The U.S. just saw the greatest voter turnout for midterm elections in over a century. People are starting to come out to the polls in waves like never before. This amount of civic engagement is exciting across the board. We can only hope that this energy persists into future elections.
While we’re still caught up in the fever of the midterm elections, let’s not forget about the ongoing elections happening right on this campus: our Student Government Association (SGA).
SGA elections have been going on this week, and soon the winners will be announced. Some ran unopposed, while others had almost a dozen competitors. We hope that, if you haven’t already, you take advantage of the opportunity to let your voice be heard.
Trinity students are notorious for complaining about this school — whether it be the food, classes or resources, to name a few. If you want the administration to listen to you, use the system put in place for it. It is much more productive to cast a vote for a student who wants to help you make sure your best interests are understood by the school than it is to voice your complaints online or among friends. These elected students act as liaisons between the student body and admin.
Consider the motivation a student would have for running for SGA. The positions aren’t paid. It’s a lot of time, week after week. And like many jobs on campus, there’s a lot of effort, with minimal recognition. Few people outside of the group understand all the work that goes into what they do. Unless you’re friends with a senator or cabinet member, you probably don’t know that they meet multiple times a week — often for hours — for the sole purpose of helping you.
This is not to say the organization is perfect. As others have said before, there are flaws and certainly areas where the students and faculty advisers who represent us could do more.
We are lucky to have several members on our staff who have been part of last year’s SGA, which often gives us insight into how the organization operates. They’ve written opinion columns about it, too. Our news editor, Kendra Derrig, also reports on their weekly meetings — which you can find on page two if you want to be more in tune with what is discussed each week.
All of this is to say, SGA is only as good as you make it. If you don’t voice your complaints and concerns to the students who represent you, you’re likely to be left alone in your echo chamber.
If you haven’t cared about SGA in the past, here’s a chance to get to know the new faces who have just been elected and see what they can do for you.
