“I feel a bit jaded about student government because they always seem like the same people. When I pass posters in the halls, their faces are like cogs in a machine to me.”
– Michael Booth, anthropology student
“After I was told we hadn’t done things in the right order, I was told we could keep running if they [the incumbent team] still wanted us to run.”
– Michael Spurrier, business student with honors, former presidential candidate
“The one thing you can say [about UVUSA] is that there will be different people next year.”
– Traci Hainsworth, Events Manager for the School of Arts
Students across campus are asking the same question: “We have a student government? What do they do? Why do we even need one?”
A year ago, our current student government was elected with no opposing team. Asking why this happened digs into the most fundamental aspects of campus life: who handles almost $14 million in student fees each year, and why it appears to be discouraging and difficult for anyone outside UVUSA to offer alternative views or affect new changes.
Is the election process problematic, favoring “experienced” incumbency? Does there need to be a reform in the elections committee, the campaign packets, and perhaps the government itself?
I’ve spent two weeks speaking with a wide variety of students. I’ve shaken greasy hands in the auto trades and bothered servers in the cafeteria. I’ve spoken with professors and department directors. I’ve gone to the Multicultural Center and attended events with international students. I’ve talked to students studying biology, business, and philosophical skepticism. I’ve found an actress, an anti-capitalist, a nude model and a member of the anime club. I’ve attempted to collect the most diverse voices possible on this campus.
Go online to read their perspectives, learn about past elections, and decide for yourself how you feel about your student representation.
By Matthew Jonassaint
Opinions Writer
