Dear Class Of 2020: Vote Carefully

Dear class of 2020,

By now youve learned the hours of the Reg, what a p-set is, and how to do honest work in college (Have you read the free book yet? ).

Theres one thing you probably havent learned yet. I didnt learn it until winter quarter of 1st year:

Student government actually matters. Shocking. I know.

The votes you cast over the next few days will have an impact on your college experience (and mine). Please dont waste them.

Student Government matters not because its well-respected by the students, but because a bad SG can do serious harm.

With one resolution, your student government can make your campus hostile, and your degree less valuable. They can increase the cost of your tuition, prevent your favorite club from being funded, bring negative national media attention to your school, or use your tuition to pay themselves a salary (for a volunteer position).

They can probably do much worse things too. Those are just the things we all witnessed student government do last year.

Student Government reps decide where millions of dollars in club and event funding go each year. With the wrong representatives, much of that money will be funneled into their own clubs.

When you elect the wrong representatives, they could leave your campus in crisis and drive your fellow students to tears . Last year I saw students leave at least three different student government meetings with watery eyes.

This is your one opportunity to choose wisely. There are no rules to protect you from their activities once theyre in office. The SGconstitution is incredibly weak, and even the rules it does have are frequently ignored by representatives.

Last years representatives voted down multiple amendments to increase transparency. They banned recording of their controversial meetings, and refused to publicly disclose their votes, as they are constitutionally mandated to do. This vote is your one chance to end this madness. This is your opportunity to bring sanity to an insane institution.

So, please vote carefully.

Choose your student government representatives based on their beliefs, not their social-media presence. And please dont election any more crazies. (Ive left five solid recommendations for your votes below).

Sincerely,

Michael Sitver

Candidates that are pro-transparency, anti-paying representatives with student funds, and anti-student government focusing on foreign policy, rather than student issues.

• Anitej Ramesh

• Zarek Drozda

• JP Neenan

• Hunter Brookman

• Sat Gupta