Exercise your right not to be complacent

For the second time in as many years, the Student Government Board election cycle has… For the second time in as many years, the Student Government Board election cycle has changed. Initially, the term ran over a 12-month span from January to January, but was then changed to run April to April. After a year under the new term, the cycle has returned to January to January. As a result, the student leaders who are elected this week will serve from May 1 to the end of December. This altered term means that SGB tenure will be shortened for those elected, but the responsibility of choosing these individuals remains squarely across students’ shoulders.

Those who are too lazy or too apathetic to vote will create ways to rationalize their stances – they always do. But those students who like to refer to SGB’s system using terms such as powerless, unproductive and useless, have no one to blame but themselves if they don’t vote.

The voting mantras that get thrown around at election time are tried but haven’t proven themselves true. Pitt’s voter turnout rate is pathetic – comparable to a mediocre batting average. But if past years have demonstrated anything about election day, they’ve proven that voting is fun – even for unaffected seniors. Everyone loves pulling levers, plus there are lollipops aplenty. Not to mention the satisfaction that comes with exercising democratic rights.

If SGB fails to serve the student body, blame falls largely on the students and their voting methods. Most don’t vote at all, and those who do cast a vote strictly for people they know. The result is that Pitt’s student leadership is elected by the candidates and their buddies.

So if your inept friend is running for SGB, do us all a favor and lie to him or her. Your friend will never know your true feelings, the polls will maintain their integrity, and the campus will gain good – or at least better – leadership.

A similar voting method centers on appearance. Hot people, for instance, are undeniably hot. But sheer hotness may not be the best scale on which to weigh a candidate’s qualifications. Other factors, such as intelligence and prior arrests, should take priority over superficial interests. And, if considered, these factors could lead to an SGB without monthly Pitt police citations.

So if you don’t know any of the candidates and don’t find any of them physically attractive, check out the platforms and vote your conscience. If you can’t vote your conscience, flip past the crossword puzzle in The Pitt News and consult the editorial board endorsements. Or stop complaining.