The Grand Valley State University Student Senate hosted a “Meet the Candidates” event on Monday as a way to introduce next year’s candidates to other students and to each other. Though GVSU has approximately 25,000 students, only a small fraction of that number actually votes during elections. 

This needs to change. Voting for new student senators is important because those that you pick are representatives of the whole student body. Senators sit on various committees within the university and talk directly with administrators.

Many students might think that they can simply search for a candidate on social media to learn more about them. However, it is important to meet them in person to put a face to a name on the ballot. The way the senators present themselves in a professional setting, such as at Monday’s event, represents how they will communicate with administrators and community members throughout their term.

Additionally, the senators are serving the student population, so it is important for them to get to know the students and for the students to get to know their senators. Student concerns can only be addressed if student senators know what their needs are, and senators cannot know unless the people they are representing tell them.

Student Senate is composed of fellow GVSU students. For students looking for leadership opportunities, joining the senate might be a good place to make change at the university. By getting to know members of the senate, students can talk to them about their position and see if it would be something of interest in the future.

Voting is an important part of being an informed and responsible student at GVSU because it can lead to the creation of more opportunities at the university and improve your time on campus.