Two years ago, during the 2012 presidential election, St. Bonaventure was quite the political hotbed. Students and professors pledged their allegiance to either Mitt Romney or Barack Obama, with a few disillusioned folks hoping for some third-party candidates to pull off a miracle.
Student political clubs such as the college democrats and college republicans put on events and attempted to inform students of the major issues surrounding the election. WSBU FM 88.3, The Buzz held an election night event for students to follow the results of the election together.
During each of the debates – even the Joe Biden/Paul Ryan debacle – social media was abuzz with St. Bonaventure students joking, arguing, commenting and sharing their opinions on the matter.
Students weren’t political strategists or masterminds, but at least they were paying attention.
The same cannot be said for this year’s mid-term elections.
The races were not discussed at nearly the same rate they were last election. There were no major election-watching events held on campus. Despite college’s general liberal nature, the college democrats club fizzled out due to lack of interest.
The college republicans maintain a club of roughly 10 to 15 people. They campaigned for local congressional candidate Tom Reed, who eventually won re-election.
But that’s about as far as St. Bonaventure’s political activity went this year.
Obviously, the mid-term elections aren’t as popular or publicized as the presidential campaigns. But the drop off in interest at St. Bonaventure does not coincide with an equal drop off in importance.
Much like the House of Representatives at the last midterm elections, the Senate majority changing hands has major implications. The president might be the “leader of the free world” but it’s Congress that creates laws and nixes other bills. As one of the three branches of government, Congress theoretically has as much power as the president. Thus, the Senate changing hands is arguably as important as who wins a presidential election.
College is seen as a transition from teenage years to adulthood. As such, college students should begin to pay more attention to those in power. The bills being considered and issues being debated are no longer boring ideas you hear on the news – they affect our lives. That goes for local and state elections too, not just Senate and Congress.
Which is why it is not enough just to vote – you have to know the implications of your decision. Otherwise you might be ignorantly contributing to an issue you don’t fully understand. Many college graduates have defaulted on their student loans in recent years – shouldn’t students be interested in knowing which candidates support student loan debt relief?
Upon graduating, students will have to income taxes for a full-time job. Shouldn’t they be interested in where it’s going?
The world of politics can be frustrating and difficult to follow. But as adults, we have an obligation to hold those in power accountable for their actions.
This editorial represents the opinion of The Bona Venture staff
