The current debate about Student Trustee Pat Kelly’s comments about student support of the faculty union and the reaction from other student leaders leaves the question to be asked, What do the students think?

Dave Vingren, Undergraduate Student Government president and Tim Hoerman, Graduate and Professional Student Council president, were quick to criticize Kelly for saying students support the faculty, but neither USG nor GPSC has done anything to find out what the students think.

If Kelly’s comments were so unfounded, shouldn’t USG and GPSC be out trying to determine what students really think about the union? Collecting student opinion would give each group a wider base on knowledge to work with when commenting on such issues. Part of Kelly’s job is supposed to be to express the views of students, but to this point, neither USG nor GPSC have talked to students.

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Maybe the problem is that USG and GPSC leaders do not have enough information to begin questioning others. Another problem is that student opinions are meaningless if the answers are uninformed.

Both problems easily could be solved by having a forum with faculty union and administrative representatives. Even if both sides simply posture during the forum, students and student leaders can learn the key issues and decide what they think.

Some could argue that no students would turn out for such a forum. If that is the case, USG and GPSC leaders could disseminate the information by talking to students. Either way, people would become educated about the union.

There would be no point to asking a student, Would you support a faculty salary increase? if the student had no background or no knowledge of the situation. It would be much more accurate to ask, Would you support a salary increase if the faculty were required to hold more office hours? Such a question would show some of the issues presented by both sides.

Some also could argue that administrators and union representatives would not bother to talk to students and their leaders, but Chancellor Don Beggs and Athletic Director Jim Hart did attend both a USG and GPSC meeting to discuss the athletic fee increase.

Learning about the issue would allow GPSC and USG to develop a platform concerning the contract negotiations, and give Pat Kelly something to speak out about.

The Daily Egyptian editorial board sat down at the beginning of the semester to discuss its position on the union. The DE’s stance at that time, which continues to be its stance today, was that it supports neither side. It does, however, support a swift resolution to negotiations so that student interests are not tarnished.

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The editorial board was able to come up with this stance among itself because its members are not elected and do not have a constituency to answer to. USG and GPSC do not have that luxury.

But in an issue such as contract negotiations, the result of which will affect many more than just the administration and faculty, the student leadership seems to be doing nothing.

Educating themselves and students is a way to develop a platform and decide where the SIUC student body stands. Instead of being inactive on the issue and criticizing others for speaking out, it is time for USG and GPSC to do something.