Colleges: closer to home, keeping life under control
"Although it may not be immediately apparent, the college government plays a role in almost everything that goes on around Sid [Richardson College]," SRC President Joel Grus said.
"We provide activities as varied as Sid Day, Broom-Ball, Tower Party and today's blood drive. We disseminate information from the SA, the RPC, the masters, other groups of students and the administration."
SRC is typical of colleges in its structure. Elected officers -- a president, a vice president, a treasurer, a secretary and representatives of various sections of the college -- oversee a variety of committees. Once a week, the officers meet in a college meeting to make announcements, raise issues, approve appropriations and deal with student concerns.
"On a very practical level, we're the ones who keep the washers and dryers running, cash checks for you, replace lobby furniture and kitchen supplies when necessary, plan improvements to the college. ... We maintain the music room, the weight room and, with a little bit of help, the computer room. ... We yell at you and levy penalties when you break the rules. ... We try to get you excited about campus-wide events. We stick up for you when the administration wants to do something that's not in your best interest. We do everything that you have no idea is even done." Grus said, then added, facetiously, "We own you."
Each college's government has its own character. Will Rice College's Diet, for example, is known for elaborately themed meetings, and SRC tends to get through its council meetings as quickly as possible.
Each year's officers, too, influence the character of the college.
"There've been cabinets that didn't care, and you could see the apathy reflected in the attitudes of Hanszenites," Hanszen External Vice-President Ann Zondlo said.
According to Zondlo and other Hanszen officers, the current president, Glenn Levy, has brought with him a more participatory spirit.
"Earlier presidents cut things off sooner. Decisions are more democratic, not representative, this year," said Matt Tenny, a Hanszen section representative.
"We've stabilized the workings of the Cabinet such that events, college traditions and the maintenance of Hanszen facilities are consistently seen to," Levy said of Hanszen's college government." Student participation and leadership of all aspects of Hanszen life is essential and always present."
One of the best aspects of college government, say college officers, is that it is closer to the student body than centralized institutions like the Student Association Senate.
"We get more participation, more diverse voices," Zondlo said. "Not to say we're ideal, but we do better in that regard than the SA."
Tenny agreed to an extent. "I'm for more decentralization, but to be efficient, you need a balance."
Even so, college governments have their own problems with participation. Of 360 Hanszen students, only about 40 show up at a typical council meeting, despite incentives such as free food. That problem is by no means unique to Hanszen.
Jeremy Martin, SRC vice-president, said that poor attendance may be a good sign.
"The only time we get attendance is when we're giving away something or when something's wrong. Less involvement often shows that things are running smoothly," Martin said.
Grus had an alternate explanation: "Historically, a big draw of council has been the promise of getting your name in the minutes with a clever nickname. Due to a lax secretary, this no longer happens. I think that's a big part of it."
Compared to other universities, Rice students have a great amount of control over their living quarters.
"I have friends at other universities, and all college government there does is vote on how much beer to buy for parties," Tenny said.
Rice's colleges, in contrast, have a lot more authority. Food and Housing, for example, gives each college $2,000 a year for physical improvements. Colleges also decided where to install the computer X-terminals given to them last summer.
"I don't really feel the presence of the administration on the college level," Hanszen Treasurer Jenn Healey said.
Another aspect of this independence is that colleges maintain some of their own facilities, such as computer, laundry and weight rooms.
"A lot of people do forget about the behind-the-scenes work -- fixing washers and dryers, computers ... The only time people notice is when things aren't working," said Martin, who is in charge of properties at SRC.
As for college finances, most get their funds from several sources. Hanszen, for example, has approximately $33,000 in its annual budget. The money comes from leftover funds from previous years; a $50-per-student allowance from the university; college fees (which includes a mailbox key deposit, social, laundry and computer fees); and commissions on vending machine sales.
At Hanszen, about 40 separate budgets comprise the total budget. The Socials Committee has the largest budget: $7,100; laundry has $3,360, and the computer and damages accounts are also relatively large. "Our only appropriations account consists of $850," Healey said.
Vikki Otero, a WRC Diet representative who transferred from Michigan State University before last semester, said that at Rice, college government has given her a chance to get involved.
"I never could have been on my college government at Michigan. It's surprising for me that a first-semester transfer could be a Diet rep. It wouldn't happen anywhere else," she said.
That's the best part of Rice's college government system, the Hanszen officers agreed. "You feel more in control of decisions and more satisfied with the outcome," Zondlo said.
This item appeared in the Features section of the February 16, 1996 issue.
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