When the United States Senate commences deliberation, we may have come to expect flagrant displays of destructive partisanship, materialistic greed and sloppy rhetoric, but at least we can expect them to do something. I wish the same could be said for our own local senate.

It was with the model of the U.S. government in mind that the Notre Dame Student Government recreated itself three years ago as the Notre Dame Student Union.

The whole system was thrown out and an organization based on the division of powers in the United States Constitution was set up in its place. The official voice of the student body would now be expressed via a Student Senate, complete with dorm representatives and everything!

Now, I admit, for the student whose idea of "extracurricular" is only found at Corby's or Club 23, or for those whose only concerns are with grades and a high-paying job, the senate in any form is totally irrelevant. But for those of us who like to think about the world beyond ourselves or wish to have some influence on how our money is spent and what happens to this great University, the senate should be where we turn to get things done.

Which is why it is so disappointing to see them do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING this semester, and why it is disturbing that most students see nothing out of the ordinary in this.

Lest you think that I am only a ranting journalist wannabe, let me assure you of my experience in this field. My years spent on the committee that created the new system, service as both the first Keough Senator and the constitutional consultant to the senate and the CLC, as well as time on the Oversight Committee and Campus Life Council had me embroiled in the formation of the original goals and purview of the senate, as well as their earliest realization.

Anytime there is a decision to be made on this campus that affects students, our opinion should be voiced, loudly and accurately by the senate. Anytime we want to speak to the national or global community as Notre Dame (for, as Monk grudgingly admits, "Students are the lifeblood of the University"), it should happen through the Student Senate. Instead of trying to delay the closing time of Rolfs, senators should be promulgating the student opinion on the administration censure of ads in The Observer, suggesting better ways to find scholarships for students or advocating what we think should be done about East Timor or the missing Panchen Lama.

Whether you think the Big Ten decision or the Spirit of Inclusion statement is a bigger deal, the fact remains that the senate was created to be the primary vehicle through which debate can be conducted and student policy can be made. Don't just let them wallow in the self-inflicted doldrums of uselessness: You elected your senator for a reason, and it wasn't just to beef up his or her resume!

Every resource of the Student Union (SUB, HPC, CCC, Executive Cabinet, et al.) can be at the disposal of the senate if only they apply themselves to the job you elected them to. So, do a good turn today, go make your senator feel useful and give them an idea of how not to waste his or her next six meetings.

• `Vox Populi' Indeed