Dallas Mayor Laura Miller made some news Friday when she asked Student Body President Taylor Russ and the Student Senate to revive the Environment Committee.
We couldn’t be happier.
This editorial board voiced its displeasure with the senate’s decision to cut the committee in late January. We are pleased to see others share our disappointment with the choice, even months after the fact.
No amount of spin from senators can hide the fact that the senate reduced its commitment to environmental issues on this campus when it killed the committee. Creating a new Student Concerns Committee only makes the environment a topic some of the time.
That is not enough.
SMU can earn a reputation for being an environmentally friendly campus.
We were the kick-off location for the Stop Global Warming College Tour with Sheryl Crow and Laurie David. We were on “Good Morning America” for the whole nation to see how much we cared. Students filled McFarlin Auditorium to hear what they could do to become more environmentally aware.
But having dedicated groups working on those issues is crucial.
Students for a Better Society and the Environmental Society are important student organizations that have created awareness for environmental issues. Last week they hosted a nature walk, had displays about simple conservation efforts and brought speakers to campus – including Mayor Miller and some of the candidates running to replace her.
But these groups can’t do it by themselves.
A committee dedicated to raising problems, discussing them and producing results is necessary for the Student Senate.
A look at what the Environment Committee did when it was in existence is a good example:
– They instituted recycling on The Boulevard for football tailgating.
– Leaders of the committee helped SMU win an award from MTV’s Break the Addiction Challenge.
– Committee members helped SMU become part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership.
Student Senate spent a lot of time this year on internal fixes and streamlining processes within the body. That’s fine, but we expect those fixes to produce results for students next year.
There can be no better result than reinstituting one of the most productive senate committees.
We hope that Russ and the senate will take up Mayor Miller’s offer and get the ball rolling on the return of the Environment Committee.
