Students should take their right to vote seriously and work hard to make an educated decision when voting in Student Association Elections.

Two years ago the Student Association held their weekly Monday meeting at Maxwell Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. It was the unofficial halfway point of the 57th Session. A bill was passed during this meeting that changed the Student Association, “the president and vice president will now run together on one ticket.” On November 15, 2013, Student Association announced the first president-elect and vice-president-elect. Boris Gresely and I were elected into office. There had been the highest turnout in Syracuse University history, 31 percent of the student body voted, a total of 4,411 total votes cast.

I urge students to inform themselves of every member of the ballot such as the vice-president, comptroller and assembly representatives. While each role in SA is different, every role has empowerment for change. These individuals will work together for two consecutive semesters to better SU, and students need to be aware of who represents them. Each student representative has a constituency of 300 students; do you know who your representative is? Elections should not be a popularity contest or voting for your friend. They are about electing the best candidates to make us all better. I urge all of you who bleed orange to become an informed voter and vote on MySlice April 13–16.

Sincerely Yours,
Daniela Lopez
SA Vice President 58th Session