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

An era of student indifference

  Upcoming elections for next year’s Student Government Association are bringing with them a pretty sparse ballot. With only one candidate for vice president, it is apparent that fervor for political activity seems to have died out for our generation. It is saddening to know that out of a student population of nearly 10,000, only one sole junior cares enough to run for the position. The lonely candidate should be applauded, though, for his decision to run and his inevitable victory, It is true that such a prominent position on the SGA would certainly demand inordinate amounts of time and energy. However, there was once a day when such a sacrifice was not viewed as being so thankless and painful. Rather, it was looked upon as a duty of extreme honor. Leaders of old would have been proud to have their leisure time consumed by such noble and vital work and would look upon their responsibilities as being the utmost of rewarding occupations. In recent years, though, their gratifying work is done only grudgingly. What many people don’t realize is that the work of the SGA holds our entire community together. They protect our rights as students and make our voices heard to the administration of the University. They represent us on both a schoolwide and nationwide scale. They direct their powers toward fulfilling the needs of the whole student body. The SGA is in many ways the heart of the University of Vermont, and without each one of them meeting the expectations of their titles our community would be at a loss. This is why the thought of only one vice president hopeful this year is extremely distressing. It is not a matter of his competency at all but rather a matter of why no one else deemed the job a worthy use of their time as college students here at UVM. What will happen in future years if this sense of school responsibility is ever lessened even slightly more? The disheartening statistic of kids who care bodes poorly not just for this specific university or even for schools in general, but for our entire country. Politics and its powerful influence on our society used to be at the forefront of every young mind in America. Clearly this attitude has changed with our generation, as it now seems that indifference to such matters is the current norm. If the number of people interested in things such as the SGA and the well-being of the student body has dwindled, so, too, will the amount of people interested in making a difference for the community, the country, and the world. Furthermore, blame cannot be placed on our leaders when they make poor decisions if we ourselves do not care enough to do their grueling jobs. It seems that all anyone is capable of doing nowadays is complaining rather than taking legitimate political action, as is apparent by the sole candidate running for SGA vice president. The saddening status quo of political impassiveness is something that needs to be amended. 

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An era of student indifference