By
Ben Graff
For the last year as your student body president, I have had many experiences and interactions with students that have truly shown me that I have had an incredible responsibility - to represent each and every one of you to the best of my abilities and to make this campus the best place it possibly can be for the students. One of the most momentous of these encounters came when a student arrived in the ASUA Student Government offices shortly after I was elected, and asked if she could meet with me.
For the sake of this column, we shall call her Sarah. Sarah and I sat down, and she began to explain an issue she felt ASUA needed to address. At the end of the conversation, we decided to keep in touch regarding the issue and Sarah began to leave. Right before she left, she turned to me and said, "I voted for you, so don't let me down."
This was the moment when it became obvious just how much power every student can gain simply by voting in the ASUA elections.
For the last few weeks, our campus has been blanketed with banners, flyers and candidates who are all seeking your online vote in the ASUA General Elections today and tomorrow. In fact, in the four years that I have been at the University of Arizona, I have not seen as much campaign material on this campus as I have in the last few weeks. This clearly shows the dedication of the current candidates.
However, what about you? Why the heck should you vote? The answer lies with the ability that Sarah had to directly tell me what she needed me to do - because she had voted for me, and I was here to represent her concerns.
Every student on this campus gains the ability to shape and direct what ASUA does for them when they cast their essential vote online. The truth, that has been hidden and unspoken for years, is that ASUA is absolutely powerless and pointless without the participation and voice of the student body. The times when ASUA has made positive changes for the students have been when the students have had the chance to clearly state what is needed and what needs to be changed.
It all starts with the ASUA Elections. It starts with you being able to decide who is elected into ASUA to become the person who will work for you. Any candidate who does not realize they are being elected into a position of service for the student body has missed the reason why we are all here in ASUA. Whether you are a freshman or a senior, an undergraduate or a graduate, ASUA will represent your needs at both the university and state level. All you have to do is decide who will represent you.
This year, for the very first time in the history of this great university, the ASUA Elections are online. Just last week, in the primary elections, we already saw the voter participation increase. This year marks the opportunity for every student, regardless of their class or work schedule, to vote online starting this morning at 8 am until 8 pm tomorrow for the entire 36-hour period.
This is finally the chance to turn the ASUA elections into the very tool that you, the student body, can use to keep your elected officials accountable to your needs and concerns. With the ASUA Elections, as well as the candidate profiles online and accessible to everyone, it becomes even more realistic that one day, each of the 35,000 UA students can come to ASUA and say, "I voted for you, so don't let me down." That is the vision that will make you an extremely influential student body, and will make ASUA the open door that leads that student voice toward an impetus for positive change.
Both today and tomorrow, vote online at www.asua.arizona.edu and make your voice count.
Benjamin W. Graff
ASUA student body president
University of Arizona
(520) 621-4615
