President's Corner: Why We Deserve Pay

Welcome to the home stretch of the LSC academic year.  In the world of student government, that means executive board election time.   Elections will start on Monday, April 16 at 10 am and last until Wednesday, April 18 at 4 pm. Most voting will be done online at www.lyndonsga.com.   A voting booth will also be open in the Alexander Twilight Theatre lobby on Monday and Wednesday and in the Student Center on Tuesday.

I will not be seeking re-election as SGA president next year.  I have had an incredibly rewarding experience this year, but it is time to pass the torch to a new student body president.  I look forward to continuing to serve LSC in my senior year as a Peer Leader and hopefully as the next Vermont State Colleges student trustee. 

It is very important to vote in the SGA executive board elections.  The four students who serve on the SGA executive board are your representatives to the administration and have significant responsibilities.  If there is anything at LSC that you want to see changed or improved, I strongly encourage you to speak with the candidates and make your voice heard at the voting booth. 

Now I want to turn to one of the most controversial issues of my time in office, executive board compensation.  I've heard and read a few students' opinions that we do not deserve compensation because "everyone works hard" and "the money should go to clubs or student activities", 0r it should help "needy students". 

Everyone works hard in class but few go above and beyond to serve the greater good of the students.  Contrary to what Opinion Editor Bob Patton wrote last week, we are not the only student leaders who are paid. Peer Leaders and Resident Assistants are compensated for their work either in monetary form on in a full room and board reimbursement.   Having been a part of both of those jobs in my time at LSC, I can safely say that the amount of time I put in for SGA is comparable to the time I put in for those jobs. 

A quick look at the SGA general fund reveals over $55,000 available to the clubs. Most of this money has been available all year, and it is still there.  As an executive board, we put in our time, not to serve ourselves or our own interests, but to help make student activities happen for all students.  The $1,000 stipend essentially is a merit-based scholarship, and over 71% of Student Governments are compensated.  If the SGA does not want to grant me compensation, I will survive, but no one is more deserving of compensation than the three people who sit to my left at SGA, Executive VP Sean Siciliano, Administrative VP Meghan Dolyak, and Financial Controller Julie Austin.