2008 Woodie Awards
SGA lacks student involvement
By Frank Skrip
Rocket News Editor
Issue date: 4/15/05 Section: News
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That message was that they just don't care.
"I think the interest in student government has been declining," Vice President for Financial Affairs Mario Bernardi said. "We advertise in The Rocket, put out fliers and hold events that students can attend to learn about the candidates. We also have biweekly meetings that are open to the public. Students simply don't turn out."
This year's election was different than past years in that there was only one ticket that students could vote for.
Last year's election campaign, featuring the United Party and the Insight Party, attracted 1,400 students with both parties fiercely campaigning and no clear favorite going into election day, Commuter Senator Mark Felbinger said.
"Last year there were two tickets with very opposing views," Felbinger said. "These differing views were good for the student body because they could choose who they agreed with most."
Harner Hall Senator Michael Muha agrees with Felbinger that the main reason for the lack of student involvement was due to the fact that only one ticket ran.
"Students don't care if only one party is running," Muha said. "If there is no opposition, the party can win with just one vote."
Junior Rob Henry said it was sad that students don't care about SGA, but understood why no one would vote with only one ticket.
One reason for the lack of a second ticket, Muha said, was due to the amount of work that goes into forming a ticket and the fact that many students would not be able to handle the time constraints of being a full time student and a student leader.
Bernardi attributed the lack of multiple parties to an SGA term this year that agreed on many of the major issues.
"Tickets are usually formed from the previous administration," Bernardi said. "When there is a split in the politics, students usually separate come election season, and although we don't all think alike, our current administration seemed to gel better than any other group of students I have ever been involved with."
