If you're not paying attention to UF Student Government, you probably should. It controls a $17 million budget paid for by you and 50,000 of your fellow students.
It funds your Humans vs. Zombies games. It funds the new pool you'll be getting at Broward Hall. It funds almost any student organization you will participate in during your stay at UF.
You can get through your college career in Gainesville without ever attending an SG meeting. Most do. You can also get through your college career without ever stopping to vote in an SG election. Again, most do.
But that's not to say you should. Ignoring the ability to vote and participate in Student Government is forfeiting the right to decide who is controlling your money.
Before you start diving in and jumping out of your chair saying, "Let's get involved!" it's important to know who the players are.
So, here's the first term you learn in SG 101: The Unite Party.
Wonder why they're first on the list? This party controls 90 percent of the Senate. With those kind of numbers, this mega-party essentially decides what is and what should never be at UF. Opposite Unite in the legislative wrestling ring that is the Senate chambers stands the as-of-yet-unnamed minority party.
Now, the nameless minority party sits in the Senate chambers with just about every one of its bills and motions failing.
But it's not for lack of trying. When it is active, the minority party often has the loudest voice in the room, contesting - often to no avail - just about every move Unite makes.
Depending on the personalities in the room, Senate can sometimes resemble theater. So if SG is theater, who are the actors on stage?
The most important name to know is Ben Meyers, who is Student Body President. He has the most important position in SG because he holds a seat on the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees is UF's governing body, meaning Meyers gets a vote on things like tuition hikes.
Another person of interest is Senate President Micah Lewis. Lewis is the head and mediator of Senate business. He directs the entire legislative process. He also authored a bill which will bring electronic voting to SG elections this fall.
Other important Unite names are Joseph Pardo, Severin Walstad and Jason Tiemeier, all active senators who head Senate subcommittees.
Active names on the other side are Senate Minority Leader Gillian Leytham and Carly Wilson.
Wilson was a Unite senator who sympathized with the minority party before switching her affiliation to independent following the passing of a controversial set of Senate rules. She is arguably the most active voice in the Senate.
You might be saying, "Yeah, well that's all fine and dandy, but what does each party stand for?"
Though not every one of you will get an opportunity to serve on an SG committee, every one of you does get the opportunity to vote. Elections are one of the most visible elements of SG. Twice a year in fall and spring, you will see Senate hopefuls out and about, waving the banners of their respective parties and doing everything they can earn your vote.
Despite their best efforts, only 20 percent of the student population typically votes in an election. That's 80 percent of students neglecting to decide who controls the fees they pay to SG as part of their tuition.
It's that culture of voter apathy that the minority blames as part of the reason Unite currently holds its large majority. And it's something all sides are working to stamp out.
Lewis' new electronic voting system is expected to make things easier for students. Instead of having to report to a designated polling location, those wishing to vote can now do so at any of the polling stations because of the electronic system, making it much more convenient to cast a ballot.
But before you vote, take a little time to know the issues instead of blindly casting a ballot for the last person to hand you something with a Unite or minority-party logo. Figure out what issues are important to you, from small things like more bounce-house parties on the Plaza of the Americas to big things like tuition.
Take a night - if only just one - to go to a student Senate meeting. Take advantage of the public debate portion of each meeting where students' voices are meant to be heard. If you're too shy for public speaking, at least just see what your senators are doing.
Never forget: You, the students, are the watchdogs of this group that holds the power to control where part of your tuition goes. If someone in power isn't doing his or her job, it's your right to throw down and say enough is enough.
