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Opinion

SGA should better publicize filing period

Jim McCormick
Opinion Columnist 

It seems this year is going much like last year, as far as Student Government Association elections are concerned. 

Once again, there are very few contested elections, and little separates the candidates in the contested Senate seats. However, this year it seems to have gotten worse: There were at least contests for some executive SGA seats last year. There are no choices for the SGA president, vice president and student regent.

Admittedly, it was easy to miss the period to file for candidacy in an elected SGA post this year. If there were signs on campus or bulletin board postings that normally accompany major campus events, they were difficult to spot. It seems as though the SGA Election Commission had a publicity problem.

People advertise for events on campus all the time, particularly for official events. During football season, there are signs all over campus with the time and date of the next home game for at least a week before the event. Some basketball games get similar treatment. Furthermore, the University Center is usually covered in organizations' banners. 

The Election Commission should follow some of these examples and utilize these methods to tell students where to go to file for candidacy and the deadline to do so. Surely, student government is more important to the day-to-day operation of the University than a football game.

There are still several major problems around campus that students are concerned with, so the lack of participation in this election cycle can't be readily attributed to general satisfaction with the status quo. 

Almost every student has his or her gripes and concerns that the University is not addressing at this time. These complaints are common topics of conversation in the various lounges around campus, and yet little is done about them, mostly because of student ignorance as to who they should complain to. A major improvement would be for SGA to publicize its role in this regard.

Solving the current problem, however, will take more drastic action: Push back the election and re-open the filing process for candidacy and publicize that information. Sure, it would take some work, and probably an act from the University administration to do so, but it should be done. Only then can we, as students, ensure that the SGA truly represents our interests.

The only problem with pushing back the election date is the tradition of inaugurating the SGA president at Frontier Fiesta. While traditions are important, the ability of the democratic process to chose representatives of a governing body must take precedence over a nice photo opportunity. 

McCormick, a computer science post-baccalaureate student, 
can be reached via dccampus@mail.uh.edu