Congratulations to all the candidates who won or are moving on to the run-off in the SGA elections. All the elected persons will no doubt serve Tech well. But one of the most noticeable outcomes of the election was the lack of support for candidates who were running as ‘SGA outsiders.’ Some students on campus have similar concerns that SGA seems exclusive and disconnected from the student body, and low voter turnout, albeit higher than last year, reinforces this notion.
Many of the viable candidates came from within SGA, which tends to influence the outcome of these elections more than the issues. This clouds the true intention of the elections. It is important to remember that the SGA representatives are not simply leaders of SGA, but elected leaders of the student body. These positions set the tone for the student body when dealing with the administration and outside bodies.
One of the key breakdowns that has contributed to this conundrum is the lack of awareness of issues within the student body. Part of the responsibility for this breakdown rests with this publication, the Technique, as we must do everything possible to inform the student body about the problems that face the campus. We accept the challenge to work harder to keep you informed. However, part of the problem also lies with SGA and the seeming disconnect with the student body.
SGA must mitigate this situation by actively recruiting more student leaders to participate in SGA and encourage more students to get active on campus. Use the resources that made I Heart GT Week so successful and inform the student body about the issues that truly matter. Make sure that all students know how to get involved in the SGA process and the positive impact SGA has on campus. Biggest issue for the coming year: informing students about the issues.