http://www.thebatt.com/media/paper657/news/2005/11/16/News/Sga-To.Vote.On.Bonfire.Recognition-1058877.shtml?norewrite&sourcedomain=www.thebatt.com

Excellent bull! I realize this resolution doesn't have a ton of teeth, but it will be the first time that **elected student leaders** in an official capacity have stepped up to the plate to even recognize SB, let alone endorse it.

On a side point, I do hope that if the BCS representative pulls a weak argument like this...

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(He)said it is the responsibility of student organizations to uphold ideals held by the University.

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that it is summarily buried by all involved for being completely asinine.

It appears it has the votes to pass anyway with 32 co-authors.

[This message has been edited by AB2 (edited 11/16/2005 4:38a).]

Arggh.. I really dont like BCS. Not because they want to Bring Bonfire back to campus but because they stand in the way of any progress that ASB makes into legitamacy.

Badass.

I don't like how the article ends.

They didn't get any info from any SB person in the article at all to conteract what was being said by the naysayers.

F'ing awesome bull!

Wow, it's snowballling!

Jim - I have strong opinions on BCS too and it's my fault for leading the thread down this road, but let's get this back onto the EXTREME positive that this is for SB.

I just got this message from Scott Smith (the author of the bill)

To whom it may concern,

I apologize for the misconception that today's Battalion article gives. The bill I authored that is going before Senate tonight does not recognize off-campus bonfire as a official student organization. This was a play on words by the Battalion and a miscommunication between the writer and editor. The Bill only endorses what Aggie Student Bonfire does, and cannot give them the right to become a student organization. The Bill would only ask that SGA and its organizations respect Aggie Student Bonfire for its contributions to A&M. I believe that Aggie Student Bonfire has upheld a tradition under the most difficult circumstances and they deserve SGA's full support. If you have any comments on this issue please send me a message back or email me at scottsmith81@gmail.com.

Thanks and gig'em,
Scott Smith

Even though the Batt article is poorly written, it shows the growing support for ASB!!!!


Make me smile.

1. The article is poorly written. There is no balance between ASB and BCS. In order to be un-biased in reporting, you must equally present both sides of the arguement, and the author didn't even contact ASB for comment.

2. This is awesome in it's capacity to reduce the fear of university retribution (sp) in the minds of students who care to participate. If this results in more attendees of Burn and larger work crews next year, then I am all for it.

3. I consider myself to have a bit of "inside" information about ASB, and I didn't know we had applied or appealed to become an official student organization. As of 8/10/05, Aggie Student Bonfire is a chartered company under the Texas secretary of state, complete with all required forms and identification. Approving this measure is the same as saying that the Chicken is a recognized organization because it is Aggie owned, operated, and the majority of it's patrons are Aggies.

(Edited as a result of the letter from the Senator. I left #3 in for clairification.)

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If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you can read this in English, thank a Soldier.

[This message has been edited by opie03 (edited 11/16/2005 8:42a).]

I didn't mean recognize it as a student group, but rather than an official student group is recognizing and endorsing it. That's basically what this is doing.

Obviously SB would be turned down by TPTB if they applied for official student organization status.

Off topic slightly: I really dont see why a group could not be created that is called something along the lines of Ag's for Student Bonfire.

It is about the same as a group that is dedicated to helping with Habitat for Humanity. Both groups are in support of a off campus service group.

I felt like the article was off a bit in what was actually happening.

As far as I know Student Senate can only pass resolutions and approve SBP appointess and the SGA budget. The resolution is just passed onto the admin as a "this is what the students feel" and is left up to the admin to respond accordingly, if necessary.

It's another nice counter to the "Pro-Bowen resolution" passed by the administration kiss-asses back in 2000 that ended up spawning Pro-Traditions.


[This message has been edited by RealDeal022 (edited 11/16/2005 9:08a).]

Problem is finding a faculty member that would put it on the line to be our advisor.

Well if the faculty member is the problem... I guess i need to become a prof at aTm and sponsor Ag's for Student Bonfire .... only 10 more years of school.

[This message has been edited by slim-jim (edited 11/16/2005 11:04a).]

Slim, you know what you remind me of sometimes?

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Problem is finding a faculty member that would put it on the line to be our advisor.

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You'd never even make it that far. As long as the lawsuits continue, the administration will never recognize a student organization that has any official link to ASB. I have no doubt that their lawyers are telling them to put as much distance between the university and ASB as humanly possible. Senate can pass all the resolutions they want, but I can guarantee you that the administration won't let SGA go any further than that in supporting ASB. I'm not saying that's the way it should be, I am just telling you how it is.

The Aggie lawyers/administration are being stupid. If, God forbid something happens at Bonfire this year, I promise you Texas A&M University is still getting named in the lawsuit. Not that it won't be tough to prove but I think at the very least one could survive summary judgment on a simple negligence claim.

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Senate can pass all the resolutions they want, but I can guarantee you that the administration won't let SGA go any further than that in supporting ASB.

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Herein lies another huge culture problem in the upper levels of A&M "leadership;" SGA and other student "leaders" don't actually lead or represent students to the administration, but rather serve as a liason from the admin to the students.

It's so ridiculous for me to hear people say "The Admin won't let student leaders do X." The admin can't control a real leader. Sure, they can retaliate with threats against jobs or other status, but does anyone honestly think they could follow through with this on the bounds of SB activism without getting nailed with ANOTHER huge lawsuit?

As long as our student leaders don't want to lead, but rather tell the students "they're doing what they can," then you'll have this sort of complacency at the higher levels of leadership.

Why do you assume it's complacency and not a deliberate choice? I think if you asked many student leaders why they haven't pressed the administration on Bonfire, they would tell you the following:

1. The odds of the administration changing its position on Bonfire are slim to none over the next few years.

2. Expending political capital on Bonfire doesn't make sense when a good relationship with the administration is the only real way they have to advance their organization's agenda (which is what they were put in office to do).

3. They face no meaningful political pressure to press the administration on Bonfire because there is a great deal of apathy and divison within the student body on this issue.

We pick our student leaders and have the power to hold them accountable. If we want our student leaders to take the fight to the administration on Bonfire, that is entirely within our control.

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AB2
posted 9:56p, 11/16/05


Herein lies another huge culture problem in the upper levels of A&M "leadership;" SGA and other student "leaders" don't actually lead or represent students to the administration, but rather serve as a liason from the admin to the students.

It's so ridiculous for me to hear people say "The Admin won't let student leaders do X." The admin can't control a real leader. Sure, they can retaliate with threats against jobs or other status, but does anyone honestly think they could follow through with this on the bounds of SB activism without getting nailed with ANOTHER huge lawsuit?

As long as our student leaders don't want to lead, but rather tell the students "they're doing what they can," then you'll have this sort of complacency at the higher levels of leadership.

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It's not an A&M problem. Student Government is like that at every school in the country. Just like when you were in middle school and someone ran for SBP on the platform of "More Coke machines in the cafeteria!", student government at any level wields no real power in the grand scheme of things.

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As long as our student leaders don't want to lead, but rather tell the students "they're doing what they can," then you'll have this sort of complacency at the higher levels of leadership.

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This is how some view BCS.

They want something, but it is not percieved that much is being done about it other than to say "we don't support SB *rabble*rabble*rabble."