While the Blog had some exciting international news this week, I am going to turn the focus back to Elon and Student Government Association. Throughout the semester, The Pendulum has tried to cover SGA more closely to ensure that we are fulfilling our duty as watchdog of the government. News publications, throughout history, have been charged with the responsibility of educating the people about government policies in order to protect the people from potential government abuse and hold politicians accountable for their actions.
Nevertheless, with the rise in social media and the Internet, the government is able to communicate directly with the people. This is not to say that newspapers are no longer necessary, but it does transfer some of that "watchdog" responsibility to the people.
Elon is no exception in this trend. Matt Campbell, senior class vice president, redesigned the Facebook fanpage for SGA in order to better communicate with the student body. The new page will include photos, a page titled "Meet the Execs," and links to twitter, Elon's main page, YouTube, FunFund and recent Elon related videos. Campbell said he wants to have 25 percent of the student body be a "fan" before Christmas break.
Continuing with SGA's efforts to remain transparent, Neima Abdulahi coordinates PR for the organization. She created a video about the four executive positions and said she hopes to create six more videos next year to better communicate with the student body. Abdulahi also challenged the senators to interact with other organizations more regularly.
While it is important for SGA to utilize more modern methods of communication, this also means that students must assume responsibility for their own knowledge concerning SGA. The "watchdog" role is no longer restricted to reporters and media. All members of the Elon community can participate in conversations about student government.
-Melissa Kansky, assistant news editor