Staff Editorial: ASUN should have allocated time for bedbug situation

Housing, bedbugs, media coverage — these topics have dominated the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus for the past two days.

Tonight, the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska met for its weekly meeting. Its topics: a conceal-and-carry bill pertaining to UNL faculty and staff, university diversity plans, stainability within the Athletic Department, health-based research, the renovation of Lincoln's Centennial Mall, cutting bio-medical research funds from other universities and leaving travel grants to vote by graduate students.

What it didn't discuss: how to represent the opinions of students on campus regarding the Housing controversy.

ASUN had issues on its plate tonight, and the Daily Nebraskan understands that. Several bills, including those research-related and the impact of conceal-and-carry laws on campus, are important and benefit from a unified student voice agreeing or opposing.

Some of them, however, including the renovation of the Centennial Mall, probably could have waited.

The DN isn't asking for a bill or statement. But some discussion should have been expected.

It seems a missed opportunity to capitalize on student opinion — one student governments fall prey to all too often.

So the DN repeats a criticism it issued regarding UNL's student government last semester when it failed to join Nebraska Wesleyan University in taking a stance regarding the Keystone XL pipeline: A student government should be flexible.

It should be attune at all times to the issues and debates arising among its student constituents.

ASUN does its job; it focuses on student fees and policies, and has performed productively and admirably this academic year. And addressing the need to evaluate the rights of student-university employees is commendable too.

We simply wish to see a student government that could be a little more proactive and involved.

opinion@dailynebraskan.com