I don't know how to begin... your logic is absurd that itÃ?s difficult to argue. Let's start with the comparison tp Emmitsburg, Maryland. A town of 2,290 people. Compare that to Penn's undergraduate student body of 9,710 students. I would hope that the operating budget for student life at Penn is at least a little bit higher than that of a town home to only 553 families. Not to mention, $1.7 is the tuition of about 43 students (less than 0.05% of PennÃ?s undergrad population). Now while I agree some of Student Government's budget is not well spent, you propose cutting the number of reps, instead of suggesting to cut the budget. News Flash -- the Penn Student government positions are not salaried (were not a town, like Emmitsburg). More student reps increases transparency. You also mention the Junior Class web site, which apparently, "isn't calling for substantial feedback." I guess you somehow missed the Forum Page which asks for Event Suggestions, the Photos from Abroad contest which allows Juniors to upload their photos and comment on others' photos, and the Video of the Week, which displays user submitted videos. PS -- Didn't you write that article about how Penn girls who drink waste their time on treadmills? Another stellar example of your intelligence and logic.

I agree with Logical Larry's comments. Overall, I think you're confusing what the UA and Class Boards are supposed to do. Class Boards build unity of each class separately-- to suggest that their events are comparable to other campus events does not make sense. What other events are limited to your class specifically? The UA is the body that is supposed to serve you. I hope you're not suggesting that you can't find ways to let the UA know about student concerns-- just check the website for emails or come to the general body meetings for the open forums. And finally, I just don't understand how cutting the number of reps would help at all. The UA needs all 33 members, and having more members increases the chance that you will know a rep and be able to talk to them about your concerns. The Class Boards have quite a lot of work to do, and decreasing the number of seats would only hurt their ability to fulfill their mission.

To the author: It is people like you whose pessimistic (and frankly, sorry) attitude seeks to repress school spirit at Penn. Wasn't it Kennedy who said "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country"? After you get over yourself and recognize that student government is not here to "service you," please feel free to welcome yourself back to the "work hard, play hard" environment that best characters OUR school. Actually on second thought, stay far away.

-So you want more transparency but fewer emails with information about UA and Class Board events... -You think that free Penn merchandise enticing students to attend class events does little to instill Penn pride... -"Most people aren't even aware o

I must say that while the piece is indicative of the type of shitty, lazy journalism I've come to expect from the DP, her point was so nonsensical and irrational that I must wonder if she either has a personal grudge against class board because she herself lost in a class board election or is simply so dumb that Penn must immediate correct their mistake by revoking her admission retroactively. In either case, it is clear that our special snowflake thought she could publicly display her ignorance under the guise of a bold, original idea instead of taking the necessary time and effort to develop a strong thesis and research it properly as is required of any decent journalist/ivy league student. I look forward to seeing a four-person (less democratic, less representative, less transparent) Class Board somehow pull off Hey Day, feb club, senior week, etc. just so that Ms. Song can still know no one on the board and yet somehow "feel like she's getting serviced" better. Or here's a better idea, buy a vibrator and learn to think logically.

You article is crass and representative of someone who has a personal grudge against student government. I lived on your hall freshmen year and if I remember you ran for student govt positions but did not get elected. Do you have a personal vendetta or something? Not only do you fail to do enough research to support your argument but you clearly have no idea as to all the work the class boards and other branches of student government do. Calling student government a "six headed hydra" is absurd. Stop writing articles and go back to reading Greek mythology and fairy tales.

To the above poster who lived on the authors hall freshman year- why don't you just have the guts to give your name. Come on, she put her name out there, how about you do the same? Frankly, I bet some student government people are posting these nasty comments. Who else would get so angry about a topic not that offensive. If you disagree fine, but no need to get nasty about it. Relax, its not that serious.

