It is 10:30 p.m. on a Saturday and I'm writing my column. While many of you may be admiring my dedication (please, hold your applause), I have really have nothing better to do. That is because I'm not drinking tonight.Unfortunately for Boston College students, if you are not out getting drunk on the weekends, there is not much to do on this campus.
Because the longest runs of my marathon training take place on Sunday mornings, getting wasted and being out until the wee hours of the morning are out of the question the night before.
After a couple of weeks of going to performances and seeing shows, I find myself running out of alternatives to writing my column on Saturday nights. Maybe it's because I'm a junior living with seniors or because most of my friends have already turned 21 and can now go out to bars, but I've only recently been awakened to the disturbing lack of weekend programming that afflicts our student body.
"Nights on the Heights," programming, led by the Office of the Dean for Student Development's Alcohol and Drug Education (ADE) office each weekend as an alternative to the typical college party scene, is often limited to keeping the Chocolate Bar open until midnight.
While the University must bear some of the blame for the lack of weekend events, much must be shared by the Undergraduate Government of Boston College, as well.
I speak now to the UGBC presidential and vice presidential candidates. This campus needs its student government to do more. With a budget that approaches $500,000, there is no excuse for why there can't be some kind of UGBC-sponsored event every weekend.
Not only that, but these events must be publicized and made known to the undergraduate community. Publicizing sponsored events, something that the UGBC has been infamously impotent at accomplishing throughout my time here at BC, must be made a priority.Hosting an event is futile if no one is aware it is happening. Expanding programming for those not looking to drink is one of many ways that the UGBC can increase its daily impact on student life. Many of us want a big name concert act, but at what cost? Last year's administration, reeling from criticism for not following through on their promise of a fall concert, spent over $200,000 on the Kanye West concert. Kanye put on an incredible show, but consider the price tag.
Though not all of the funds used to put on the event were from the UGBC, a significant amount was spent on the single performance. Having a great concert is one of the highlights of the year, but a year of mediocre planning and publicizing cannot be made up for in one night.
Upon looking at www.UGBC.org, students find an inconsistently updated calendar and many out-dated or dead-end links. Looking for the platforms or links to the Web sites of this year's candidates? You won't find them on www.UGBC.org. UGBC meeting minutes have been "coming soon" since the beginning of September. One of my friends said it best the other day, "If you're not constantly trying to stay informed, then you aren't aware of anything."
Pardon my rant, but we are mandated to pay a student activities fee and I feel we should be getting our money's worth. It is unreasonable to expect the UGBC to be perfect and do everything imaginable within a given year, but certainly we can expect more than what we've seen thus far.
This year's field of candidates would do well to focus on the small changes that can make a big difference in the lives of undergraduates. Too often, students and candidates alike focus on issues that have little relevance to the immediate lives of BC students
Whether candidates are pro-life or pro-choice, liberal or conservative, it is important to remember that such issues are not those for which a student government is elected to decide.
The UGBC's role is to hear the voices of the undergraduates and act on them. I know that I am not alone when I use my voice to express disappointment over the past few years, but I am also not alone in voicing hope. The UGBC does have the ability to return to its roots as an organization for the students, by the students. It is my deepest hope that whoever the next UGBC president and vice-president are, they will keep in mind that their responsibility lies in making small but real changes that the undergraduates on this campus call for.
If the future president and vice-president need any ideas, I'll be in my room writing my column on Saturday night awaiting new and exciting events on the weekends. Feel free to drop by.
Matt Carroll is a Heights staff columnist. He welcomes comments at carrolmx@bcheights.com.
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