Never before have I been so against a proposal from the Student Senate and so supportive of an editorial from the Alligator. Accent's success lies not only in the experience, professionalism and dedication of its staff, but in its independence from Student Government's legislative branch. The Accent chairperson must be free to act quickly to respond to offers from speakers and be able to act even quicker to research and bid on potential speakers. Requiring the Accent chairperson to report to the Student Senate and ask for approval would strangle Accent's success.
With all due respect to the Student Senate, barely any of the senators have any experience with the lecture industry and would be debating an issue in which they have no experience or knowledge. Speakers like former President Bill Clinton, Michael Moore, Lewis Black and Monday's event with Sen. John Kerry would not have been possible if the chairperson had to wait for the Senate's approval.
On a side note, I would like to say job well done to Student Body President Ryan Moseley for following through on a campaign promise to survey all students on their choices for Accent speakers. This is exactly the kind of data that will guide the chairperson to choose speakers that best meet the student body's demand.
