By Carlton Adams

In the 2012 presidential election, 23 million Americans under the age of 30 voted to have their say in the U.S. Government, according to a study by the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.

At SMU, the 2014 Student Senate Student Body Officer election drew a turnout of just less than 20 percent of the student population, both graduate and undergraduate.

Both of these statistics display that many students do not live up to their duty as a member of the community to speak out and vote for what they believe in. But most importantly, these numbers show the missed opportunity for Mustangs to choose who represents their interests.

The trend in low voting numbers for student body officer and senator elections has been consistent over the past few years. This is unfortunate, as student senators make key decisions including allocating funds from student fees, implementing changes in the undergraduate curriculum and organizing social reforms each year; decisions that impact daily life for students on and off our campus.

With nearly 50 senators working on behalf of SMU’s academic schools and special interest populations, the Student Senate aims to represent the entirety of the student body when making decisive pieces of legislation.

The individuals you elect are intended to represent you, the constituent. They represent students who spend their nights in the SAMSA or Fondren. They represent graduate students, first years, transfers, commuters, minorities, and all those in between. They are the voice with which the student body communicates with administrators and make changes to push SMU to be the best version of itself.

Every person on campus serves a purpose and contributes to the University in a specific way. This institution cannot run without the support and efforts of our students. The ability to vote in Student Senate elections is a right and privilege to every student that walks onto this campus. But, without a clear direction from any sort of voting majority, the Student Senate cannot effectively meet the needs of the community as a whole.

In just under two weeks, you will have the chance, once more, to have your voice heard. You will have the chance to make a difference in your future at SMU by voting for your representative on Student Senate. On April 1st and 2nd, I encourage every Mustang to vote online at smu.edu/elections to exercise your right to have a stake in how our University is run.

Carlton Adams is a junior Dedman Senator from Dallas, TX. He previously served as a First-Year Senator, Pre-Major Senator and Senate Membership Chair. He is majoring in Economics.