Wednesday, October 24, 2001

Credit due
SGA legal service merits recognition

Several things are certain at TCU. The Main will always serve chicken strips, unlucky freshman will always be stuck with 8 a.m. classes and students will always complain that the Student Government Association takes their money and then fails to really accomplish anything with it.

But at the same time, those students fail to take advantage of the services SGA does provide — like the lawyer who gives free legal advice to students every week in the SGA office.

Most students don’t even know the lawyer exists. Of the 600 students who filled out an online House of Student Representatives survey last week, only 8.3 percent were aware of the legal services provided by SGA, House Vice President Amy Render said.

SGA spends about $3,000 each semester for the legal service.

The attorney, who helps students with legal concerns ranging from rent disputes to alcohol violations, is not a recent addition to the list of things SGA provides to the campus community. SGA Advisor Larry Markley said SGA has been paying for an attorney to give advice to students for at least 10 years.

This semester, the attorney is in the SGA office Wednesdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Students may also choose to visit him at his Fort Worth office for advice.

Certainly, a service such as this is only useful in unique circumstances. Not every student will need to seek legal counsel, but for those who do require advice, SGA has provided a free, convenient method to receive it.

As with any governing association, SGA is not without its faults and definitely is not without its fair share of criticism.

But keep in mind that the organization has daunting limits — administrative approval is required for just about each proposal the group puts forward.

So when SGA successfully develops ideas that directly benefit the student body, the organization deserves credit for their worthwhile accomplishments.

SGA, thanks for providing students with a much-needed service.