Editor's Note 2/1

Story by Jacob Zlomke 

| Published Feb 1, 2011

Readers, it’s nearing that magical time of year again. The weather is slowly warming. We’re graced with a sunny afternoon here and there. The air tastes a little sweeter. The students all have a certain spring to their step and a song in their pocket. We’re approaching the most anticipated event of the spring semester (other than the triumphant return of shouting evangelicals): ASUN election season.

The elections really are special. A few parties that are hard to distinguish from one another run on generic campaign platforms and dump money into banners and t-shirts and week-long coke benders* and other super important stuff, and it’s about as thrilling as trimming your lawn with hedge clippers.

I can’t think of any better display of boring, over-priced self-servitude.

But snarky assholery aside, ASUN does play an important role on our campus. Or presumably it did at one time. As student-fee paying constituents of ASUN, I think we can all agree we deserve that again.

The problems are obvious: No one is quite sure what ASUN spends its time and money ($10.16 per student per semester) doing. Though according to a Daily Nebraskan article published in December, thanks to ASUN you can now hear Harry Potter theme music playing from the bell tower. So there’s that, I guess, but god help us if our student government can’t find something more pressing than whether or not the students should hear “Hedwig’s Theme” on the way to class.

On top of that, it feels very much like a Good Ol’ Boys network. Year after year, student representatives vote for student representatives to mostly represent student representatives.

But let’s not forget, ASUN stands for Association of Students of the University of Nebraska. Students, huh? That’s most of us.

Fun fact: there is currently only one party registered to run, Lane Carr’s Action Party (pro tip: try capitalizing the “n” in “action,” Lane. It has a history of attracting voters). The deadline for registering your party is February 9, which is coming right up. That’s a little disheartening, and very revealing.

So there’s this problem that seems to start at ASUN, but actually starts with the students. Voter turnout is notoriously poor, and annual ASUN debates are far under-attended. But apathy is as present as...whatever.

Readers, time to pull it together. Vote this year. Get involved, somewhat, at least. Know what parties are running and under what platforms. E-mail your senators so that they know what concerns you, the constituent.

I know this all sounds like lame, watered-down, “Rock the Vote” kind of stuff, and it probably is. But I don’t care. ASUN should be governing the student body effectively and how well that’s achieved is mostly up to the students. Put your $10.16 to good use next year.

*They probably don’t spend money on week-long coke benders.