COLUMN: Students’ votes can influence elections
Before becoming involved with student government at Utah State, I did not believe or understand the power of the student voice. I felt that there was nothing we could do, even if we wanted to.
However, I have been proven wrong. Students are the reason for a great deal of changes that happen around the university. Unfortunately, this “power” is sorely underused. The few students who do speak up make change a reality, while everyone else benefits and continues to complain quietly about other “wrong doings.”
If students join together in a common goal, guaranteed change will happen. Are you concerned about tuition increases? Be proactive and attend meetings! Speak up and be heard! Do you feel parking is a problem on campus? Be proactive, attend meetings, speak up and be heard!
There are two keys to student influence. The first is education. You must be educated on the issue and know the facts, to make a credible argument that cannot be easily countered. Second, but equally important are numbers. The greater number of students that visibly voice their concern about a subject, the more likely someone is going to listen. Imagine if the majority of the student body were united behind a common goal to make a change on campus. Do you think the administration could ignore that? I think not. ASUSU provides the perfect opportunities for students to voice their concerns. I formally invite any and all students to attend ASUSU executive council meetings, held every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in the ASUSU Senate Chambers, TSC, Room 336. Come listen to the issues, express your concerns and start to make a difference.
Another way that students can speak out on a larger scale is to VOTE! November will hold a presidential election that will determine the future of our country. The “youth” vote has not had a presence in a national election and I hope this year will be different. There are also important amendments on the Utah ballot, such as an amendment concerning the university’s right to benefit financially from technology that they produce.
All of the issues on the ballot can be influenced by your vote and a large student presence in this year’s election will send a message to our elected officials. I sincerely hope that every student will vote and remember that one vote does make a difference.
Jake Bonham is the AUSUSU Natural Resource Senator. Comments can be sent to nrsenator@cc.usu.edu.