Over the weekend, students had the opportunity to vote for open slots on the student senate.
But the tallies were jaw-droppingly low. Only 14 seniors voted. Juniors had 46. And just over 50 freshmen logged on to e-Services to have their say.
Low participation like this marks one of many aspects that takes away from the credibility our student government could possess.
Student government blamed a lack of campaigning from those running for the low numbers. But that's no excuse. If these students are passionate enough to run for a position in which they represent hundreds of individuals, it is their job to make their constituents care about them and the issues at hand.
Our student government is wholly responsible for increased participation. We think this weekend's results merit a closer look as we all ask why almost 80 percent of the student body chose not to vote.
The implementation of Facebook as a forum for thoughts and concerns is a step in the right direction to promote student engagement. But comments and complaints on the internet mean very little when no action is taken.
Student government has the ability to pass white papers and resolutions. Each carries their own "weight" with administration and faculty. But in the end, the university has the ability to toss out any of them, significantly decreasing any real impact those measures possess.
This Friday, we saw a surprisingly successful DePauwpalooza bring together School of Music and College of Liberal Arts students. The effort was partially due to a white paper student government passed last year calling for more unity between the two schools.
However, without Dean of the School of Music Mark McCoy's hearty support and passion, this event may have never come to fruition.
Last year's student government fufilled its promise by introducing an abundance of white papers: campus lighting, course requests, student identity theft, kegs. It seemed like something was voted on and passed to another university office every week. But one year later, we have noticed little more than a picnic for a whole year's worth of work.
It's good to see student government fulfilling its duty and following up on its promises to the student body. Still, we question the real impact student government has on campus. White papers mean very little without follow-through.
We challenge student government to take on an issue — even just one — and work tirelessly until it is implemented. We would much rather our representatives tackle one thing and see a concrete result than pass a record number of white papers and resolutions.
Maybe then, the student government will become a real force for students on campus.