Editorial: Ineffective DSG

When Duke Student Government restructured its work this year to eliminate legislators' individual projects, the idea was to organize work around a committee that could handle larger problems more efficiently. Gone were the days of minor pet projects, and in were efforts to more clearly voice the undergraduate perspective on broad issues. But the stated goals of the vice presidents who head the standing committees lack the ambition they hinted at earlier.

The academic affairs committee will likely tackle finalizing course evaluations and getting half-credits for science labs. These are two worthy projects, but ones that should not require much action. The Arts and Sciences Council is scheduled to vote on course evaluations later this fall; all that remains for DSG is to provide the faculty with arguments and data that support its request to continue evaluations. Likewise, efforts to change the credit system should involve mainly gathering data and meeting with administrators. There are many larger issues facing academic affairs that the committee should not ignore: class scheduling, quad-based academic services and implementing the new Community Standard, to name just a few.

The vice president for community interaction has said her committee will address Martin Luther King Jr. Day organizing--for which there is already a planning committee--as well as setting up two other events. Although these events certainly have the potential to build community, the committee should think much bigger. For example, interaction between Duke and Durham remains below where it should be, and DSG could have a significant impact by just educating the student body about Durham happenings.

Perhaps the least encouraging agenda comes from the facilities and athletics committee, which has prioritized a canned food drive and bringing Cable 13 coverage to DSG meetings. Again, these are important projects, but hardly ones that a whole committee should focus on. The renovation of student space in the Bryan Center and West Union Building is clearly more important, and DSG officials need to be advising administrators on what renovation plans should include. The Athletics Department has also recently completed a long-range plan for football and should soon complete a similar vision statement for athletics overall, so DSG should react to these plans.

Finally, it is disappointing that the DSG student affairs committee cannot think of much to do beyond renovations to the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture--with planning for that project well-along--and creating dialogue on social life. Much has already been said about social life in recent years, and with a full committee addressing the issue, DSG should push for concrete recommendations, not just talk.