Possible solution to voter apathy seen in 'Battle'

November 6, 2006 —

Historically, any mention of election issues centered within a university context inevitably elicits discussion of the apathetic political viewpoints of the college demographic. While a few small pockets of students are able to contradict this belief by taking an active role in politics, many seem to choose the alternative path and sit idly while key issues are decided without them.

All of this boils down to voting issues, where trends show young voters are either indifferent or uninterested in the democratic process. Regardless of the reasons, it is a sad notion to think that 24 hours before the polls open more young people will have cast their vote for their favorite "American Idol" performer than their preferred gubernatorial candidate.

As one would expect, the next logical step after recognizing apathy in young voters is to think of a solution. For this, perhaps we need not look any further than last week's "Battle of the Valleys."

The annual fundraising competition pitting SVSU against Grand Valley again brought out the best of this University's students, raising thousands of dollars for a worthy charity. It is not surprising, then, that the week prior to elections was dominated by "Battle" events while election issues took a back seat. Yes, this is a fluke scheduling issue out of the hands of most involved, but it does shed some light on an interesting phenomenon.

Perhaps it is the creativity, the competition, or a combination of both, but something inherent in the "Battle of the Valleys" brings everyone together for one common cause. For the 2008 elections, why not make that cause voting?

Our hats go off to the organizations on campus doing their part to help create a politically informed student body, but it is clear we can all do more. It is also possible that creativity and competition may be the answer.

It would be interesting to see what a creative or competitive push could do for the 2008 elections - perhaps a competition against Grand Valley to see which school can get the largest percentage of its students registered to vote could work. And while we will readily admit we cannot supply an exhaustive list of ideas, we do know two years of planning can help.

Many in the know point a finger at today's college demographic and fault us for political apathy. While we have no one to blame but ourselves, the solution may not be to try to change this generation's ways but to cross over to the dark side and appeal to new interests. Bringing in a comic, a band, or some other kind of entertainment to get students out and talking about issues may do the trick. It will not matter what side they vote for either. Just that they vote to begin with.

Could making the democratic process entertaining or competitive cheapen it? Certainly. But it could also help get young people involved again. That, undoubtedly, would be a risk worth taking.