Culture rep system improving

The controversy surrounding the Senate culture rep system seems to finally be over this week with a proposed fix being included in the proposed new TCU constitution. The new arrangement does not require student body approval for groups seeking culture rep status -- it simply opens the opportunity to all recognized student groups.

The change represents an ideal compromise between those who feel their interests are not served in a class representative system and those who oppose the preferential treatment current Senate culture groups enjoy. Theoretically, there is no need for the culture rep system at all. Students should be able to go to their class representatives with their concerns and expect them to effectively work with the government body to address them.

However, it is understandable that class representatives may not be able to effectively communicate all issues secondhand. Under the current system, only a select few student interests have been given the ability to vote at Senate meetings (although all students can speak at the meetings). The exclusion of other campus interests is blatantly unfair, and the new proposal takes a big step toward remedying this.

Of course, the Senate may want to try to estimate how many student groups will take advantage of the new rules. If the proposal is passed it would be possible (though unlikely) for group representation to comprise a significant fraction of the Senate.

ThePrimary Source had the right idea by actively challenging the system and organizing a referendum that would give campus conservatives their own culture rep. Perhaps not surprisingly, the referendum failed to pass. But credit former Source EIC Sam Dangremond for sticking to his guns and maintaining pressure on the clearly flawed culture rep system.

The culture rep arrangement is not perfect, and it may never be. But the new TCU constitution should clear up most of the perennial controversy about the system and let the Senate get back to dealing with more important things.