With the upcoming spring ASUO elections, I have had the opportunity to witness many campaigns begin to address the student body. Amidst all of the promises and pledges, I have found a large contradiction to their promises. The concept of “slates” appears to undermine the basic concept of democracy. Perhaps it is just me, but I feel that the candidates are forming coalitions solely to win office. What ever happened to the days when you voted for individual candidates? The most hypocritical aspect of this election season is that nearly all of the candidates are advocating for “Accountability to the Student Body.” Where is the accountability in running under an executive coalition? Any senator that is elected will essentially owe their victory to their supporting executive candidate. Although it is easy to get discouraged by this fact, I am heartened by those candidates I see who have decided to stand independent of this hypocrisy.
Therefore, I praise candidates, such as Nick Schultz, mentioned in Tuesday’s paper, who stand independent of party slates. I urge all of the student candidates to rid themselves of coalition obligations. If you plan to make student government more accountable, then speak with your actions rather than your words!
Adam Klafter
University student