I have to second another poster and say that it's very probable many of the posters are members of the class board. Someone even suggested her admission be retroactively revoked. I understand that it's hyperbole and the internet fuels such juvenile banter but seriously, don't insult others' intelligence and then say retarded BS yourself. Aside from a few key events, student government doesn't really do anything. But seeing as how they aren't paid, reducing the staff wouldn't change anything. Let's be honest. 90% of all events on campus are unnecessary resume padding, inside and outside the student government. However, most jobs and graduate schools don't actually care what all miscellaneous activities you participated in as an undergraduate, unless it directly relates to the nature of the job, internship, or grad school field to which you apply. But seeing as it doesn't cause any harm other than cynicism, I will say that there's no point in changing anything. Let people fill up their resumes and join unnecessary activities. If the only negative result it causes is cynicism, so be it. That's called healthy skepticism to the non-naive.

For the town of Emmitsburg, Maryland, that's more than the annual operating budget. Emmitsburg, Maryland has a population of 2,290; UPenn population is more than 4x that. I too can name 99 small towns with a budget less than 1.7 million. "I didn't leave with shining memories but with cheap glass beer lagers and oversized cotton tees." Why are you complaining about free stuff? "I propose we halve the number of positions for each Class Board." Yeah make Class Board less representative of our diverse Penn population and more obscure. GOOD JOB! "a lot of people run unopposed." I ran unopposed...but are you saying not have a SEAS representation at all? "Class Boards add even more social programming on a campus that is already saturated with events." Just because you don't go out doesn't mean the rest of us don't.

you're ugly and i can't believe your favorite book is the OED (facebook.com)

1. If the issue is really the efficiency and transparency of the way student government spends the budget, why are you are only criticizing Class Board and not the UA as well? 2. If you think Ã?materialisticÃ? class events are a waste of money, how would decreasing the number of Class Board members change anything? A smaller Board would most likely put on the same type of events but now with less representation from the class. 3. Maybe you have no memories because you only stay at the events long enough to grab free stuff. 4. Voters arenÃ?t knowledgeable about all the candidates in an election? Sometimes candidates run unopposed? Wow, that never happens in real life.

A FEW KEY EVENTS?!?!?!?! There is a line between 'healthy skepticism' and 'ignorant ranting.' You sir or madame are on the side of the former, as was the author. In addition you can have fun at Spring Fling, now that we will stop wasting our time with "unnecessary resume padding" and just let that weekend pass unobserved. You know cause thats one thing student government does. Lets see, Preceptorials GONE, Hey Day GONE, Student input to the administration GONE, Student group funding GONE. When you get right down to it, the only reason you aren't as incensed as some of the other respondents is that you SERIOUSLY underestimate the actual results from student government, to say nothing of the contribution that every member of student government makes to the life on this campus. Maybe not your life, since you have probably never attended a few key events, like Fling or a student group performance. Now that we aren't busy balancing budgets of hundreds of thousands of dollars, or organizing events for thousands of students, or making sure students are represented to the administration and faculty, I guess we will have time to give back to the penn community in some other way. I KNOW! We can troll around the DP website and make "hey guys its healthy skepticism" comments or better yet we could bring up the caliber of editorials!!! minus the fact that I suck at spelling, cause thats what spell check is for In conclusion, DON'T OPEN YOUR MOUTH IF ITS JUST GOING TO SPEW S$%T! [QUOTE id="20629469-1970-48a4-93a9-47f9bb57efdc"]I have to second another poster and say that it's very probable many of the posters are members of the class board. Someone even suggested her admission be retroactively revoked. I understand that it's hyperbole and the internet fuels such juvenile banter but seriously, don't insult others' intelligence and then say retarded BS yourself. Aside from a few key events, student government doesn't really do anything. But seeing as how they aren't paid, reducing the staff wouldn't change anything. Let's be honest. 90% of all events on campus are unnecessary resume padding, inside and outside the student government. However, most jobs and graduate schools don't actually care what all miscellaneous activities you participated in as an undergraduate, unless it directly relates to the nature of the job, internship, or grad school field to which you apply. But seeing as it doesn't cause any harm other than cynicism, I will say that there's no point in changing anything. Let people fill up their resumes and join unnecessary activities. If the only negative result it causes is cynicism, so be it. That's called healthy skepticism to the non-naive.[/QUOTE]