As a curious and oftentimes concerned member of the student body, I find myself constantly solicited from every direction by abstract notions, like voting for faceless candidates, platforms without even clear plans of realization of their goals, as well as concerns addressed with only appeasing targeted solutions. Fortunately, this year I must say at least some of us usually apathetic constituents are at least mildly interested. The reason I say this is because as a club member attending yesterday's SISH council endorsements for the upcoming SA e-board elections, I came have to find that the fierce competition between the SA incumbent party, and the freshly grass-rooted Progress party, is new and exciting to watch.
Unfortunately, what did strike a note with me has been the overtly stated notion of current candidates that problems exist primarily within the SA and its lack of ability to communicate to the student body. No one can deny this and unfortunately it's not on everyone's agenda to correct. What does cause some concern is the SA incumbent party's response to the problem: an open door policy, which would allow students to contact SA officials with questions and concerns. Students are forced to seek out their SA e-board; I think it should be the opposite.
It's precisely the lack of presence of the incumbent party candidates in places like the Student Union lobby that suggests that nothing next year will change if they win. Part of the job and duty of an e-board is the process of educating the public on what SA has to offer, much as any business that has investors reach its investors to whom they are accountable. And this requires putting a face to SA.
Whether you love them or hate them, at least in this respect, the Progress party seems to bring a freshly appealing zeal to the process, setting up court in the Student Union in the way the incumbent party should be doing.
