Editorial A vote of confidence?

Author: [no author name found]

Whether by habit or intent, the Student Government Association (SGA) maintains a modest profile. Under pressure to compete with students' daily grind, the SGA suffers from a chronic inability to connect with its constituents. Past senators and presidents have tried to tackle this in their own ways, usually to no avail.

Students have done little to ameliorate the problem. What was billed last week as a "special" election to replace former SGA President Bobby Joe Smith III became an exercise in apathy. Fewer than 1,000 voters - not even half the student body - cast their ballots. The race for junior class senator produced even more shocking results, with only 143 students voting.

Still, despite these admittedly troubling numbers, the presidential race proved special in a different way. Tik Root '12, the only other student to challenge eventual victor Hiba Fakhoury '09, took a stand that was both bold and refreshing for a first-year student. His initiative and persistence even in the face of a lopsided outcome deserve our praise. Though we congratulate Fakhoury on her election and anticipate nothing but steady leadership from her in the coming months, we must also recognize Root for what he represents - not only the same ideals of public service embodied by Fakhoury and a handful of other committed upperclassmen, but the courage to lead students less than a year after arriving at the College.

The SGA faces serious challenges. Its internal flaws contribute to its powerlessness; its external relationships are weak at best. The senate is less than assertive on budgetary matters, ceding much of its authority to the effectively independent Finance Committee. These problems are all too easy to ignore and, with no direct stake in the SGA, that is exactly what many students choose to do.

But to abandon the SGA - which is arguably what happens when over 60 percent of the campus fails to turn out for a presidential election - is to encourage the SGA to abandon its constituents. In these circumstances, we face a dangerous paradox. The less faith we have in public service, the less effective our representative bodies will become. And the less effective those bodies, the less incentive we will have to pursue public service. What, then, when the need arises for strong student support?

Root may have seen defeat at the hands of a graduating senior, but his very eagerness to get involved demonstrates that any of us - regardless of class year or previous experience - can play a crucial role in helping students reclaim their stake in campus government. And as the elections for next fall approach, perhaps we can all pledge to take one simple step toward combating apathy on campus: we can vote. It only takes a minute.