COLUMN: Vote smart or pay the consequence
Vote smart or pay the consequence
Last year, I decried the smug complacency of the student body and the demise of activism on campus. Today, I’m eating every word of that column – unsweetened.
In the 12 months since then, things at Utah State seem to have livened up. From bake sales and pungent debates to bursts of fiery dramatics, we’ve seen enough of that 1960s spirit to know it is still alive and well – utterly misdirected, but not beyond remedy, if the College Republicans catch my drift.
I applaud this radical shift in attitude. Activism is vitally important to the intellectual health of an institution, no matter how crass and deplorable at times.
That said, we ought not to get carried away.
Civility is a mark of maturity, and a lack of it only dilutes the impact of a message. As West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd once said: “Do not run a campaign that would embarrass your mother.”
For example, making light of contentious issues may offend a large group of people regardless of political affiliation. Being facetious at the expense of sensitivity isn’t kosher. This is activism gone awry, and it must be shot down in the interest of etiquette.
The upcoming student body elections offer exactly such an opportunity.
As a campus, we have the ability to stifle uncompromising voices that add nothing but clamor to what could otherwise be meaningful discussion on complex social and political challenges facing our times.
We won’t be discussing hot-button issues if candidates with parochial agendas are allowed to overrun student government.
Unfortunately, no one seems to be paying attention.
A straw poll of visitors to the A-Station, the official Web site of the Associated Students of USU, Tuesday morning, revealed that only 20 percent of the 522 students polled had voted in primary elections. A staggering 65 percent said they weren’t planning on casting their ballot.
This isn’t startling news.
We’ve always taken student body elections for granted. There is a perceived sense of disenfranchisement: Most Aggies feel their votes don’t count, on campus or elsewhere. Comments I’ve heard while covering stories for this paper illustrate the sentiment.
Here’s a sampling:
“I don’t hear ASUSU speaking for students much. What’s their purpose?”
“They represent us well, but are they listened to or taken into consideration? No.”
“I don’t think ASUSU has the power to change administrative policies.”
“I think ASUSU represents the president more than it does the students.”
Essentially, we don’t have a voice, only a semblance of one, so why bother? Decisions will be made whether we like them or not, right?
Well, not quite.
A politically charged student body led by charismatic leaders can have an impact on the stuff that matters. But we won’t realize this possibility unless we give the student voice a chance by getting out the vote.
So get involved and vote smart. Your participation counts.
Leon D’Souza is a senior majoring in print journalism. Comments can be sent to leon@cc.usu.edu.