Kudos to the 500 or so students and faculty members who showed up to the Daschle/Johnson press conference. That will teach politicians to plan for only a few hundred the next time they decide to put in an appearance on this campus. Now if we could only get about 10 times that number to vote in elections, be they SA or otherwise, that would be a true miracle.
For years, people have tried to encourage and entice our generation to actively participate in politics. Yet nothing has worked. And scandals like Enron only worsen Generation X’s and Y’s apathy. Slogans like “your vote counts” and “make a difference: vote” seem to ring hollow when the majority of the those who voted did not vote for our current president.
Can anything be done? Short of making it illegal not to vote, maybe not.
But of course, there is always peer pressure. If it works to get kids to smoke, take drugs and drink at an early age, maybe it can have positive results, too. So, for all of those of you out there who are smart enough to realize that voting is vital to the democratic process, start harassing your friends who don’t do their civic duty. You needn’t preach. Just mock them or gently explain that they’re stupid to not participate in decisions that affect their lives. Be creative. And remember, the Students’ Association election is on March 6 and 7. Even if you don’t think the SA is important, vote anyway. It’s fast, and it can’t hurt.
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