Editorial
Voting for future of UWRF important in upcoming campus election
April 13, 2017
The UW-River Falls Student Government Association will be holding its election from Monday, April 17 through Friday, April 21. Not only are we as a campus choosing who will represent us in student government next year, but we’re also voting on the future of sustainability on this campus.
Of course, the ballot items that people are talking about the most are president and vice president. Five candidates in total are running for these positions, and they all have different areas of focus when it comes to the issues. It’s important to examine what matters to these candidates and consider what it is you want from a student body president and vice president.
This kind of research is crucial when it comes to electing student government officials, because the Student Government Association has the power to do everything from passing student organization budgets to creating programs like the Safe Ride Home Program.
On that note, these elections bring forth the chance to vote for all positions on the Student Senate, including the senators for our individual colleges. These senators do have voting power, and that can’t be overstated. This is just another exciting opportunity, and we shouldn’t take that for granted.
Also on the ballot is a referendum to see if students support the creation of the Greenovation Fund, a $10 student fee recently passed by the Student Senate that would go toward sustainability efforts on campus. That’s a small price to pay when considering the plethora of possible uses for the fee, like purchasing solar panels and adding more water bottle refill stations on campus.
It’s important for students to show their support for this, because campus administration wants a 15 percent voter turnout, roughly 750 students, in order to justify asking the UW System Board of Regents to approve the fee for this fall.
The student government represents us, and the current candidates have a wide range of issues they’re pushing. Reach out to them if you feel there’s an issue important to you that isn’t being addressed, and vote for who you want to see in charge next year.
We encourage you to do your research and vote, but don’t stop there. We suggest that, no matter the outcome, you follow what student government does for the rest of the year. Attend their weekly meetings, or even follow the Student Voice’s live tweets, and make sure you’re just as aware of what’s happening as they are.