This letter is written in response to the suggestion by junior class president Meghan O'Donnell that the Executive Cabinet should receive more power under the Constitution and that the Senate is not representative of the opinions of the Student Body.

I had the privilege to work on the original revision of the Constitution as a District Senator during the 1993-94 school year. At that time, the composition of the Student Senate was very similar to the current composition of the Executive Cabinet. One of the reasons behind the change in the composition of the Senate to its current form was to make it more representative of student opinions and a more effective advocate of those opinions. Moreover, there was a recognition that student government was responsible for both advocacy and programming. The current composition of the Senate and the Executive Cabinet is reflective of this division of duties.

I do not wish this letter to discourage Ms. O'Donnell or any interested student from trying to take a more active role in effecting positive change at Notre Dame. However, I encourage students to be aware of history before attempting to change the structure of the Student Government. Moreover, if someone truly feels that the Senate is not adequately representing student opinion, they should strongly consider running for a position on that body.

Mark Leen

class of '99

March 19

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