Kyle Greenleaf, director of BC Votes and LSOE '10, said that part of the problem is that students didn't really think they could make a difference at BC. Students don't really believe that their vote translates into action, Greenleaf said, because they don't always see immediate results. There are also some students who don't believe that participation in government matters in the smaller arena of the college campus.
"I'm sure there are a small part that say, 'It's just college, it's not a big deal,'" Greenleaf said. "Kids just don't care, and it's really sad because their attitudes won't magically change when they become adults."
Last year, 27 percent of students voted in the UGBC election; the year before, 23 percent voted. Greenleaf said that while he was pleased with the improvement and that student voter participation was actually higher at BC than at many other universities, it still fell short of the 60 percent of eligible voters who participated in the last presidential election, according to the Committee for the Study of the American Electorate.
Part of the problem is that students don't have enough time to actively participate in the democratic process, Greenleaf said. Between classes, activities, and volunteer work, most students can't even imagine adding one more thing to their schedules.
"I think one of the big things is time. I think like 90 percent of the students I guess are just involved in a lot of stuff, which may or may not be related to UGBC," Greenleaf said. "It's kind of hard to find time to go to debates, or go online and read a candidate's platform, or take an hour out of your day to think about the issues."
Derber also said that time constraints made it difficult for people to participate on the national level.
"I think people have to be persuaded [to participate in the democratic process] because the clock makes us all feel so overwhelmed," Derber said. "You've got to have a sense that this is personal and you can truly make a difference. Politics should be fun. Being involved in the party was meaningful for your life. It didn't make you give up your evening, you wanted to go."
2008 Woodie Awards
