Throughout the 2001-2002 academic year, Macalester College Student Government (MCSG) has worked to become more active and to establish itself as an accurate representative of student opinion on campus.

“Historically, MCSG has been seen as an ATM machine,” said MCSG President Nick Berning ’02. “It has not been perceived as an effective organization. This has been improving over the past several years, and we’re continuing that improvement.”

One major organizational change has been the creation of six task forces within the Legislative Body (LB). In previous years, the LB has been divided into three committees, each consisting of about 12 people. This year, these committees have each been divided into two task forces, each consisting of five or six people.

MCSG President Nick Berning ’02 cites this change as one reason for better attendance at MCSG meetings. “In smaller groups, the LB members are more effective, and they have more things to be doing. I think they really want to feel like they’re representing their constituents.”

Clark Wohlferd ’03, a member of MCSG for three years running, agreed that the organization of the task forces is a source of motivation for members. “It is so much more structured now. People are more willing to go out and take up controversial issues-they are fishing for things to find and do on campus.”

In previous years, MCSG meetings were not well attended by members of the LB; at one meeting in 1999, only seven members showed up. The past two years have seen a significant increase in attendance. Academic Affairs Committee Chair Haris Aqeel ’04 credits this in large part to a recent change in the constituents of LB members. Two years ago, it was decided that first-years and sophomores would be represented by their dorms, while juniors and seniors would be divided by major.

MCSG members are still working toward greater student awareness on campus. Recently, a survey given by MCSG indicated that approximately 50 percent of students do not know who represents them in the LB.

The recent enthusiasm has resulted in a more visible as well as a more active role for MCSG on campus. Students have brought several issues-the football program, the Commencement flag policy, and the van trip policy, to name a few-to the attention of MCSG members. During LB meetings, these issues are discussed, and members try to pursue a course of action that will “represent the general sentiments of the student body,” Berning said.

Often this takes the form of resolutions, which are passed by a simple majority in the LB. Through surveys, forums, and focus groups MCSG members gauge student opinion-as they did last semester with the football program, for example, and this semester with multiculturalism on campus-draft a resolution to represent this opinion, and then vote on it. If it passes, it does not automatically have the power to change anything directly; however, copies are sent to President Michael McPherson, usually to Dean of Students Laurie Hamre, and to whichever other departments or people are appropriate.

“Passing a resolution and making an issue out of something is often enough to make some sort of public change,” said Berning ’02. “We make the most of what power we have.”

“We follow up on these resolutions as much as we can,” Aqeel said. “All we can really do is keep making noise about it.”

Veteran MCSG members are optimistic about continued improvements in the program. “According to the surveys, more first-years than members of other classes knew who their LB reps are,” Berning said. “They’re getting the impression that we’re doing something.” This is likely due in part to the enthusiasm of the first-year representatives, who work hard to make their constituents aware of MCSG’s activities. For example, the Dupre Hall representatives post the minutes of each week’s LB meeting at the bottom of the Dupre stairwell and ask for residents’ input.

Another improvement that bodes well for next year’s members is the tackling of the MCSG Constitution. The Student Governance Task Force, chaired by Vice President Stephen Wong ’03, has spent the academic year revising and editing the Constitution and its bylaws which, after years of changes, were rather outdated. By the end of this year, the Constitution should, for example, contain an accurate list of all the chartered student organizations on campus.

“This is a huge step,” Wohlferd said. “It’s all part of this reorganization. Next year, MCSG is going to be even more organized, and will have more time for campus issues. The whole face of MCSG is going to change, undoubtedly.”