Elections will be held from April 30 through May 2 to fill vacancies in the Skyline student government.
The elections will determine the student body president, vice president, commissioner of activities, commissioner of finance, the office of public records and vacancies in the student senate. Currently, there are nine students running for executive positions and five students running for senate seats.
The field of candidates expanded after the extension of the deadline for student government applications. The deadline was prolonged as a means to encourage more students to run for government, as the turnout was presumably low at its previous date. The final date for write-in candidates was April 18.
The increased number of candidates has led to a more hotly contested race among candidates running for executive positions, as the field has become more impacted.
Voter turnout for the most recent student election was decidedly low, coming in at just over 3 percent for the fall 2011 ASSC elections. ASSC vice president Edwina Yuan stressed the importance of student voter turnout, as it is a means to directly influence Skyline College.
“ASSC members serve on the shared governance committees for the college, and that is how students’ voices are heard on key issues,” Yuan said.
Some students voiced a disconnect they felt between the student body and the government. One such student, Micheal Madden, felt that the low turnout was reflective of student apathy toward the elections.
“I’m pretty indifferent,” Madden said when asked of his thoughts about the election. “Honestly, if only 400 people vote for you, you’re not really representing the people.”
Other students, such as Marcos Velasquez, felt less negative about the elections. Velazsquez felt that while he did care about the elections, they came at a time when students were highly occupied with work.
“It’s not that I don’t care, it’s just that I’m too busy,” Velasquez said. “I think that people are more focused on their academic goals.”
Velasquez went on to comment that the candidates lacked exposure, and that if the candidates made themselves more familiar to the students, it could help increase student interest.
Skyline Student Body President Heidi Hansen said that while the year has been challenging, serving on the student body government has been a productive endeavor.
“The student government is a learning experience,” Hansen said. “Over the course of the year, I’ve seen a lot of people grow.”
Upcoming events intended to help students become better acquainted with candidates include an event where students can personally hear from and meet candidates; the meet-and-greet will be held on April 25.
ASSC senator Chris Holmes attempted to summarize the importance of the upcoming elections in relation to their abilities to put forth action in favor of the students: “The ASSC got the dough, so you should vote, Bro!”
