To vote or not to vote, that is the question?

"By work you get money, by talk you get knowledge."

-- Thomas Chandler Haliburton

Today we have a choice to make. That choice is the decision between being active members of the Penn State community or being a passive member. That choice is the choice between voting for University Student Government president and not voting.

Keep in mind, when you make this choice, a few key concepts. First, if you choose not to vote, then do not complain about what USG does or does not do, because the blame will lay solely on the passive non-voters. By taking this opportunity to voice your opinion, we have the power to shape USG and this campus into what we want it to be. Second, if you choose not to vote on the basis of the candidates, again do not complain. Perhaps neither ticket fits you perfectly, but each ticket must, in some way, fit your needs. And it is your responsibility to decide who will fit these needs the best and then to act.

Even if you don't vote, you have the responsibility to know what each ticket wants to get accomplished. Why do you need to know this? Because whomever gets elected will have an effect on you during your stay at Penn State. But to do this responsibly, you need to look past what the campaigns call for and decide if they can deliver. And this is where T.C. Haliburton's quotation becomes relevant. What you need to decide for yourself is who will do the best job and who has the knowledge and experience to apply to these elected positions.

Elected positions? I use the phrase very loosely. Last year, we elected Mike King, but do you know how many students actually voted? Almost 5,000 students. That is about 12 percent of the student population. 12 percent. And the same numbers are expected this year. Do you realize what this means? This means an elite 12 percent are deciding for everyone. Five thousand are deciding for 40,000. And this is where USG fails. It needs a much broader student turnout on election day, otherwise it loses power to get for the students what the students want. So I implore you, to take 10 minutes on your way to class or to dinner and vote today; because what you want really does matter and this is the way to voice your opinion.