It's not because I am lazy or because I did not like the people who ran in it--I have voted in past SGA elections.
Those times, it was largely because I knew the person who was running and liked them person- ally. This election cycle, however, I choose to abstain from voting even though I knew many of the candidates and personally liked many of them... I chose not to vote on principle.
I'm sure some people would read that and wonder: "what on earth would hold me back from voting in SGA elections?" The simple answer is that I detest the politicization of society.
People are more than ever trying to seek political solutions to problems that should be solved outside of the political realm. People who wanted to change their community, their country, and the world used to go out and create organizations and businesses that really did change the world. However, now people instead seek political office for the sake of political office. An office is now the end, when it used to be a mean towards an actual political goal.
Miss Auburn is a wonderful example of this. It is not that I dislike any past Miss Auburns or any of their platforms, quite the opposite. I'm sure they're outstanding people; moreover, I thought many of them supported outstanding causes. But why do we have to pick just one? It seems rather obvious to me that not all Auburn students are exactly alike. So why, then, do we have a one-size-fits-all Miss Auburn? It's sad that simply because the other four Miss Auburn candidates could not get enough votes to win the public will abandon their admirable goals.
SGA campaigns run on platforms such as: improving on campus dining, transportation, parking and student life. Many of these areas of student life are a mess because the school runs them in the first place. Why then are we using election politics to add to the bureaucracy? So many of these issues could simply be solved by voluntary student interaction.
Students should look for ways to solve these things through campus organizations, educational campaigns, or markets. This way the students who really care can get involved without forcing the other students to participate as well. Voluntary participation will ALWAYS be more effective than involuntary participation or grossly generalized student representation.
There was something off about SGA week: everyone was out in force doing good deeds like opening doors, saying hello, and taking more of an interest in the people they see all year long. The rest of the year they would likely let the door shut and ignore them. It bothers me that all these people around campus suddenly become very thoughtful when there is an election to win. This doesn't mean these are bad people but it is incredibly disingenuous and, honestly, a little offensive.
Ultimately, I wish that these proactive students would instead strive to be entrepreneurs, not politicians. Entrepreneurs are the people who bring us innovations like iPhones and Facebook; all voluntarily.
Last fall AU IJM launched a hugely successful student-led campaign to end slavery, all just because a few students saw a need and filled it. They did this all without dime from the school. These are the people who really solve problems. We should aspire to be like them--socially conscious and economically effective on their own time and funds.
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