ch0, says:

Five sentences about UTA, and more than thrice that about UNT? Bait-and-switch!

arlington, says:

The article that started this discussion contains a major error: The UTA Student Congress does not have the authority to tell The Shorthorn not to publish a print edition. If the resolution passes, it will be nonbinding

bessalvarez, says:

To Whom It May Concern:

Thank you for taking an interest in UT Arlington Student Congress resolution 09-15. I would like to take some time to share with you some information about this resolution.

Resolution 09-15 is one of three sustainability resolutions that I authored during the summer of 2009. They were introduced to Student Congress in the beginning of the fall semester at UT Arlington, as that governing body does not meet during the summer.

I am no longer a student at UT Arlington, nor am I currently affiliated with the UT Arlington Student Congress. In fact, the only person that may officially speak on behalf of the UT Arlington Student Congress is the President of Student Congress. Any person, whether they are a member of the UT Arlington community or not, can author a resolution, but only a Student Congress Senator may sponsor and introduce it. If a resolution has a sponsor and has been introduced, Student Congress is obligated to research it.

This does not mean that all or even the majority of members in Student Congress agree with or support it. Furthermore, if the Student Congress passes a resolution, that resolution and all related research are then forwarded to various administrators and finally the University President. Student Congress acts as the voice of the student body, but the ultimate decision rests with the University President.

I would encourage everyone to read the resolution carefully and let the language speak for itself. The intent behind this resolution is not to put any student or staff member out of a job, infringe on the freedom of the press, create a controversy, or draw any negative attention to the University.

During the 2008 – 2009 academic year, I had the privilege and opportunity to serve on the Student Service Advisory Committee (SSAC), to which I was elected by the UT Arlington student body. This committee, composed of nine (some elected and some appointed) students, is charged with sitting in on budget presentations for various student service oriented departments (including Student Publications) and ultimately recommending to the University President how to appropriate the nearly six million dollars of student service funds.

After serving on this committee and learning about the sustainability initiatives at UT Arlington called “Mavericks Go Green,” I wrote resolutions 09-15, 09-19 and 09-20.

I would like to thank the Executive Board of Student Congress and the staff of Student Governance at UT Arlington for fielding all related questions about resolution 09-15. I know that it has been a busy couple of weeks and I sincerely appreciate all of your hard work. I commend and recognize these individuals who work tirelessly every day to better the University of Texas at Arlington to the best of their abilities.

At the end of the day, if all these resolutions accomplish is discussion of waste reduction at UT Arlington, I will consider them successful. There are many ways to “go green” and I hope you keep my humble suggestions in mind.

Thank you for your time and GO MAVS!

Sincerely,

Bess Alvarez

Proud Maverick Alumna and avid reader of The Shorthorn