Editorial: Student Senate Elections

Every Sunday night, 30 students sit in a room and create new policies for the school. Every Sunday night, 30 students sit in a room and decide how much money your organizations gets to take a trip or hold an event. Every Sunday night, 30 students sit in a room and make decisions about your college experience. Those 30 students are the Student Senate. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the student body elections will be held on the Plymouth State University campus, and it is your vote that will make a difference. These are student elections for your class representatives-two from each class, one from each residence hall, five from off-campus, four from student apartments, and one international student-people who will represent your thoughts and opinions to the authorities of this university. It is vital that the student body is aware and knowledgeable of the candidates to ensure that a good decision is made.Student body representatives play a huge role on this campus, and yet they still worry about having to ‘get their name out’ among students to raise awareness for what they do. As the governing body at Plymouth State University, they meet and discuss the problems that all students deal with everyday. The sad truth is that so few of the students on campus even know that Senate exists, much less know what they do. Senate deals with issues that affect each and every one of us, from textbook prices in the bookstore to the price of tuition. Residential Life staff members and Sodexho representatives meet with the Senate every couple of weeks to discuss any problems that have arisen that could be solved. Campus administrators attend Senate meetings every week to hear student voices and implement changes effectively. In the past, student body elections have passed by unnoticed, with an insignificant percentage of students voting. Perhaps this is the year for a change. This responsibility cannot rest solely on the shoulders of the candidates and members of student government. When you walk by the election table, do not just walk and glance at it, take a minute and vote for who will best represent you. Your right to speak up begins with your right to vote. After all, how can we be expected to make an intelligent decision about the person who will lead our country of 293 million if we do not choose to select the person that will represent our campus of four thousand?If you think you might have an idea for the campus, from campus-wide events to the relationship between the town and the school, approach your class representative with the idea, or better yet, come and sit in at a Senate meeting-everyone is welcome to attend. These are the people that have the power to affect change at this University, but if they do not know what the student body wants changed, they are powerless.It is vital that the correct selection is made and that the votes cast by the student body are not just random and on a whim. Take pride in your university; support your fellow students who want to help make this university the best it can be. Vote next week for your student body representatives, and do not vote blindly. We elect Student Senate for a reason. Do not neglect Student Senate so they do not neglect us.Next year, every Sunday night, 30 students will sit in a room and make decisions for you. Who are they going to be? You decide.