Its good to know, Dan Ungier, that you are invested enough in MCSG to be disappointed with it. All the hard work we've put into MCSG is finally bearing fruit. Our community is taking MCSG seriously, which is my only goal for the organization. My aim will never be to convince people that they should agree with every decision MCSG makes. You can expect, however, that we, your representatives, will always think and debate a great deal before we make important decisions.

You are upset because MCSG declined to hold a student referendum about the war in Iraq two weeks ago. Part of MCSG's rationale for doing so will become clear as I address some of the concerns you raised in your opinion piece last week. I say part, because there were 30 MCSG representatives at the meeting in question, each with their own opinions. I will simply outline some of these opinions that stood out in my mind.

I will respond to four concerns, which you raised in your article:

1. "MCSG painfully misunderstands democracy and its role in student governance."

I disagree.

MCSG's constitution is very clear about our role: "The purpose of MCSG is to ensure direct student participation in campus governance." MCSG representatives are elected to represent and empower the student body's voice in community-specific conflicts that arise between students and the administration. We were not elected to represent students' political/religious/social views about the world.

Using this line of argument, a strong majority of the LB felt that it was not their place to hold political referendums. We discussed the issue for two hours, and then voted to do what we felt was in the best interest of all students. I don't know what could be more democratic.

2) "MCSG missed the crucial point that they were not being asked to involve themselves in outside political events. They were rather being asked to allow the student body to simply express its opinion."

Contrary to your assertion, the LB was aware of the difference between an overt resolution denouncing the war and surveying the student body, then publicizing the results. It was raised at the outset of the discussion, and a majority of MCSG representatives felt that this difference was very small. If MCSG were to oversee and publicize this referendum, it would be tantamount to it taking a stand against the war in Iraq. For the results of the referendum were easily predictable: an overwhelming majority of those students who voted on Oct. 30 opposed the war. However objectively the referendum was conducted, its results have political implications—they make a statement. LB members felt that it was not MCSG's place to make such a statement, explicitly or otherwise. It was not MCSG's place to remind students that 91 percent of the student body affirms their political point of view or disagrees with it.

That said, the LB felt that the issue was much larger than this specific referendum. It had to do with the precedent MCSG would set by involving itself in an issue not directly related to the life of the college.

3) "[MCSG] denied the chance for the voices of students to be expressed … students working on the anti-war effort needed the help of the student government …"

The added benefits of MCSG organizing the poll, in their entirety, were funding to print the ballot, help in conducting the referendum and providing a stamp of objectivity on the referendum.

Although MCSG declined to hold the referendum, we did everything we could to ensure that these benefits were not lost. Firstly, MCSG offered to fund the referendum. Secondly, members repeatedly stated that even though MCSG was not the correct body to be holding the referendum, it should not stop LB members from independently helping the students working on the anti-war effort. And thirdly, several MCSG members asked me if MCSG could help organize a coalition of political student organizations, which would hold this referendum. This would provide both an official and an objective forum for the referendum. I, like you Dan, thought this was a great idea. I helped organize this coalition (Mac Dems, Mac GOPs, Mac Greens, MPJC) on behalf of MCSG. We did everything we could to ensure that students had a chance to express themselves in the most pertinent of forums, which, in this case, was not MCSG. MCSG did not abandon these students. Had MCSG taken on the responsibility of holding this forum, students would not have been given any greater a chance to express themselves.

4) You express the sentiment that "[MCSG members] were being cowardly" by declining to hold the resolution

I disagree completely.

All the LB members I have spoken to have strong opinions about the war in Iraq. It would have been easy for them to vote for or against the referendum based only on their personal feelings. But none of these members took the easy road. They thought rationally about the stated purpose of MCSG and what their duties as student representatives (not political representatives) were. To me, there is nothing braver than to make difficult decisions, whether you like them or not, because the role you've been given demands that you make them. These representatives decided it was not their place to hold the referendum, despite what they felt about the war. That's certainly not a trait of cowardice.

You acknowledge, Dan, that MCSG is a source of power. However, your article implies that you feel unable to claim any of that power. But as student body members, you and I own MCSG equally. If you feel that the current structure of MCSG limits your voice, then you have a right to call for MCSG to be changed. You can suggest changes to MCSG's constitution, whereby MCSG is required to involve itself in issues not directly related to Macalester's governance structures. If a large proportion of Macalester students are in support of your idea, then MCSG will change. But my sense—and this is confirmed by the surveys and forums we have conducted—is that students want MCSG to remain focused on what happens at Macalester.

And there is still a lot of work to be done here. Macalester students, regardless of their creed, want a student lounge in the Campus Center, demand that there are greater avenues for students to affect Macalester's policies and are concerned about the lack of domestic diversity on campus. These are issues Macalester students have united behind. We're doing everything we can to see that this unity is not broken because students believe in different things. We're doing everything we can to make a noise about these and other issues in an organized manner. We're doing everything we can to become an effective student government. If students like you continue to take MCSG seriously, then we'll get there pretty soon.