The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

Get Out and Vote!

It’s that time of year again: SGA elections! If you haven’t been attacked by flyers, banners, or if this isn’t your first time ever reading the Cynic, you know that four Presidential and five Vice-Presidential candidates are duking it out for the coveted prize of head of our student government. As the elections draw near, one might be thinking to oneself: why do I care? Why does it matter to me? Who are these people, and how are they going to represent me? We at the Cynic pose a challenge to all of those who think that the SGA elections don’t matter or to those who don’t care one way or the other. For they do matter, and you should care. It is your job, as someone who pays these people’s future salaries, to be a responsible UVMissary and get out and vote. But do not haphazardly vote-be informed as to and be aware of what these people stand for. This year, for a change, we seem to have a variety of candidates who are running. Some aren’t even current members of the SGA. We have non-Greeks and Greeks, women and men, underclassmen and upperclassmen, Democrats and Republicans. It’s moving towards looking more like a representation of the real UVM. Not quite, but we’re getting there. One might be saying, “Why do you want us to care? You crazy Cynic editors don’t even like the SGA!” Not true. Aside from our own personal views on the SGA, it’s our job and yours to make a difference by getting out and voting. These elections can be decided by hundreds of votes as less than 2,000 people turned out to vote over two days last year. That’s pretty low for such a politically active campus. These people running have different views and different agendas, including different ways to spend our money. Why should 300 people decide who gets to do that? It’s crucial to the success and well-being of this student body that we have a government that understands our needs and will represent us to the administration and city. Why let that be left up to some candidate’s buddies who all came down and decided to vote for their friend, not knowing who would be best fit for the job? Don’t turn this into a popularity contest. It shouldn’t be. This should be about who is the best person to serve for our needs. How do we prevent this from turning into a popularity contest? By taking an active role in the election process and becoming informed. Read their ideas on Page 6. Go to the debates on Wednesday. Stop them in the line at Cook Commons and harass them for their ideas on bringing a bar to campus or stopping the drug problem cold. These people are not there merely to represent some 40 senators in Billings, but rather, all of the student body. Make sure the winners are people who will best serve your interests. Do so by going to the library and casting your ballot. That’s the UVM way.

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Get Out and Vote!