Coalition calls for greater student input

Just as many Americans voted for President Clinton wanting a change, students who attended the first town meeting held by the Coalition for Responsive Government last night said they hoped for change in their student government. College and Wharton junior Scott Sher, Coalition spokesperson, said the purpose of the meeting was to provide a forum for students to discuss "better interaction" between students and the Undergraduate Assembly, "more visibility" for the UA and "more [student] input on issues." In the discussion among the approximately 30 participants, many students commented on the lack of information on UA activities available to the student body. "I think the average student more than likely remains unaware and unconnected from the issues that affect the Penn campus," UA Chairperson and College senior Jeff Lichtman said. "I think that the Coalition and the UA speak for students willing to raise their voice, but the number of students willing to speak is small." Lichtman said many students' perceptions are colored by what they read in the Daily Pennsylvanian, which he said has not recently given enough coverage to "the positive and productive activities on campus." But Sher said the lack of attention paid by the DP is the fault of the student government. "Until the UA relates to the students, the DP will always be feeding on the negative vibes of student views of the UA," Sher said. The students also discussed what the student government can do to reach out to a greater number of student groups. But Lichtman said he believes that having the UA reach out to too many groups would interfere with the groups' activities and diminish the UA's "lobbying capacity." College sophomore Seth Hamlin, chairperson of the UA's Minority Concerns Committee, suggested creating "liaison positions that various students will fill from year to year" to promote more unity among various student organizations. And a number of students discussed the need to improve race relations on campus and with the neighboring West Philadelphia community. Sher said he was pleased with the meeting's turnout and the "substantive interaction" of "topics which really relate to student life" which took place. "I think that this town meeting demonstrated perfectly the need to have a coalition to act as a mediator between the student body and the UA," Coalition executive board member and College junior Susan Feigenbaum said. Hamlin stressed that any student can become involved in student government at the University. "All of the committees within the UA are open to involvement to all students no matter what group or independent status they have." Hamlin said. "It's not enough for the UA to say this. We have to make it known."