THE FACTS: The 2010 Census and Student Senate reapportionment proposal provide students with two opportunites to make sure they are represented in their legislative bodies.
OUR OPINION: Students need to stand up and be heard — both the Census and Student Senate reapportionment are matters students must care about.
Re-what? That’s probably what most students think when they hear the word “reapportionment.” It’s definitely not something that comes up when having a few drinks at the bar or talking to your classmates.
But reapportionment is an incredibly important word — it’s the process by which representative democracies draw new lines and assign proportional representation to groups of voters. This year, it has double the significance for students, with the 2010 Census approaching and the Student Senate proposal to reapportion seats for the students’ legislative body. Students need to take both the Census and Student Senate reapportionment seriously.
Regardless of what you think about the organization of the Student Senate and the distribution of representatives, this reapportionment matters. One can debate about the underrepresentation of smaller colleges or the excessive voice for larger colleges in the student legislative body, but unless students actually say something, nothing will change for the better. If students feel the proportional system works as it is, then they need to let student senators know. Or if students have better ideas on how to improve the senate’s representation, they must speak up now.
One need only look as far as the appropriations process to see the practical value in caring about the quality of leadership in the Senate — clubs and organizations rely on monies from appropriated student fees Student Government controls to maintain or improve their operations. A shift in power may result in unwanted changes.
In the broader political sense, it seems poetic for Student Senate to consider reapportionment in a Census year, as the data from this snapshot of America determine the number of Congressional representatives each state receives in Congress. While Student Government does not command the multibillion dollar budget the federal government oversees, it does have control of $10.85 of your money, and you can actually meet your representatives. Either way, apportionment will determine how many persons you can elect to speak for you in legislative bodies.
Do your part. Make sure to speak up about reapportionment for a government of the students, by the students and for the students. It’s your democracy — now go help make it work.
