OUR VIEWS Consensus Opinion

Next week students will have the opportunity to decide who will be their representatives and executive officers in the Student Government Association.

This year ' s election has 11 candidates competing for four executive positions: undergraduate student body president, undergraduate executive vice president, graduate student body president and graduate vice president. These positions carry with them a great deal of responsibility, responsibilities that vary from position to position.

It is imperative that every student carefully evaluate each candidate before casting his or her vote next week. While Technique does not endorse specific candidates, we are proposing a set of criteria that could be helpful when evaluating the merits of each candidate.

First, keep this in mind when you are listening to candidates explain their lofty goals and platforms - the winner will have only one year to accomplish his or her goals. While everyone wants to hear about how parking is going to be reformed, how the dining hall food will get better or student life otherwise improved, chances are it ' s not going to happen in a single year. Voters should look for candidates who have clear, realistic, achievable and (dare we say it?) original goals.

Second, vote for a proven leader, no matter where he or she gained leadership experience. These elections are not a popularity contest; whomever is elected needs to know how to manage people within an organization, communicate well and address key issues with an open mind. Executive officers need these skills in order to choose and lead students to serve as SGA committee chairs and as representatives who sit on institute-wide committees.

Most importantly, consider the initiatives that SGA has played a role in recently and pick the person who you think best represents your interests. The person you choose will be responsible for serving as the voice of the student body to the administration, the Board of Regents and state government; providing input on how the Student Life Fund will be spent; and guiding senators and representatives on how to allocate the Student Activity Fee budget. In the past few years, SGA has played a role in raising money for tsunami relief, fighting the midyear tuition increases, moving back drop day and spring break, and starting Tech Night at Six Flags.

Take five minutes out of your day next week to vote online in the election at elections.gatech.edu. Let ' s help beat Duke University ' s record of 44 percent student voter turnout. Elections begin Monday, April 11 and continue through Wednesday, April 13.