If you're feeling like the impeachment tendencies of University of South Carolina student leaders have no limits, you're not alone. Late on Sept. 29, The Daily Gamecock broke the news that impeachment charges have been brought up against Student Body President, Jonathan Kaufman, on behalf of Zachary Kirby, a student senator. The news follows the removal of Fraternity Council President, Tim Bryson, and the resignation of VP of Conduct, Jonathan Withrow, earlier this month.
Before reading the article, you may have been shocked by the headline and curious as to what Kaufman could have possibly done to bring forth such serious charges. You may have also wondered what could possibly constitute a Student Government scandal since at their core they are just a student organization.
After reading the article, you may be even more confused. There are no scandalous charges made or incredible actions taken by Kaufman. Basically, he may have failed to secure an Elections Commissioner by the timeline set forth in the constitution, although the details of the nomination he originally made are unclear.
As the Daily Gamecock reported, the charges read: "In doing this, Jonathan Kaufman has undermined the integrity of, brought disrepute upon, has betrayed those entrusted him with the position of, and has acted in an manner unfit for the role of the Student Body."
Really? Sure, he may have dropped the ball, but did he really bring disrepute upon the entire organization of Student Government? Would any student read those charges and conclude Kaufman singlehandedly undermined its integrity?
This entire controversy only serves to show students that some members of Student Government may be acting out of their own interests and vendettas, rather than focusing on what's best for the student body as a whole. Why spend time debating, drafting formal press releases and conducting impeachment hearings, when you could be doing your job- serving the students of your college?
To be fair, if believing the charges to be accurate, Kaufman deserves a slap on the wrist. Student Body Presidents don't have an overwhelming amount of given responsibilities, so it should be fairly simple to carry out the ones they are entrusted with. Perhaps Kaufman should have been checking off all of the to-dos on his list upon taking office before focusing on his own agenda and creating his own presidential Twitter account.
Furthermore, the controversy over the disappearing newspapers is more of a newsworthy event. Students have voiced their opinions on the decision to cut the supply of those free newspapers from the Student Government budget, but nothing has seemingly come from that. Interestingly enough, the topic has resurfaced through the comments on the impeachment article, proving students may be more upset at Kaufman and his administration for that than the actual charges brought against him.
But regardless, does this need to be a whole thing? Did anyone, including Kirby, approach Kaufman about his failed duties and try to resolve the issue before setting an entire impeachment process in motion? And do students even care?
