Opinions Editor
Presidential election coverage is all over the news. The Republican primaries are in full swing, and it’s almost impossible to open up a newspaper or turn on the TV without seeing a candidate urging you to vote for them. This election blitz will soon be a little closer to home. Yet these candidates won’t be running for national office. The Student Government Association elections are approaching, and if students haven’t heard this news already, Becca Jacobson is trying to change that.
Jacobson, the SGA public relations coordinator, and her public relations committee are preparing for a serious campaign to encourage students to go out and vote during the March elections. These elections will feature candidates running for a variety of student government positions, including student senate, class officers and the Student Government Association President.
The public relations campaign will feature several measures to encourage students to vote.
“We are coming up with a bunch of flyers that are going to be posted up all around school. And they encourage not only voting for this election, but the upcoming election in November, which is huge because it’s a presidential election and that’s something that we are so lucky to have, a voting right,” said Jacobson. “We’re also looking into reserving the sidewalks come election time, just like to write really big, ‘Don’t forget to vote’, that kind of thing. Just because we don’t walk on the grass at Springfield College, everyone walks on the sidewalks, so you really can’t avoid it.”
“We’re also looking into big posters that will go on the ground as well; when you’re walking, you’ll walk on it which will be really cool,” she added.
The SGA elections will determine who will represent the student body next year. Jacobson, SGA President Kristina Dupuis and the rest of the SGA are trying to attract as many people as possible to both vote and run for office.
“[The SGA] really do a lot of things, so promoting the elections in a huge way, people are going to see it and maybe it will catch that one person’s eye that was like, ‘You know what, I didn’t know we had this on campus, but now that I do I really want to look into it. Like that sounds (like) something I’m interested in,’” said Jacobson.
“So really, by going all out, we’re going to hopefully get a really great turnout, which is what we want; we want a competitive nature, we want people who really want to be [a part of the SGA].”
The elections will take place in March. Packets for those interested in running for office are available in the Richard B. Flynn Campus Union and must be completed and turned in by March 9. Elections take place on PrideNet and final votes must be cast by March 22. The winners will be announced on March 26.
Josh Ernst may be reached at jernst@springfieldcollege.edu