SA elections are over and many students are glad.
However, how does hearing that one in 10 people on campus took part in electing our next campus leaders sound? We are a university of 16,000 students and only 1,500 students voted.
Common sense has stated we, students of MSU, have a problem.
To be more accurate, there are closer to 10,000 students actually on campus in Starkville. The numbers should not have to be exactly correct, as mine are not, to comprehend what I am implying.
What is wrong with our system of voting in our executive officers? Why do so many people not vote? For the 10 to 15 percent of the students who did vote, there should have been an easy choice for two positions.
Not only did we have low voter turnout, we had low turnout for people who ran for office. Two of our executive officials for next year were won without opposition. I hope I am not the only one who sees the largest university in the state with a major problem.
I am not implying that Emily Stone and Cory Carter are not suited and well qualified for the job; however, I am stating that we should never have to ever again put up candidates without opposition.
This is setting the worst precedent we can display to other colleges and universities in Mississippi. We are the largest and we cannot put at least two people to run against each other for an executive office on campus?
I am very disturbed to see this type of election take place. My thought is honestly, how well do the newly elected executives represent the students? Close to 8,000 students obviously have desire as to how our campus will run in the next year?
I offer two challenges please take an active role in helping make our campus better; the easiest way is to vote.
Secondly, please contact the Student Association with any suggestions on how to change what we have seen in the last election with lower voter turnout.
JFK once said, “We have the power to make this the best generation in the history of mankind, or to make it the last.”
J.R. Love is a sophomore political science major.