Too many issues unadressed in upcoming Student Government election

Staff Editorial

Posted on Monday, October 29th, 2007, 12:00 am

With only two candidates vying for the position of student body president, it is disappointing to see the platforms on which they stand. Gimbala Sankare, president of the class of 2010, focuses on the location of the parking lots as a solution to the issue of on-campus parking. This is simply an endorsement of UMaine’s own plan, which puts no new ideas on the table.

Sankare also feels there is an issue with the relationships between the on-campus and off-campus students, and is planning a party to bring them together. Typically, we call this “Friday night,” and it is something students seem to be handling rather well.

William Pomerleau, the incumbent, is focusing most of his campaign on resurrecting Bumstock, a former musical tradition for UMaine, with plans to lower the costs of the event.

These issues are minor ones, and a lack of stronger campaign issues can only breed apathy. To combat this malaise, we urge the candidates to seek out creative solutions to inspire student involvement.

Last year’s candidates acknowledged issues on campus that should not be ignored, including Derek Mitchell’s suggestion on making teacher evaluations available to students. The lack of dining choices in Memorial Union was successfully addressed by president Priyanth Chandrasekar – demonstrating his connection to the student body.

Certainly, there are bigger issues than parties and concerts that concern the student body. There is still time for our current candidates to show us their ideas and the energy they are willing to put into gathering student input. We hope they use that time wisely.