DN|Blog

More than average involvement

Posted March 1st, 2006. By Dave Studinski. In SGA Election 2006.

With a clear victor standing, the 2006 Student Government election season ended Tuesday night.
Team Lisec is the winner by means of statistics, but in regards to the election season itself — everyone took home a piece of the gold. After a dismal 2005 election with only one slate, Team US, stepping up to the plate, this year provided a refreshing challenge for voters.
With the second highest voting turnout in 10 years, it was no doubt the year of the student.
Neither slate rose above the other with any certain particular claim or characteristic this year. The slates, although rooted in different efforts, seemed to support much of the same causes: diversity, communication, students and SGA as a whole. Their tactics in reaching these goals — and voters, for that matter — were different, but for both slates their ultimate hopes seemed mutual.
The differences in approach are notable, no less. Team Lisec took a straightforward, no-bull, professional politics stance throughout the campaign. The candidates, through and through, exhibited signs of knowledge, power, leadership and political maturity. It was a great tactic to reach the voters who are involved within the university – but for those students who aren’t, Lisec’s slate appeared just a little overboard.
The Cardinal Movement, meanwhile, took a more down-to-earth approach, helping to reach such a common student. The Movement’s strongest power throughout the campaign was their grassroots support base. Suffice to say, that base was not sturdy enough to win the election.
“I feel if everyone has voted who they said supported us, we would have won,” Tyler Clemens, The Cardinal Movement’s treasurer candidate, said shortly after learning of his slate’s loss Tuesday.
Clemens may be right. The problem with the demographic The Movement chased after was and continues to be something SGA representatives are all too familiar with: student apathy.
The Movement’s momentum came from the slate finding a niche with the so-called average student. This is not a testament to those students abilities or intelligence, but rather the fact that they are simply not as involved in campus politics as much as those who more than likely voted for Team Lisec.
The Movement demonstrated signs of strength and motivation, the latter of which shown through in most of their actions during the campaign. By the end of the election, though, both slates — especially The Cardinal Movement — appeared visibly warn and exhausted.
Regardless of the election numbers – both slates came out as winners this year. Although Team Lisec takes office later this month, The Cardinal Movement’s spirit of involvement will hopefully live on.
It’s great news for SGA when everyday students end their apathy and take a gamble with the political process.
Sure, the Cardinal Movement may not have finished at the top of the voting polls, but for every average student out there – their campaign was still a victory.