Despite its scandalous past, service in the Student Government still evokes a certain amount of prestige and respectability. Or does it?
On Thursday, Sept. 6, Student Supervisor of Elections Adam Ferrando said there were 41 seats available in the Boca House and only 15 candidates running; although he expected 10 more applications by the Sept. 7 deadline.
After the 5 p.m. deadline, Ferrando reported a grand total of 104 declarations, including senate and Treasure Coast House applications – that’s 89 more in less than 24 hours.
Student participation in SG has been a problem in the past, although that does not seem to be the case now.
Anyone could declare candidacy – from your stoner roommate to the ditz who twirls her hair and smacks her gum during class or any other underachieving stereotype imaginable – as long as they have the minimum academic requirement of a 2.5 GPA.
Voter turnout could be an issue in this race, as it has historically at FAU with approximately six percent of students voting in the spring presidential elections and only 794 students, approximately three percent, voting to ratify the new SGA constitution last February. Voting may take a backseat in the beginning of a new semester; as Boca House Representative Andrew Dunkiel says, “Fall semester is a hectic time, especially for new freshmen.”
The UP called more than 30 of these potential representatives to ask them a few questions about why they were running and what they know or don’t know about SG. Here are some of the highlights:
Junior Ilya Alekseyev, a self described “visionary,” says he needed to consult friends in SG before answering questions for “fear of sounding stupid.” Alekseyev said he was recruited by someone handing out applications and wanted to participate in SG because he hadn’t in high school.
Sophomore Lance Desrouleaux says, “I didn’t know there was going to be an election” and thought he was just joining SG.
Freshman Shayna Marcus is interested in SG because, as she says, “I feel like I can control well…[and am] good at being on top of things.” She also stated, “When he [Jared Torres] asked me to run, I didn’t know the position I’d be running for.”
Junior Charles Backster Brand IV says he’s running because he “needs service hours,” but assured the UP he wanted to accomplish things and was “not going to slack off or anything.”
Te’chaunta Richardson, undecided about her major but seeking her second bachelors, according to the Student Directory, declined to comment when she found out she could be potentially quoted in the UP.
Few of the candidates knew answers to specific questions regarding to the size of the SG budget, the inner workings of the legislative branch and what Activity and Service fees – the fees that make up the SGA budget – are.
Here’s an unnerving fact: “Representatives are considered actual elected representatives by the State of Florida,” says Ferrando.
So when you vote on Sept. 18 and 19, choose wisely, because you never know who could be working their way up the democratic chain of command.
Where Do I Vote?Although polling locations haven’t yet been finalized on other campuses–as of printing–these are the locations to vote on the Boca Campus:
? In front of Starbucks in the Breezeway? At the North end of the Breezeway ? On the first floor of the business building? In the lobby of the Student Union
Everyone can vote from their homes or dorms at http://www.fau.edu/sgaelections according to Adam Ferrando