Voting in ASG elections is student responsibilty

The campaign tables are appearing, the free candy is flowing and flyers are festooning columns. It’s Associated Student Government (ASG) election time, folks.

The ASG president and vice president will be elected in less than two weeks and there are five fully formed tickets to decide from, with debates between the candidates taking place next Tuesday and Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. in the Main Mall.

Here’s the catch though: you, as a student, need to get involved with the campaign and vote according to your perceptions of candidates because the ASG president and vice president will influence and affect your time at MHCC more than you may know.

The decisions an ASG president makes are important in governing the student body; they are the voice of students and their rights on campus. They should be looking out for you as students, as they attend a variety of meetings and are a part of several committees including: Student Organizational Council, The Finance Council, ASG Executive Cabinet meetings, Strategic Planning Council, ASMHCC Senate Meetings, Board of Education meetings and monthly meetings with the college president, etc.

You get the idea; the two students elected will be in on nearly every important meeting, council or committee on campus for the entire year. They will also be the primary student leaders who will be advocating for students and student rights at the Capitol in Salem.

As they wield considerable influence on campus through their attendance in all of the aforementioned meetings, councils and committees, it is the student body’s responsibility to make sure they choose the right people for the job, as cliché as that may sound. This translates into an involved student electorate, one that attends the debates and asks the questions on the issues that matter to them, from allocation of funds during Finance Council, the input when it comes to decisions such as parking fees and tuition increases during budget forums and even about what sort of events ASG and its sister-group Student Activities Board put on for the education and entertainment of students.

So, during the week of May 7-10 when you see a member of the ASG Elections Committee roaming the Main Mall with iPad tuned to the voting screen at the ready, or you’re browsing the MHCC website, take a moment and consider who you’ll vote for, as those individuals will be involved in all the aforementioned activities making decisions for you. Remember everything they’ve said in debates, what their platform says and the promises they may have made.

Remember all of those aspects and vote accordingly.