Dearest Constituent,

I’m so glad you left that note for me, the members of SGA, in last week’s paper. I began to wonder if you even noticed what I’ve been doing for you. I know it’s easy to blame me for being distant; my busy schedule keeps me in meetings with administrators and student leaders. But, it might also be true that you could better use the ways we have to communicate with each other.

That “fancy website” I put together was for you. If you look at it, you’ll see that I’ve included an open forum, called “My Voice,” just for you. You can give up-to-the-minute thoughts and concerns about what I do. I’ve also invited you to talk with our administrators and me at town hall meetings. But, when you showed up, the vast majority of you seemed to show little interest. I’ve left my office door wide open to your thoughts, desires and complaints, but you rarely stop by to chat.

It’s true, I haven’t knocked on your door. But I stood in the quad and in the Busch Student Center, reaching out to you as you walked by, and you typically ignored me as I asked you to tell me your concerns for the upcoming election. If you’re so eager for my attention, why do you ignore my attempts to gain yours, dear?

As for the honey-do list you left in your note: I’ve already started working on some of it, and I’m making every effort to get the rest done soon. I’d love to take you to not only the newly renovated Griesedieck Cafeteria, but also to the other dining options we recently established and will institute in the future on this campus. I’m currently working on a way to get a survey out to you for you to tell me what you want on your plate when you dine with me on campus. I’m going to talk to our mutual friend, the Residence Hall Association, about your rodent problem for some guidance from the organization that normally handles these matters-but I’ll use all my resources to get to the bottom of it. The library renovations are already being planned, and I’m volunteering some of my time to those planning the renovations to make sure I let the planners know what students would like to see.

I’d love to serve your needs, but you’ve got to be more vocal about them. I want to hear what you’ve got to say; I’m dying to know what you think about the things I talk about every Wednesday. In fact, along with a new chance for you to choose what I will look like next year, I’ve included a couple referendums for you to vote on this upcoming election.

I’d love to make a difference, but I’m going to need your help. Representative politics is a two-way street, baby, and I need your hand as I walk down this road. Tell me where you want to go, and I’ll take you there.

I’m here, waiting.

Yours truly,
SGA

[Editor’s Note: The preceeding message has been approved by the executive board of Saint Louis University’s Student Government Association.]