Campaigning for the Student Government Association (SGA) elections will begin in about four weeks, and polls will close April 9, so one would normally think that it is vital that the student body use this time to take the initiative to research the candidates and look into the issues being debated.
Each of the candidates will bring a different attitude and different priorities to the table, so it is important that students consider what they want the upcoming year to look like when casting their vote.
Unfortunately, the Alabama State University student body will not have any real issues to consider because most of the candidates that have run in the past do not ever run on campus issues, problems and concerns. They run on promises, – two distinctly different things.
After analyzing the past three SGA elections, no more than 30% of the student body ever participates in SGA elections, even though the elections are held for two days. One might ask: Why is 70% of the student body not interested enough to participate?
Well, many students hold to the belief that the SGA executive and legislative branches do not really do anything significant for the student body. And for the most part, they believe that the judicial branch of government is non-existent.
As one student said in an interview several weeks ago, “The SGA at Alabama State University is more symbolic in nature as opposed to an actual group of students that advocate for student issues and concerns. The executives run around in their new suits, traveling to football games, promoting activities and sending out a few emails during the year. The senate may meet once a month and pass a bill or two, but the bills are never published, and none of them ever become law, so how does any those things help to improve the quality of life for students who attend classes everyday? They absolutely do not.”
This editorial board believes that SGA elections should be viewed more positively by the student body and believes more people would participate if the association were taken more seriously by the students who win the eleccted positions, those that vote, and if the administration ensured that the candidates were properly prepared for their various roles.
For starters, students who run for various positions within SGA should be dedicated and committed to the student body and their concerns. When campaigning, it would be refreshing to see the candidates actually campaign on issues, problems and concerns, instead of promises, giveaways, and popularity.
Second, the campaign period must be extended to at least three weeks. There is no way that a student body can get to know the candidates and delve into their projected issues that they plan to run on in one or two weeks. Students need more time to listen to debates and compare the candidates.
Third, the candidates should realize that following the SGA Constitution is mandatory for consistency and success. How can you expect the university to respect SGA concerns, when the SGA officers disrespect their own constitution.
Fourth, since their terms begin on May 1, they should be committed to working on the campus during the summer months so that they are accessible to the students to address student concerns. If a candidate plans to do an internship during the summer, or be away for the summer, then they should not run for one of these positions because these positions require that students are present. The term is May 1 to April 30, not Aug. 15 to April 30.
The SGA Constitution clearly states that the officer must be enrolled full time and if they do decide to take a Leave of Absence, it can only be for 10 days, not 12 weeks. This is what the SGA Constitution states that they swear to uphold.
Fifth, once the SGA executive and legislative officers are elected, why not begin the terms by addressing major student concerns such as the lack of class offerings (students cannot graduate because classes are not offered) housing (cleanliness), on-campus dining (better food choices), safety (more police), financial aid (better communication), and scholarships (for students who have great grade point averages, but need financial help).
As each of these issues are tackled, why not hold a press briefing each week so that students can learn what their officers have been doing to improve the quality of life for students.
Sixth, once students are elected, they should keep their office hours, even if it means studying in their offices.
Students come to the offices to complain and vent, only to find the offices empty, and while office hours may be placed on the doors, it does not mean that those officer hours are followed.
SGA does not have the power to solve the problems that students encounter, but they do have the power to urge the administration to address these problems in a timely manner.
Finally, the numbers do not lie. If 30% or less of the student body votes, it demonstrates that something is wrong. That something needs to be addressed. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results.
Try something new.