If you were on the patio of the Union yesterday, you either really wanted a sugar cookie or were there to support the Rock the ASUU Vote event organized by the Associated Students of the University of Utah.
Rock the ASUU Vote was initiated on the U campus in order “to get students on campus to get involved in the governing of itself,” according to Dustin Bouwhuis, a member of the Student Advocacy Group. Prior to the commencement of the event, Bouwhuis spent time ensuring that there would be a potential constituency to which the members of the student parties could campaign. He was responsible for the cookies that were available as well as the entertainment, which consisted of two local music bands, Five Too Far and Decoder Ring.
While refreshments and music were there “to draw some attention,” Bouwhuis said, the candidates then had the responsibility of informing the student population about their individual platforms.
The parties clearly wanted to provide fair and positive representation for the student body. It was also clear, however, that the student body’s interest in school politics extended perhaps as far as the refreshment table or the stage on which the bands were performing.
Although event organizer Bouwhuis was pleased with the turnout, the representation of the student body seemed limited to students who happened to be on the right part of campus at the right time. Just prior to the event beginning, seniors Salvko Ivanisevic and Bran Ristic, an economics and a parks, recreation and tourism major, respectively, had no idea that the event was taking place and showed no impetus to wait around for the candidates.
Over in Marriott Library, while the event was underway, civil engineering senior, Beau Uriona, who worked the cash register in the caf, was not bashful when voicing his feelings about student government. Uriona seemed to be just the type of student who would benefit from one of the party platforms. But when asked how he felt about student government and whether he’d be voting in the election, Uriona’s frank response was, “I could care less, to tell you the truth.”