Well folks, it’s that time of year again. Time to vote for next year’s De Anza Associated Student Body government. Sounds fun, eh? Time to elect 30 representatives to whom you, the students, will allocate over one million dollars, of which they will disperse among several significant programs. They will make consequential decisions on key issues and will collectively be your voice. These elections are your chance to let your voice be heard.

Reality, people: you don’t desire taking a small fraction of your precious time to fill out a ballot that will be read by a computer. Filing a ballot will take only a few moments and you owe yourself to make an informed decision, casting a ballot for candidates that will represent your voice.

Of over 20,000 [being conservative] students at De Anza, just over four percent of those students voted last year, when they received a slice of free pizza. Dismal and pathetic. Your voice is important, and is a vital part of our campus. According to a recent La Voz survey [see page 1], many students only vote if they are offered free food or other gifts. Students need to make their voice heard. Express your constitutional rights. Vote.

Like hawks hovering desert plains probing prey, campaign posters and banners flock our campus. Some posters are elaborately creative, simple and unique, and others are promiscuous, entertaining, or plain silly. Your student fees will be handled by who you elect, invest your fees wisely. Ignore those annoying catch phrases and cliches and become informed. Vote.

Next week, DASB will present the students two open forums where candidates will be addressing issues and concerns. Not attending one or both of the sessions will keep you uninformed about the candidates; there are approximately fifty candidates and only 30 are seats available in the Senate. Your vote is just as important as an extra five minutes working on that term paper you have been shrugging aside for weeks.

Challenge the candidates by approaching them and asking them intelligent questions. They might express the same opinion that you have, they may not.

You owe it to yourself to vote intelligently. Read the voter’s guide and look at past senate meeting minutes that are located in the Student Activities Office.

You owe it to yourself, “vote for a student senate that will live up to their mission statement: By the students and for the students,” — La Voz, May 14