RE: Students who don’t vote shouldn’t criticize, Feb. 2
Election time is upon us again. A time when we get to chant slogans, collect buttons, shake hands and kiss babies all for a vote, but in six months is it going to matter who I voted for?
When September rolls around, my tuition cost will be as high as ever, Food Services will still be 3.5 million dollars in debt, we will still be a million over budget with the food court expansion and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Classes steadily growing larger with less and less time spots available.
Will any of that be affected from my vote? Evaluating the candidates, it becomes strikingly obvious that none of these candidates would best represent my views.
Luckily however, as an undergraduate student I have the opportunity to run for a position if I feel no candidate represents me. Fantastic! I guess I will find time between my two jobs and my hour bus ride to class so I can feel represented or not.
I have nothing against democracy and I do feel the needs of the people must be represented in their leaders, but what democracy lacks is responsibility for one’s actions. Band-aid solutions only cover up the cracks in the system.
Concerns with how the union operates or spends their money should be targeted on the source of the problem and not the squeaky wheel that complains.
If my choice to not vote means I no longer have the right to call them out when there is a problem, then when you ask if voted I will proudly say, “No I did not, because I do not believe any of these candidates accurately represents me and I refuse to participate in a flawed system.”
—Derek Blaney
