At the start of spring term, a new LUCC executive board will take office. Although only one candidate ran for president and one for vice president, elections were held on Monday and Tuesday in the Warch Campus Center.
Whether the final number of candidates resulted from a lack of interest among the student body or sparse publicity from LUCC – or a combination of several factors – we find the scenario unfortunate.
We also take issue with the manner in which the elections were executed. There were few opportunities to vote – just seven total hours spread over four meal times. Last year, over 15 hours were offered over the course of five meal times in four days. This year, the polling times were not advertised on the Lawrence calendar and stations were not staffed for the entirety of the allotted times.
Though many organizations at Lawrence change leadership between winter and spring terms without notice, LUCC’s transition is very public and requires student involvement. Last year’s election was a testament to the potential success of this involvement; the presidential and vice-presidential races were decided between six candidates while motivating the highest voter turnout in LUCC history.
In the interest of an effective form of government, we hope that LUCC encourages students to run for office and to vote. The student government cannot be representative of the students unless it seeks to engage with them.
Staff Editorial
