OUR VIEW: Don’t let candidates run unopposed

A month ago, feelings across campus flared as a proposed recreation center came to the student eye. Though the ARC and accompanying Legacy Fields had been in the works for more than a year, when students learned of the projects’ costs and associated student-fee hike, some balked.

The president of the College Republicans created Students Against Academic Waste and even went as far as holding a protest.

In an effort to be transparent, current ASUSU Council members created a Facebook group to inform the student body about 2012 fees. Posts in the group are often negative and critical of the way ASUSU spends student fees. Some posts garnered more than 100 comments from students, both positive and negative.

Initially, we thought this showed the student body was beginning to care about the decisions made on their behalf. With so much activity, we assumed the upcoming elections would be filled with candidates wanting to make a difference in their educational experiences.

While some positions are stacked with student-candidates, other important positions are covered by one candidate running unopposed.

If a single position were running unopposed, we wouldn’t be so alarmed. However, there are four positions in which only one person is running. This is a huge reflection on how apathetic our student body is. To have the Service VP, Athletics VP, Diversity VP and Academic Senate President positions with only one candidate is a terrible reflection on one of the largest and most highly respected higher education institutions in the state.

Students are shouting out about how much they dislike the fees they pay, but in a student body of nearly 18,000, only a few are willing to step up to the plate and represent their peers. It’s one thing to complain when you’re actively involved in an issue, but it’s another matter entirely to turn your nose to our leadership when you’re not willing to get off the couch and use the system of democratic representation USU has in place.

However, for those who have no interest in running, clearly there are other ways to voice your opinion. We just want to urge those who have even an inkling of passion for the positions available to go for it. None of the candidates running for unopposed positions have proved to us they deserve the seat, but they will receive it anyway.

Here at The Statesman, we’d like to issue a challenge. If you care about your education, your school and your surroundings, do something about it. Don’t think our activities are up to par? Run for Programming VP. Don’t like where the money from the Blue Goes Green fee is going? Join Sustainability Council. Don’t agree with the ARC? Run for president.

There’s nothing we’d like to see more than multiple students duking it out and truly earning their seats on the ASUSU Executive Council. Let’s see some new voices come to center stage.