Excuse us, President Bush. Do you remember your inauguration in January, with all its glamour and historical significance?

Among all the celebration, do you remember the symbolic significance of the Oath of Office that you repeated with your right hand raised? We know the oath is short and simple, but it represents your pledge to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

It is not often that the president of the United States and the Student Association Senate are mentioned in the same few paragraphs. And there are several reasons why.

At Sunday’s first SA meeting of the semester, the SA postponed swearing in its newly-elected senators because about 12 of the senators were absent. Granted, it is difficult to swear in senators who are not at the meeting, but hopefully most “legislators” who are halfway enthusiastic about their new positions would make a concerted effort to attend their inauguration and their first senate meeting.

The SA filled its senate seats last week with the help of a write-in campaign. Some new senators elected as write-in candidates might not sport a total dedication to the SA, but this is no excuse not to show up for the first meeting.

The SA should not have conducted business without swearing in the new senators. An oath, however simple, is symbolic and represents an individual’s commitment to their elected post—a commitment that several SA senators obviously lack.