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Vote! Vote! Vote!
By Gordie Loewen
 Gordie Loewen -- Staff Column
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Well, it's that time of year again. April 21 and 22 students will flood to the polls in Atwood, Stewart, the ECC and the library to elect their new student leadership.
But this flood will probably look more like a trickle. The number one problem that faces any democratic election in this country is voter apathy.
Most people that read this column probably already know that elections for student government president and vice-president are coming up, along with elections for all 16 senator at-large positions. This is because the people who read this are among the few who actually pay attention to things that are happening on campus. For those of you who do pay attention, vote next week.
Unfortunately, your obligation does not end there. I know it's tough, but you actually have to do something in order to contribute to your campus. Since you are the only people who know what is going on, it is your obligation to inform those that don't. Talk to your classes; tell them to vote. Talk to your roommates; tell them to vote. By all means, don't forget to vote yourself.
If you don't vote, you lose your right to complain. I've written sporadically for this section all year, and if you're anything like me, this is the first page that you turn to when you pick up the new issue of the Chronicle.
Why? You want to see what people are complaining about now. I don't have any hard numbers or scientific data, but I'd be willing to bet that half of the people that have written letters to the editor this year to complain did not vote in the fall semester general election.
Personally, this angers me. I am not only the incredibly gifted writer that keeps you all riveted and waiting for more, I also happen to be a member of student government. This means that I constantly get attacked for not representing students in my position. Well, it's pretty hard to represent students when only 100 of them actually vote. There is only one solution to this problem (that student government must exist by legislative mandate). The students on this campus have to vote in the general elections.
I'm actually going to do something crazy and take this rant a step further. I'm actually going to ask you to make an educated decision when you vote as well. I know it may seem crazy, but all you have to do is attend the debates today and maybe ask around to see what people know about the candidates.
So, to those of you that consistently vote; keep up the good work. To those who have never voted before, now is a good time to start. Your fellow students will thank you when you join together to actually make decisions about your student representatives.
And to those that are going to go to the polls and just write-in a funny name, don't. You'd be surprised at what a horrible student body president The Fonz would be.
Gordie Loewen can be reached at [email protected]
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