It's been hard to ignore the barrage of Jay Bundy-buzz surrounding our campus and the recent UPUA elections.
So for those who haven't been paying attention (which is about 38,000 students because only 2,602 voted) you missed the dismantling of democracy.
An outspoken outsider to the usual student council types - stiff shirts and stiffer personalities - Bundy ran on the notion that he would shake things up here in Happy Valley.
As the founder of Penn State's National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Bundy promised to be a puff of fresh air in the stale atmosphere of the usually stagnant proceedings of student government.
Garnering The Daily Collegian's endorsement and the majority of the vote, Bundy was en route to the office - one he rightfully won - when all hell broke lose.
No, I'm not talking about when Bundy called voters "stupid" for voting him in and not even when he promised trouble to come.
But the proverbial substance hit the fan in between Bundy winning the majority of the vote and Bundy taking the presidential reins.
Though he had rightfully won, the UPUA elections commission decided to look out for their fellow students and disqualify Bundy because of vague election violations and put in Lion Ambassador and runner-up Jay Chamberlin.
Were they really looking out for the student body or were they looking out for their student buddy - the admin-friendly, less offensive, less rowdy, more manageable Jay?
Is it procedural technicalities the UPUA is afraid of? Or is it the fact that Bundy's a squeaky wheel they don't want on their ride?
Bundy's ticket grabbed 1,147 votes compared to Chamberlin's 758. But the three-person election committee of UPUA is making up for the 389-vote difference and declaring a clear loser as the present winner.
The voters spoke and UPUA refused to listen.
Maybe they really were worried about "unstamped" campaign fliers, but maybe they were more concerned because the future suddenly became unpredictable. Maybe a loose cannon would win the battle, but they'd be sure that their regime would win the war -- and decide the presidency for us.
Bundy went to Vicky Triponey, vice president of student affairs, to appeal this UPUA decision, but she told him that unfortunately her hands were tied on the matter.
So if our votes don't count for us, who can we count on? Not the playing-dead administration.
Doing nothing in the face of injustice is the same as perpetuating it.
It doesn't matter if we like him or if we hate him.
It matters that we're standing by watching he and our electoral process get robbed.
And to add insult to injury we read about Bundy's Bloomsburg arrest in the paper this week (innocent until proven guilty) while we read Chamberlin's witty quips from the first UPUA meeting.
Some of the issues the new presidency went over: UPUA-themed thongs, meetings at bars and the notion that maybe Chamberlin should wear a shock-collar because as he is quoted, "I do occasionally go off and talk in ways that are inappropriate," after calling an administrator a "minion."
It's OK for Chamberlin to be unprofessional, but not our loud-mouthed, ripped-off, (now) former president?
A majority of Penn State might not have voted for Bundy, but the majority of Penn State didn't vote - so from the votes cast a winner must be decided, and like it or not, Bundy was our guy.
Altering the electoral process is a liability to everything democracy stands for.
The silver lining of Bundy's debacle is a newfound, collective attention to student politics -- an area usually reserved for apathy and a few kids doctoring their resumes. But it unveiled that our current leadership used democracy as a tool of convenience and power, changing election results that they found to be unsavory.
And we let a technicality topple the voting process.
Recount anyone?
If I had my choice of Jay's it certainly wouldn't be the wrongly appointed one. It'd be the smoking Jay - the one who stood for something and lit a fire under the ass of the status quo.
