What's in a Name?

What’s in a name? Well SAGA feels like they are quite a bit associated with a name. Earlier this week the General Assembly voted 20-5 in favor of allowing the student body to decide whether or not the title of Speaker of the General Assembly should be changed to President. While I commend the GA for putting the issue to the CUA community I have concerns as to the reasons given for calling this vote. According to the reasons presented on Wednesday night the change is designed to legitimize the executive role within SAGA, make it easier for people to understand what the General Assembly is, and to give additional weight to the initiatives undertaken by SAGA. While noble goals in themselves I can’t quite see how altering a title can accomplish these goals. The only true way to legitimize and prove SAGA’s worth to the University community is to simply improve the quality of the student experience here at CUA. It’s as simple as that. Creating a consistent record of achievement is not only a means to better the organizations reputation but the very end for which it was founded in the first place.
Furthermore, changing the name of the Speaker to President will serve to confuse, rather than clarify the role this office holds. In reality the Speaker is not a President, he is a Delegate for either the Junior or Senior classes who is chosen to lead the body for a current term and to carry out the initiatives of the body. However, that does not mean the Speaker is an ineffective office. In reality quite the opposite is true, the role of the Speaker allows for an incredible amount of growth. If the General Assembly wished to expand the authority of the executive I encourage them to do it within the framework of the Office of the Speaker. For example the Speaker could consolidate authority of his office by addressing the student body once a year (as is currently mandated), issue a holistic agenda, and create stronger lines of communication between the body and the student population.
The largest pitfall SAGA faces as it heads into its third year is the belief that Delegates are more concerned with hollow changes to governing documents than making things better for their classmates. I encourage the current members of the General Assembly to strive to innovate new means of improving student life and academics on campus. Similarly I encourage students to vote against changing the title of Speaker to President when they cast their ballots for next year’s members of SAGA, SFAB, and Program Board.