Today marks another landmark in the battle between the Students for a Democratic Society and UOSA.

For anyone who may have been hiding under a rock these last few weeks, the conflict started when SDS submitted a petition to add referendums to the next general election ballot. This petition outlined certain reforms to the student government, including the creation of a branch made up of representation from student organizations and a re-election vote on anyone who ran uncontested in the last election.

In order for a petition to be considered, it must have a number of signatures equal to at least 15 percent of the votes cast in the last UOSA presidential election.

But since the last presidential election was uncontested, the SDS only included one signature on its petition. UOSA rejected the SDS petition on the grounds that, while it was not technically violating the rules, it would create chaos in student government if it was to set a precedent for accepting petitions with one signature.

So today, UOSA Superior Court is set to hear the SDS appeal of that decision.

If the court sides in SDS’s favor, SDS will be able to add the referendums to a future election. But probably not the upcoming one.

UOSA has claimed that it is too late to add the initiatives onto the ballot for the next election, but this is an irresponsible decision on the part of UOSA. Whatever your opinion of the intended reforms, it’s easy to see that these referendums need to come to a vote as soon as possible.

Students are not going to simply forget about these reforms. This attempt by the student government to put off a vote on these issues is only delaying the inevitable.

Frankly, I find it a cowardly shirking of their real responsibilities as representatives. Decisions like this make it appear that they would rather focus on minutia than the serious reforms that many students have called for.

By not allowing the referendums on the upcoming ballot (or any ballot at all, if the court decides that way), UOSA is basically circumventing the democratic process and making the decision for us.

If we do not get the chance to vote, then the student government has unilaterally decided not to have these reforms, at least for another semester.

The student body has a right to enact these reforms, if that’s what the majority decides, and to put them into effect as quickly as possible.

If UOSA wants to send a message to students that it is listening to our concerns, it will put these issues on the ballot for the upcoming election and let the student body choose.

UOSA representatives have said that they do not see the need for reform because they are satisfied with the current state of student government.

But the general populace doesn’t seem to share their satisfaction. And if it does, then this election will be the perfect opportunity for UOSA to prove it and satisfy those calling for reforms.

What better way to thwart SDS?