UNF has started our elections to choose our new student body president and vice president today, but do any of us really care?

No, not really, but we absolutely should.

There is a small group of us that care: presidents of clubs, those of us who work for SG funded organizations, those of us in SG, and a few outside of those constraints. Most students don’t seem to really care how SG operates or event who is apart of it. Students neglect just how important this body actually is where it comes to our campus life.

The People we are electing today and tomorrow are the people who speak on our behalf with administration, help to move our wants and desires as far as quality of life, and get to handle a LOT of money that we can use to help improve our campus. Do you like tailgating? Use SG to lobby admin for it. Want to have your organization go to New York for some conference? Submit a budget request to the Senate. Unhappy with your parking ticket? Ask for a hearing with the Judiciary.

Student Government is here on campus to act as our resource to improve our life. Though we as students may not know exactly how much of a resource this can actually be, it nevertheless is an incredibly valuable asset to us. It behooves the student population to give proper attention and diligence to this election.

For all of us who criticize UNF for not having a community, for all of us who say we have no reason to be on campus, for all of us who say that UNF gives you no reason to actually stay on campus, this is the mechanism that we can use to improve our life here.

Some of the projects I have seen SG accomplish since I have been a student here include adding more lights to poorly lit areas, connecting our campus to outside food vendors for discounts, and improving our wi-fi network on campus. The work of governing may be slow, but nevertheless, it does prove to be effective.

I encourage all of you to cast your vote today. I encourage all of you to vote for the candidate who most clearly represents what you want UNF to look like. But one way or the other, do not neglect Student Government.

Whether you move Forward or explore the Frontier, go vote.

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