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What’s it all matter?

Chris Sinal's reaction after finding out he has won the 2002 USC Presidential election. Sinal, currently serving on Western's Board of Governers, was one of the driving forces behind the USC's new policy Q&A with presdiential candidates.

You know, I was just joking when I said at least a half dozen people would show up to yesterday’s USC open forum on election procedures. It’s sort of the shtick in this space — poke fun at how few students care about the USC and its elections. Surely it may get under the skin of your typical nauseatingly optimistic USCer but that’s part of what makes it so much fun.

But seriously, one concerned student showed up yesterday. One.

Total attendance was ten, but 90% of that was people who kind of had to be there. In total, there were three Gazette editors, the USC president, two USC vice-presidents, two members of the elections committee, a former presidential candidate and the lone concerned student.

This is a problem, no?

Well, not for the USC who seem to be checking off points on their auditing checklist such as this public forum as they move closer to making the elections a USC-only party. Insular, contained, exclusive — call it what you want, they’re clearly moving towards a process designed to weed out any non-USCers who, until now, had a relatively easy path to the presidency.

It’s easy to understand the USC’s motives for the move — candidates should have a passable knowledge of the massive organization they’re vying to lead. Fielding just one serious candidate surrounded by an assortment of knobs, resume-boosters and idealists cheapens the process.

But one student turning up to a public forum is a problem. What’s the point of a democratic process that no one is interested in taking part in?

What’s the point of arguing over how much money presidential candidates should be allotted for their campaigns when it is widely known and often openly admitted that it’s easy for candidates to hide receipts and doctor their finances?

Why are we debating the merits of outdoor signs, rave cards, bag tags and the like when the current president describes the process as a popularity contest at a public forum?

What’s the point of this all when you can’t even get a single current councilor or senator to show up to a public forum on one of the USC’s most important documents at 5:30 on a Wednesday evening ?

The USC elections are likely the one time during the year when the USC is actually relevant to the student body and has the best opportunity to directly engage constituents. But as the process is made more and more insular and student apathy seems to cloak all but one student on campus, what does it really matter?

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