Party poopers

Proposed SGA bill might flush out the possibility of senators using parties

If you haven’t been paying attention to campus news lately, there are interesting items boiling in the Student Government Association’s pot.

SGA Attorney General Justin Shepherd has proposed a bill which allows only the president and vice president to run as a party. Senators would be prohibited from running with executive members, combining campaign money, sharing logos or endorsing fellow candidates.

“The main reason behind this is because I want more people to get involved in SGA,” Shepherd said. “In my opinion, parties help some people but discourage others from running.”

We agree with Shepherd. This past SGA election proved it is possible to get elected with only minimal campaigning – i.e. no free donuts, few fliers posted on campus and no army of minions wearing T-shirts – and we feel senators should be elected through their own merit, not with the help of their friends.

SGA Vice President Ali Gibbons, who was in an election where only one party ran, sees the perks to parties, but also wants to make SGA more accessible to more students.

“I won’t deny that secrecy and insider information hinders those who don’t know what to do to be on the right foot,” Gibbons said. “But I want the system to open up. It’s helpful to pool funds while campaigning.”

While the members of the editorial board have never run for an elected student government position at the University, we have heard the complaints about how SGA’s early stages of the election process are secretive and not open to students who lack close ties with the incumbent president. Then again, looking at the number of students who voted in the last SGA election, only 10 to 12 percent of students actually will care if the party system lives or dies.

On a note that affects every student on this campus, SGA approved a resolution Tuesday supporting Georgia House Bill 141 to eliminate taxes on textbooks. The bill could save students approximately $70 on books, according to SGA President Katy Bowers.

Looks like maybe SGA is working for students after all.

Getting your fil

Chick-fil-A gets busy in Athens: opens new location, renovates, sells biscuits

The Chick-fil-A restaurant on Alps Road has been a popular option for off-campus students jonesing for quick, tasty poultry, and while we mourn the fact that it’s closed for repairs, we certainly can’t wait to see the place once the renovations are done. The Red & Black’s Editorial Board suggests adding two drive-throughs and a second floor to create faster ways for us to “Eat Mor Chiken.”

On the bright side, when one Chick-fil-A closes, another one opens. A new Chick-fil-A restaurant opened on Epps Bridge Pkwy this morning and is promoting its grand opening by providing free giveaways.

As if that wasn’t enough good news, Chick-fil-A biscuits and hashbrowns soon will be available at the Bulldog Cafe in Tate. Who could ask for mor?

Besides being open on Sundays…