To the Editor:
On behalf of Student Body President Chip Hiemenz, I want toextend my deepest apologies to the Student Senate and to the campus— for president Hiemenz doing his job. You see, unlike TheDaily Campus, I realize that being Student Body President doesnot require president Hiemenz to attend Senate meetings. While hisattendance is welcome and encouraged, it is not compulsory. So whenWednesday’s headlining article about Student Senate mentionedhis late arrival right off the bat, I was taken aback. Surely ourreputable and esteemed newspaper knows that president Hiemenz is avery busy person, who just happens to be fighting for all of us.Although he was late, he did so not to spite or out of negligence,but because he was busy doing things that we expect of our studentleaders. So, my advice to The Daily Campus is to back offand let president Hiemenz do what he was elected to do. I alsoencourage Emily Powell to keep her eye on the ball.
Furthermore, Wednesday’s editorial shunned presidentHiemenz for promoting athletics at SMU. Did I miss something? Whendid promoting our athletic teams become worthy of contempt? Shouldthe Student Senate focus on academics? Certainly, it should —and believe me it does and will. For the Editorial Board to devoteits column to degrading our student leaders for encouragingattendance at athletic events is just unconscionable andridiculous. Let’s face it: our athletes need our support.When president Hiemenz makes a point to encourage all of us toattend athletic events, he is doing what all Mustangs should do.Did the Editorial Board forget that they go to SMU? Did theysuddenly fail to realize that athletics brings the campus togetherand that we all should do everything we can to support our teams?Since when does the Editorial Board have the right to criticizeothers for taking a well-founded stance on an important studentissue?
Andrew Baker
Senior political science and English major