SA elections chance to shape university

staff

Editorial Board

The Issue:Out of 11,000-plus students at SDSU during 2006-07, only a measly 702 voted in the Students’ Association election.

The Stance:In order to get problems at SDSU fixed, students need a strong leader. The only way to guarantee that we will have a strong leader is to vote.

During the 2006-07 academic year, big things were happening. SDSU was on the verge of having a new Jackrabbit, the Student Wellness Center was in the design process and David Chicoine was named the new president of the university. Even so, the Students’ Association elections that year had a 6.2 percent voter turnout-that’s 702 voters out of 11,336 students.

Big things are happening now. The new Jackrabbit will be unveiled Feb. 19, Shepard Hall will be torn down this spring so construction can begin on the most expensive building in university history-the $48 million Avera Health and Science facility-and the first building at Innovation Campus will be open in the fall. We are part of a major transition period for SDSU, and if we want a say in where our school will go, we need to elect a strong leader.

This year we have two teams to choose from for president and vice president. Either the pairing of Chris Daugaard and Eric Hanson or Becca Lutz and Brandon Bausch will fit the bill, but the more students who participate in elections, the more visible support our new leader will have when dealing with university administration, student leaders at other schools, the Board of Regents and state lawmakers.

Each college has ample options for senators. At least 28 people have filled out the paperwork and have the desire to represent you. Take the time to make an educated decision. Like elected state and federal lawmakers, Students’ Association members have a lot of power. This year, SA controlled distribution of over 2 million dollars of student fee dollars. Because they have this fiscal power, facilities like the Student Wellness Center exist and groups like the University Program Council have the resources to sponsor the multitude of events they host each year.

The decisions members of SA-especially the president and vice-president-make directly affect your SDSU experience. If you don’t make an effort to voice your opinion the democratic way, how can you justify voicing a legitimate complaint later? SDSU is going to blaze trails, and students deserve to be able to decide where that path will be cut.