If finding student interest for undergraduate government is
difficult, it’s even more difficult at the graduate
level.
Even with incentives in exchange for voting, only 17 percent of
the graduate population voted in the 2004 elections.
But this shouldn’t be the case.
From today until May 3, graduate students can cast online
ballots for who will control the allocation of their
association’s fees, create programming, manage the Graduate
Student Resource Center, and lobby state legislators for lower
fees. The association also appoints members to committees of great
influence, such as the Associated Students UCLA Board of Directors,
the Communications Board and the Student Fee Advisory
Committee.
This year GSA elections are more contested than usual, which
should be even more of a reason for students to vote.
Graduate study is characterized by taking ownership of
one’s education and its direction. Voting for GSA leaders
shows similar ownership of grad students’ voices in the
formation of university policy, a responsibility that
shouldn’t be shrugged off as irrelevant.