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February 28, 2006
Popularity contest good for the government
As Eric Binfet pointed out in his Letter to the Editor, HUSC often falls into a common trap: internal division and cliques. With the presidential elections coming up, we have a more than obvious way of ending this trend.
Annually, both representatives and the constituency will tell you elections come down to popularity contest. When opposing parties are thought of almost equally, it comes down to how much rump each team can kiss. It is not my place to get personal, especially since this article can apply to more situations than just this year’s presidential election. But couldn’t we focus more on what the candidates are going to do if elected rather than who they sit with at lunch?
Granted, the elections are not going to get as heavy as they get outside of school government, as fewer issues reach us as students than those that reach us as citizens, and accordingly, officials of school governments have less power than those involved in national government. However, there is still power associated with their seats.
For instance, presidents have had to consider spending hundreds of dollars on equipment for the HUSC office and allocating resources to student organizations. But consider the stink raised after a $55 increase in the technology fee was suggestedčif we analyze where our money is going this carefully, why aren’t we choosing to do that with what is most certainly a larger amount of money, that which we pay as students to HUSC? Find out where your candidate feels it is important to focus time, money, and effort. If your issues involve environmentalism and handicap access, don’t support the team that will give another $100 to the cheerleaders for what the HUSC website defines as “spirit supplies.” Don’t think of it just as a college election, but rather consider that with an uninformed vote you could be sending money to support Pesko’s mascot’s flea collars or another haircut for Alex Erickson.
Posted by dwright at February 28, 2006 01:32 PM
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