Comments on: SGA fills VP position in closed session http://www.thewhitonline.com/2009/09/18/sga-fills-vp-position-in-closed-session/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:28:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Editor Reflects on Tough Student Government Coverage « College Media Mattershttp://www.thewhitonline.com/2009/09/18/sga-fills-vp-position-in-closed-session/comment-page-1/#comment-701 Editor Reflects on Tough Student Government Coverage « College Media Matters Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:13:44 +0000 http://www.thewhitonline.com/?p=11647#comment-701 [...] the past month, The Whit . . . has published several controversial stories about our Student Government Association. It got heated. The Montclarion [...] [...] the past month, The Whit . . . has published several controversial stories about our Student Government Association. It got heated. The Montclarion [...]

]]> By: Editor Reflects on Recent Battles with Student Government « UWIRE College Media Beathttp://www.thewhitonline.com/2009/09/18/sga-fills-vp-position-in-closed-session/comment-page-1/#comment-698 Editor Reflects on Recent Battles with Student Government « UWIRE College Media Beat Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:58:04 +0000 http://www.thewhitonline.com/?p=11647#comment-698 [...] the past month, The Whit . . . has published several controversial stories about our Student Government Association. It got heated. The Montclarion [...] [...] the past month, The Whit . . . has published several controversial stories about our Student Government Association. It got heated. The Montclarion [...]

]]> By: Matthttp://www.thewhitonline.com/2009/09/18/sga-fills-vp-position-in-closed-session/comment-page-1/#comment-587 Matt Sat, 19 Sep 2009 02:30:32 +0000 http://www.thewhitonline.com/?p=11647#comment-587 I have to point out a major piece of misinformation in this article. The writer's argument defines the Rowan SGA as a public organization based on their control over public funds. What the writer does not realize is that the near million dollar fund SGA controls each year is not money from any federal, state, or local government budget. Rather than using public dollars given to Rowan by the government, the fund is collected as part of the activity fee levied on every student. I'm no lawyer, but to say that the SGA's activity fee would be considered a government tax, forming a budget of public dollars, would be giving the organization more legitimacy than it deserves. Electing a new VP in an unannounced closed session is definitely not the way I would conduct business, but at most it is a breach of etiquette rather than a violation of a rule.For all the work the writer did trying to dig up a scandal, it would be nice to have a reference back to the SGA's own bylaws. Catching an organization breaking it's own rules would be an easy way to gain some student journalistic cred without having to stretch the story as was done here. I have to point out a major piece of misinformation in this article. The writer’s argument defines the Rowan SGA as a public organization based on their control over public funds. What the writer does not realize is that the near million dollar fund SGA controls each year is not money from any federal, state, or local government budget. Rather than using public dollars given to Rowan by the government, the fund is collected as part of the activity fee levied on every student. I’m no lawyer, but to say that the SGA’s activity fee would be considered a government tax, forming a budget of public dollars, would be giving the organization more legitimacy than it deserves. Electing a new VP in an unannounced closed session is definitely not the way I would conduct business, but at most it is a breach of etiquette rather than a violation of a rule.

For all the work the writer did trying to dig up a scandal, it would be nice to have a reference back to the SGA’s own bylaws. Catching an organization breaking it’s own rules would be an easy way to gain some student journalistic cred without having to stretch the story as was done here.

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