Editor:

I would like to respond to an appalling article I read about the student senators who do not attend their meetings (“Student senators not meeting constituents’ expectations,” Jan. 21).

Although I have never been a student senator at the U, at my previous institution-University of Vermont-I was a student senator for a time, an RHA President and a Resident Assistant in the dorms.

I managed to attend all of my daily meetings. Not only that, but in Vermont this was not a paid position. I had to work and keep a full class load as well.

I was not the only one who could juggle a full plate. All of my executive board as well as RHA representatives attended meetings weekly because they knew it was part of the job-no exceptions.

The fact that these student senators, especially Angela Velez-Alvey (who used the excuse that she got married mid-semester as reason to miss meetings), Dan Kunz, Matt Jensen, Danielle Fowles and Cam Au all missed the majority of their senate meetings is completely unacceptable.

I am sympathetic to the fact that Velez-Alvey got married, but she should have stepped down from the senate if marriage and senate were too many responsibilities along with her class load.

I agree with The Chronicle’s View that these senators along with others not mentioned in the article need to be held responsible.

What are these people being paid for? To enjoy their honeymoon? I don’t think so.

I do not pay a fee each semester for these senators to slack off. I urge the students of the U to demand more from the ASUU in the upcoming year. And remember that these are YOUR elected officials-they report to you and they should NEVER forget it!

Carrie Ferrera

Senior, Sociology