I found your editorial titled, “An open letter to our ignorant student body”, off-base and offensive. It comes as no shock that the Board would pass the resolution dismantling the Category I list. Was there even a question it would not? Why should I attend a meeting when my comments would have no bearing on the result?

More importantly, I do not have the time to attend board meetings. To assume that my day is filled with deciding what bar special I would like to take advantage of is insulting. The student body elected leaders to represent it. I do not have to attend because someone else, namely the Student Trustee, will. Do you attend meetings in Springfield to express your opinion to the Illinois House or Senate? My lack of attendance does not signal apathy or ignorance. There are other ways to express my opinion.

Your attacks on the Student Senate also fall short. Student senators represent students in the Student Senate and Champaign-Urbana Senate. They have no obligation to represent student concerns at board meetings. This fact does not mean that the Student Senate does not influence the Board through resolutions or private meetings with the Student Trustee. If you would like to change this complex and nuanced interplay, ask your representative to amend the bylaws or propose a change to the Illinois Student Senate Constitution requiring student senators to attend board meetings. Do not show indignation to some violated illusory obligation.

Hassen T. Al-Shawaf

graduate student