No rest for the weary

Summer days are considered a break from the normal routine for most students, but for student leaders, the summer means more time to work on behalf of the University.

“It is a time to really step back and reflect on what the priorities will be for next year and how you can be most effective,” said Student Body Vice President Adrian Johnston.

Last summer members of student government spent time in Raleigh lobbying against a proposed 1.7 percent budget cut. This year is not much different.

Congress Speaker Luke Farley said that this summer Congress advocated against budget cuts to the UNC system and voiced concern about tuition increases.

“We have been working for students,” Farley said. “We have made lobbying trips to the General Assembly to advocate for students.”

Both Johnston and Student Body President Seth Dearmin have made several trips to Raleigh themselves to speak with representatives about the budget.

“Our presence in Raleigh shows that students do care about this and are taking time to have our voices heard,” Dearmin said.

Johnston said that representatives have been receptive to their input and that it’s clear the elected officials care about UNC-Chapel Hill.

Farley also stressed the importance of advocacy.

“It is always important to have the students’ voices heard, no matter what the outcome,” he said. “The people who needed to hear us heard us and that is what matters.”

Farley said Congress is very concerned with tuition and budget issues and is trying to take a more active role in the process.

“This is a new perspective on how Congress can work,” he said.

The body passed a resolution Friday that opposes a special provision in the Senate budget that would allow UNC-CH and N.C. State University to set tuition without approval of the UNC-system Board of Governors.

“That was probably the most significant thing we have done this summer because of the immediacy of the issue,” said Anisa Mohanty, Congress’s finance committee chairwoman.

“The budget is going through soon so it was not something that could wait until the fall.”

Besides advocating in Raleigh for students, Dearmin and his administration are working on a bevy of platform points.

“We have been working on a variety of issues,” Johnston said, “anything from wireless on Franklin (Street) to a number of things.”

Specifically, Dearmin said they are working with Student Health Service to examine safe-sex practices and are also examining campus construction.

“We want to get done what we can in the summer so that in the fall we can take on anything that unexpectedly comes our way,” Dearmin said.

Bobby Whisnant, senior class president, said that this summer his administration has been working on several key platform planks, most notably the inaugural Senior Celebration.

The class of 2006 now has a logo and a T-shirt, but more work remains.

“In the next two months we would like to go ahead and solidify the speaker and performer for Senior Celebration,” he said. “We want all things final for (Senior Celebration) since it is the first.”

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.