ASG has apathy problem

Palomar College’s Associated Student Government seems to have an apathy problem.

Only two candidates ran for positions, uncontested, in the recent ASG elections. That’s a problem.

Though it is at no fault of the ASG itself, it doesn’t change the fact that Palomar students need stable and passionate representation.

The ASG at Palomar tends to have a high turnover rate. Delegates, senators and presidents come and go quickly. It makes sense at a community college, where students are only expected to stay for a short period of time, but students on ASG have a tendency to quit halfway through a semester.

But it still doesn’t change that Palomar students deserve the best that the ASG can offer.

It can be ventured that the majority of Palomar students have no idea what exactly the ASG does. In fact, many probably don’t know that the ASG even exists.

This is unfortunate, because the ASG does have an important job to do. The ASG, at its very core, is meant to give the student body a voice.

Anyone who has spent time with the ASG in recent months can tell that their numbers are low. Many of the senator and delegate seats remain open. Only one person, Sen. Malik Spence, is returning as the ASG president.

This is a result of apathy. A lot of people are probably hesitant to get involved with campus affairs at a 2-year college, especially in the midst of transfer planning and choosing what college to go to next.

But this is a skewed viewpoint. Being in ASG is a noble job and an enriching opportunity. More students should take up the mantle of student government and get involved, but they don’t.

We’re not saying the ASG is doing a terrible job. Maybe they have harsher critics than us, but they seem to have done the best that they could with the staff they’ve had.

All we’re saying is that the ASG could definitely do a better job, especially if students actually started caring about the college they attend. If more students joined ASG, imagine what kind of job they could be doing.

If the ASG elections are a model for students hoping to pursue a job in politics, then we aren’t setting up the best foundation for their future careers.

We’re tired of uncontested ASG elections. Students deserve stability and passion in their representation. That’s all we’re asking.