Associated Students of Madison, the Student Services Finance Committee and ASM’s Finance Committee all work for the students of the University of Wisconsin, yet much of UW’s undergraduate population is unaware or even more so indifferent regarding the daily operations of these organizations.

These student-run student-government orgs allocate funds to student groups and set the overall opinion of the student population on controversial issues in this university.

Redundant? Perhaps.

However, is it not incredibly interesting that these orgs are expressing the “universal” views of the college and fighting over what fees to allot to which groups, yet students are far from involved or, better yet, not even asked what they think about these remarks.

Perhaps more students would get involved in these orgs if they had a better understanding of what they did and how they operated. Or maybe the reasons many students do not care about student government as a whole is because of the tedious processes needed to get approval or the arguments that stem from the meetings and daily workings.

SSFC, in particular, spends multiple meetings discussing where to allocate thousands of dollars and to what large groups to give them to. Budgets are submitted, budgets are reviewed, budgets are cut and budgets are approved … it is an ongoing process of compromise and assessment. SSFC members at times, including SSFC Chair Aaron Werner, even acknowledge the problems with the structure of the group and the ways things are accomplished. However, Werner also said the group as a whole is the best it has been.

Regardless of the problems apparent in the system, the group must continue to give money to groups that request it so that the events planned can persist. However, much of this money stems from segregated fees that students pay in their tuition costs, which give students good reason to pay attention to what goes on at SSFC meetings. Realistically, though, will this happen? It is doubtful, which is just one reason why the student government of the University of Wisconsin needs to change to incorporate the views, needs and wants of UW students.

Students need to be educated on the workings of these organizations, and students need to know that in the groups they form they can go to the Finance Committee for assistance in funding events and such.

Ignorance may be bliss to some, but someone needs to step up and educate the masses. Students are losing out on services created to aid in college life … students are essentially being “ripped off” for merely not being knowledgeable on what the multiple branches of student government, no matter how dysfunctional, can do for them.