Editorial: Political participation peaks at forum
Oct. 3, 2008
Local politicians came to MU for a forum on Wednesday to discuss issues affecting college students. They gave statements and answered questions, many of which were prepared by the Associated Students of the University of Missouri and some of which were contributed by attending students.
We'd first like to thank the attending candidates for offering up their time to speak with us. We've consistently said that its easier to get out and vote if we know candidates care about student issues, and the fact that the first quarter of the forum was spent at least discussing the student curator voting bill was comforting. We ask that all local politicians follow suit - we appreciate knowing that you have an invested interest in our generation, and we want to ask questions and voice our opinions.
As for students that attended the forum, it was great to see that so many students had questions about candidate's policy preferences and so much interest in discussing student issues with the people who may end up representing us on a national scale. When we do research to back up our opinions and questions and bring that to the table as well, it's more likely that politicians will take us seriously and that they'll make decisions with us in mind and trust us with responsibilities such as voting power on the Board of Curators.
To be taken seriously, it's also important that we remember to be respectful when we do attend events like Wednesday's forum. Questions should be reasonable and should address issues that really do matter. This helps to emphasize that we value the time and efforts of those that are coming to speak with us. Students that haven't attended events like this one should start; the decisions made by these representatives directly affect us, and we have the chance to get to know them and to voice our opinions about what we want from the legislature in the future.
And along the lines of political participation, don't forget to register to vote. If you want your voice to count this November, you absolutely need to register by Wednesday, Oct. 8. Visit www.showmeboone.com/clerk to learn how to register today, and send in your application this weekend. There's no excuse for apathy this election season. With the economy in its current state and so many problems plaguing higher education, it's vital that we as college students engage ourselves politically and get out to the polls.
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