To the Editor,

I have become increasingly concerned by the overwhelming engagement students have shown toward the upcoming elections on May 21. I don’t really get what the big deal is. Sure, the mayor has influence over everything from parking, to the Port Authority or even to a possible tax on tuition; I just don’t see how any of that stuff affects the day-to-day lives of most students.

Sure, we hear all the time that students don’t participate enough in local elections, but I just don’t know why anyone should be concerned that in 2005 the average voting age of the city was more than 50 years old. I mean, come on, so what? I’m sure we all agree with those folks on the issues, they’ll vote the way students care.

Never mind the enthusiasm, I just can’t get over how knowledgeable some students are. I mean, I love a good meme as much as the next guy, but all these Tumblrs and images dedicated to mayoral candidates is getting out of hand. I feel like I can’t log into Facebook anymore without being barraged by everyone’s choice for mayor. And if I see one more Twitter tussle about the pros and cons of providing tax increment financing deals to projects that don’t incorporate adaptive reuse, I might give it up altogether.

My point is, students are simply taking this local election way too seriously. Come on, we’re just selecting the head of a major U.S. city. It’s not like we’re voting for homecoming or anything.

Robert Beecher

SGB Governmental Relations Chair

Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, 2014

For more information on the election or on how to register to vote absentee, please email [email protected]