As winter term ends, the ASUO is gearing up for its annual elections. With 15 of the 17 Student Senate seats up for grabs, there is no better time for students to get involved in the political process on campus.
The ASUO represents all students, and with nine Senators representing various campus departments and majors, this election is a great opportunity for those students who have not previously been involved in student groups or the ASUO in general to join the process and make their voices heard.
Every year at elections time, candidates label themselves and each other as ASUO “outsiders” or “insiders.” While these terms are essentially meaningless, we do hope that this year’s crop of candidates will represent all facets of the University community, not just those students who have been heavily involved with student programs.
For at least the past two years, fighting within the ASUO and accusations of backdoor politics and bias have impeded the political process, making it extremely difficult for the ASUO to appear effective. Fresh faces and new ideas could only help the process.
Working within the ASUO is a good opportunity to learn how public bodies function and to gain an understanding of the political process on a small scale. The students who serve in the ASUO are responsible for working with more than $11 million from student fees; they make decisions that affect every student on campus
While the process often seems to leave out those who do not participate in the student programs, the ASUO is supposed to represent the needs of every student. It is in desperate need of some outside perspective from candidates who will truly seek to represent the needs of the students they represent.
The concerns of students in the business school might be rather different from those of music students or architecture majors. Candidates as well as those still in office should be making a much stronger effort to reach out to their constituents.
In each election, the dismally low voter turnout proves that the majority of students simply can’t be bothered to care about who represents them. In last year’s election, the vast majority of candidates ran on slates, and when interviewed by the Emerald, many simply parroted the slate’s platform instead of discussing their own ideas.
If students feel like candidates will listen to concerns and seek to make positive changes, they might be more likely to vote in the ASUO elections.
A ballot full of independent candidates who understand the unique concerns of their constituents – and the larger issues – would be a refreshing change from the process that has given us predictable, often unprofessional representatives who seem to care more about their own agendas than they do about the students they represent.
Calling all students: ASUO needs YOU now
Daily Emerald
February 21, 2008
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