Blame it on the rain?

Excuses for low voter turnout don't hold up, problem lies with students, USG

Yesterday, 4,596 undergraduate students helped to shape the future of University Park Campus by voting in the Undergraduate Student Government elections -- thank you.

However, voter turnout for the elections was the lowest it's been in at least the last six years. Student voting habits in USG elections seems to be sadly reflective of the low voter turnout rates in elections nationwide.

"It's time for everyone involved to get their heads out of the sand and stop reacting to elections as if to say, 'We don't know why no one cares. It must be the rain.' "

We've all heard the excuses about why people don't vote in the USG elections. It's the weather. Students are apathetic. No one cares.

These excuses either put the blame on outside conditions or resort to name-calling and offer no solution. It's time for everyone involved to get their heads out of the sand and stop reacting to elections as if to say, "We don't know why no one cares. It must be the rain."

The blame should go to the undergraduate students and to the members of USG.

To the students: You are going to be here for four (or five, or six . . . ) years. College is not a time to be jaded about the people who are elected to represent you (USG) in dealing with the people who control how much you pay to go to school here (administrators). It's not the time to be lukewarm about issues that affect this campus, either.

And to USG members: People don't know what you're doing because, with the exception of USG Academic Assembly, you haven't been doing all that much that the average student can see.

And if you have, then you're not telling us about it. It's time to reach out to the students who only go to the HUB to eat at Fast Break or study. You know, those students who go to the second floor HUB to look for a bathroom -- not to sit at a desk.

Yesterday, Caroline Casagrande and Brian Olivo received 1,173 votes -- enough to win the election. However, according to the Office of the Registrar, there are more than 34,100 undergraduate students at University Park. So only about one-third of the people represented by USG actually voted for the new president and vice president.

The new USG president and vice president need to remember that they also are representing the other two-thirds of the undergraduate students.

In the upcoming year, prove to them that USG doesn't just stand for "Useless Student Government." And make them want to vote next year.