Go forth and vote

It's election time. The posters are up, the e-mails have begun and campaigning has started. But there's still one very important step: voting. There are few things the average Penn student can really do to have a far-reaching effect at this University, but voting in the student-government elections can certainly have an impact.

During the 2004 election, the entire Penn community banded together. And while not everyone agreed on politics or party, nearly all students agreed that voting was of the utmost importance. The energy that October was palpable on campus, and it proved that Penn students are capable of caring about elections and representation.

Voter turnout in the 2004 election increased by 280 percent over the 2000 election in on-campus precincts alone. But while the election of your class representative or treasurer may seem far less important than who becomes the president in 2008 or a Pennsylvania senator in 2006, think again. Members of student government may not have control over a nuclear arsenal and may not be able make healthcare a universal right, but the UA's decisions directly affect you as a student.

Did you ride the free bus to the airport over winter break? Do you plan on using the Ruckus music-downloading service when it hopefully becomes available?

The UA is solely responsible for the bus and the music network; they provided the funds required to transport the thousands of students who took the bus, and they worked with Ruckus to try to bring the network to campus.

And are you happy that O.A.R. was selected as the Spring Fling band?

The student government handed $648,758 this year to the Social Planning and Events Committee, the group that plans Spring Fling and other campus-wide social events. The UA also controls another $850,000 that it distributes to about 220 groups across the campus.

The UA is in control of a very large amount of money, and who you decide to elect to represent you will matter when it comes to deciding which groups and ideas get money. For example, the budget for QPenn, the annual gay pride and awareness week held this week, saw its budget nearly double.

But the UA has provided students with another -- albeit long-overdue -- reason to vote.

Average Penn students can now make a truly informed decision when they select their representatives because every UA member's voting history and attendance record is now online. The UA's Web site is a great service for students, and voters should take advantage of the site and use it to make an informed decision.

However, because it is disappointing that many of the UA races lack competition, students should make sure to give all candidates a fair chance, not only current UA members. The Daily Pennsylvanian has also compiled profiles of all candidates, including those running for office for the first time, and students should also explore new candidates before voting.

But however you go about it, just vote. It's painless and can greatly affect the quality of your experience this institution, as well as the Spring Fling band.

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