Why should students vote in ASPSU elections?

Did you know that less than 10 percent–1,909 of 24,000–of PSU students voted in student elections last year?

Historically, it’s well known that college students are poor, routinely subsisting on Top Ramen for three meals a day, as textbook prices are seemingly raised each term. Considering the financial hardships college students face, it doesn’t make sense that PSU students aren’t more involved to have more say in the one step regarding the costs of college.

Student government representatives decide each school year’s priorities, with the representatives on the Student Fee Committee allocating $12 million annually of your student fees. Unless supplementing your diet of mac ‘n’ cheese with the box it came in sounds good to you, it makes more sense not to have such a blase attitude regarding these couple hundred dollars you spend each term.

Besides the financial concerns, student group representatives are advocates for the student body at PSU, even the 92 percent who didn’t bother to participate in the process. In fact, considering the low voter turnout, it’s almost a surprise that Portland State’s student government is as active for such a disinterested student body. Are issues that are important to you not shared by student government? Then you should not treat student elections as a spectator sport. The only way that student government can be checked is by the will of the voters.

The financial concerns and advocacy issues should be enough to motivate the average PSU student to be involved in student elections, but that is not the reality. There could be other explanations, such as the busy college routine of balancing a job, commuting and school. Still, every student checks e-mail at some point in the day. And considering that voting happens through Banweb, with the time it took to look at the latest LOL Catz picture, you could have voted for student government.

There is a disconnect between student government and the majority of students on campus. We’ve heard many say student government doesn’t do anything, despite student leaders lobbying in Salem and advocating in other ways. PSU students simply do not see a direct effect of ASPSU on their college-going experience, and it’s hard to criticize non-involvement in such a situation. Admittedly, ASPSU needs to do a better job of integrating into the college culture. At a recent freshman mentor class, we asked who had heard of PSU’s student government, and nobody raised their hands. No wonder there is low involvement! Nobody wants to be an uninformed voter. Luckily for you, there is a voter’s guide available at www.aspsu.pdx.edu, where you can get all the information you will need.

So let’s do it! Let’s ensure that next year’s student government is elected with at least one-tenth of the student body. Remember to vote on www.banweb.pdx.edu from April 20 to 26!