In an effort to encourage more students to vote in the upcoming Student Government Association elections, we were asked to run the following.

Election season for the St. Edward’s Student Government Association is approaching fast; soon students will be flooded with information on candidates, promises about how next year will be better and why they are the candidate to make it so. This is the time when the age old question of, “what does our Student Government do,” gets answered in the most zealous way imaginable by whichever candidate is asked.

But as a student with no experience in Student Government, either at St. Edward’s University or their own high school, why should they be concerned with matters of the Student Government?

Furthermore, why should they run for office in the Student Government Association, much less vote in the upcoming elections?  

The answer to this question comes down to one word: impact.

The Student Government Association allows for any student, be them freshmen, sophomores, juniors or seniors, to strive to have an impact on how campus life will affect students in the future.

As a senator, a student can write legislation that helps aid different parts of campus life in a positive manner.

This year alone many pieces of legislation came forward that will help change how campus is run, such as an LGBTQI initiative that aids sensitivity and awareness campaigns (Senator Jacqueline Schicker), and a lighting resolution that will hopefully make the campus safer for all students that run by or on the track and surrounding areas at night (Senator Marcy Marbut). In addition, any student is eligible to run for the senator position; there are very few requirements for it because input from all areas of campus are valid and should be represented.

If you are a science student who feels as though their equipment is not up to par, the Student Government Association (SGA) will be there to work to get new equipment. If you’re a BSS student who’s tired of having to go back to Trustee because you forgot to print a paper for class, SGA will work to get a new computer lab.  And if you’re a club who has a mission that involves the administration, SGA will be there to help lend their voices to the cause.

But do not think we have the power to change the school simply by writing on a piece of paper to make it so; we are not all powerful in that aspect.

What we offer individuals who seek our help is a bridge to the administration to help raise awareness for an issue that they see on this campus. And sometimes talking about a problem is the biggest step in getting it solved.

In the end, we are not a team of resume-builders on a mission to promote and bolster our own ideas. We are a team elected by the students for the students to represent what the students want to see on this campus in order to make their college experience and the experience of others the most memorable and fulfilling it can be.

In the end, whether you wish to champion the causes of others or elect those who you know will represent those causes well, remember that the Student Government Association is here to represent the student body and you as the student should hold them to that.

Follow what’s going on with student government on Twitter @SEU_SGA