For the past week or so, I have woken up realizing that when I walk onto campus, I will be immersed and subject to the effects of election week. For some, that just means seeing fun posters, getting free pens and stickers, etc., but for me, it’s a much more pessimistic and negative thing, and I am not afraid to say it.
Before I begin, though, let it be known that I am not “calling out” any specific individual(s) because these feelings are a compilation of experiencing three election seasons. Where is the “higher” in our higher education? Like most, I was ecstatic to graduate and move on from high school into higher education, but where student body elections are concerned, how have we transcended? Ten foot signs — paid by someone — are turned into (or perhaps from…) Facebook cover photos showing who we are friends with. Candidate advocates are subtlety handing voting machines to you while blatantly saying, “vote for my friend.” Campaign platforms are, again like high school, constructed to feed the masses with what sounds appealing.
Yes, I am saying that this has turned into a popularity contest, fueled by social media and social statuses. I’m not a complete hater on social media aspects, though. Give me an election the way a fantasy football team is constructed, the most productive and efficient tools in their respected positions because that’s what [student] government officials should be, tools for their constituents, not the negative connotation of “tool”.
Dexter Humphreys
a senior communication major
Hatch
