‘ It’s unfortunate that so much of the attention drawn to the election for the next Student Government Association (SGA) president has been negative, and it has overshadowed a lot of the work we have done during the past year. Since the candidates were chosen, we have seen articles and student letters in The News about topics like low attendance at debates, candidates showing a lack of enthusiasm or clear goals and concern with one candidate’s loyalty to multiple positions. During the past few weeks, the attention has turned from the candidates to the organization as a whole, and a lot of this criticism has been misguided. One editorial used a question from a senator to illustrate a supposed overall lack of professionalism in the organization; another cited the need for ‘reform’ and ‘change’ to come to the organization because of the antics of less than a handful of senators.
When put into context, the fact is that the worst thing we have going for us is a handful of colorful members, one of whom wanted to spark interest by promoting a ‘No Confidence’ campaign with a fast-food themed logo, which I think is one of the more creative things I have seen come out of this election period. Apparently, this means our organization is corrupt and unrepresentative of the students.
When put into perspective, this time last year yielded timeless headlines like ‘Botched SGA elections threaten choice,’ ‘Senator reminded why she left SGA’ and my personal favorite, ‘SGA ‘beyond shambles;’ [then Parliamentarian Grant] Oberg resigns.’ By the end of last year, we were probably at one of our lowest points. Having come into the organization in spring 2005, I realized we had come far from the strong, sometimes intimidating organization I remembered.
Yet, during the past year, we have come a long way from where we were, and it is the students who have benefited. Most of you might not know what SGA is or how we work, but if you are a student at Northeastern, you have seen the benefits of what we do.
There is no organization that has as much access to the administration as SGA, and that translates into us being able to effectively speak on behalf of the students on a regular basis. There is no need for strong-worded legislation or boisterous protests in the quad; when an issue is raised, we know who to call to make things happen. For that reason, a lot of the work we do goes unnoticed, and we know that promotion of our accomplishments is one area in which we must improve, but it doesn’t mean we have not been looking out for you.
Those students who are involved in student groups on campus see the results of our efforts more regularly. We recognize every new student organization, allocate funding to ensure that those groups have the financial means to function, advocate for the creation of additional space on campus and establish the open communication to address policy concerns that are holding them back from achieving their goals.
Many will criticize that the larger changes come from the administration, but it is the notion that these changes are driven by student necessity that allows the changes to occur. Even within the strict financial circumstances of the past year, we have taken student priorities to the senior vice presidents, and have even met with the Board of Trustees to establish those needs that are paramount to the student experience. Without our efforts, these needs would remain where they started:’ with students thinking, ‘I wish’hellip;’
Full presentations from these meetings are available on our website (www.sga.neu.edu), and I invite you to come see the things we have pushed throughout the year to accomplish.
As the current year comes to a close and we begin preparing to start the next, I encourage you not to hesitate to reach out to us when you need to. One cannot say we do not advocate for him or her if he or she has never reached out to tell us what is needed. Speak up; we’re listening.

‘- Rob Ranley is Student Government Association president.