of Georgia stick to their commitment to education.

Sunday afternoon, The Red & Black received an e-mail from SGA President Katy Bowers outlining two key points in the SGA report to be published on the ARCHES listserv Monday.

This month, SGA has been working on two major items sure to strike a chord with University students: SLC hours and textbooks.

Facing midterms, SGA is pushing for the SLC to be open 22 hours every day. A 24-hour facility is not being considered due to maintenance and security issues, the e-mail said.

The other big push is for tax-free textbooks, which is currently being debated in the state House of Representatives under House Bill 141. Though the savings for students would only be $7 for every $100 spent (in Athens-Clarke County, anyway), the bill would send a strong message that Georgia values education.

Both measures show a strong start to the SGA administration’s tenure and an even greater show of commitment to students.

The extra hours in the SLC will be extremely beneficial to the average student and even more so to the average procrastinator. The push for tax-free texts will be a relief on the burden of students’ pocketbooks that even the most affluent student can take to the bank.

We of the editorial board fully support SGA’s latest endeavors and willingly enter the commitment to back both measures all the way to implementation.

Outstanding image

Image awards recognize positive University students and organizations

The Ramsey Center is hardly a natural venue for a black-tie affair, but Saturday, its volleyball court was transformed for the University’s NAACP chapter’s Image Awards ceremony.

The audience was comprised of about 200 people that included NAACP, University and community members. Arguably the most notable guest was Andrew Young, a former United Nations ambassador and former Atlanta mayor.

The event mirrors a national event which airs Friday on Fox. According to the national event’s Web site, the awards are meant to honor “outstanding achievements and performances of people of color in the arts as well as those individuals or groups who promote social justice.”

Individuals and groups were given awards during the night, and The Red & Black applauds all recipients for helping to further the cause of an equal-opportunity world.

Although the actions of the awarded are seemingly smaller than those nominated for the national awards, they should in no way be undervalued. Award winners may not have made major national headlines just yet, but they made ours – and hey, that’s a start.