Starting Monday, every student has the opportunity to dictate the direction of the school by voting in the Student Association elections. There are many qualified candidates running for office, but the ultimate question is whether students are interested enough in the politics of the school to cast a vote.
In past years, the party affiliated with the current SA administration generally dominates not only the endorsement process, but also the elections. This year is gearing up differently, however, as the Ascension Party and others have been receiving key endorsements through clubs and campus publications, including The Spectrum.
It is always important to have a meaningful election, but only if there is an informed electorate. The current SA administration has put out a helpful packet containing information from several parties. Yesterday, a debate open to all students featured many of the candidates discussing various campaign issues.
It is very easy to claim things are wrong with the current administration - or claim that there is not - but students must do more than talk. They must vote on how they believe spending, fests, clubs and other areas of student government should be managed.
Students should also take into account the full scholastic histories and on-campus involvement of the candidates, and not just the last week of campaigning. The candidates will be very visible for the next week, so any questions can be immediately answered.
The SA executive board has a lot of power, not just fiscally, but also socially. They are the public face for the university as a whole, representing the best interests of students.
Students must take an immediate interest in their student government and how their money is spent. That effort starts with voting next week and continues into next year, when students should monitor the activities of their elected officials and hold them to the campaign promises being made this week.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
