The most memorable part of student elections shouldn’t be talk over a poster of a guy with his shirt open. And if that’s the case, something needs to change.
With the votes in, winners announced and dust settled, most of us students are still left wondering just what was voted for.
The Dixie Sun News staff feels like it can offer some alternatives to the current process because, let’s be honest, about 20 percent of the student body voted, and still aren’t sure why they did.
A round of debates to inform students about the platforms for the first round of candidates would have been helpful so the student body could be better informed. That way Dixie State University Student Association elections could become more than what they have been previously: An attempt to gain votes by blocking entry to buildings while putting a phone in front of harassed students.
For one thing, the campaign posters could be more informative, as they are one of the main ways to convey information about the candidates. While the current posters and banners are attractive, they don’t really convey any information aside from a face and a name.
Future candidates should host at least one event on the diagonal with booths and prospective candidates available for students to talk to.
As each candidate says they want to be the voice of the students, a forum like this on the diagonal would give them an opportunity to answer questions and gather information from students.
Add some music, flyers with basic platform information, and students will stop by because you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. And, frankly, the current experience of running the gauntlet past phone-wielding people to get to class is more the vinegar approach.
Also, the DSUSA tries to model its organization after the American government, except the DSUSA elections look nothing like our American elections. In the U.S. elections, it is illegal for people to pressure you to vote right in front of them.
A “secret ballot” is required for all U.S. elections. The voting booth set up this year was a nice touch, but more of these booths and better advertising of their locations would follow the practices of the U.S. government more closely.
Lastly, the Dixie Sun News would like to offer its services as a moderator for the final debate between the DSUSA candidates. The Sun Staff is dedicated to being impartial and the dissemination of information, and would act in the capacity many news organizations perform during American election cycles.
Student elections are an important part of how the university is run, and a lot of these changes would need to come from the current DSUSA government. For all the candidates to be fairly represented and have equal opportunities to be elected, and the student body to be better informed, the current process needs a serious overhaul.
