Senate must rein in runaway spending: serve students before serving self

This week, Student Senate allocated $16,000 from student activity fees to send seven students and an adviser to New Orleans, La., in November, for a “leadership” conference.

After completing the conference, they will receive a Certified Student Leader® certificate, a piece of paper that says that they should know how to lead.

A copy of the proposed trip budget obtained by The Eagle is as follows:

Flights: $4,000
Rooms: $3,000
Meals: $1,700
Gas: $300
Registration: $4,600
7 “Student Leader” certifications: $1,050
Incidentals: $1,400 

According to the National Council for Student Leadership website, the amount that senate has budgeted for plane tickets would pay for 50 students to earn the same Certified Student Leader® certificate through an equivalent course that the council offers online.

Nebraska State College System Chancellor Stan Carpenter declined to comment on the NCSL programs in a phone interview Wednesday because he did not have enough information, but has been on the record numerous times in the past saying that he strongly advocates online education.

It is our opinion that the executive board and its advisers have selected an option that has the lowest actual return on investment and benefits the least amount of students.

This act does not constitute being fiscally conservative, nor does it reflect Chancellor Carpenter’s charge to be “stewards of the public treasury.”

Student activity fees come from students. That money needs to be spent in a way that benefits the entire student body to the greatest extent possible.

The role of any government is to serve its people. Students who volunteer to serve on campus government need to realize that they are not there to self-aggrandize, build credentials, or add a bullet to their resume. Their position is one of service, and they need to be remember that every decision they make should be oriented to serve the people they represent.

The end goal of any allocation ought to benefit  more than the privileged executive branch.

A true leader demonstrates their leadership ability by putting their people first, rather than continually relying on “trickle-down” logic.