Both candidates running for Student Senate president can do the job and maintain the status quo, but neither have taken a step forward to raise the bar.

Of the two candidates, neither inspired The Spectator editorial board enough to endorse one over the other. And the numbers show that in the past five years the majority of the campus is uninterested as well. Less than one in seven students voted in the 2001 election, and this year does not look any more promising.

Student Senate presidential candidates need to give students a reason to vote. They need to be willing to stand up to administration and fight for the students. They need to stray away from the annual, typical platform issues that cannot be solved.

 Diversity is an issue both candidates use, but in reality UW-Eau Claire will not magically turn into a more ethnic campus with a few programs. Senate tickets need to focus on other important issues.

 Differential tuition is an area where administration should be held more accountable. The Student Senate president should monitor the validity of the programs it pays for before falling in step with what the administration says is inevitable.

 To achieve student input, the president needs to reach out in a realistic fashion to students. Waiting for students to come to them is not an option and neither is just talking to students in their classes. There needs to be an organized effort to seek students out and get their opinions.

 If Senate wants students to vote, they need to show them why they should care. The vote needs to matter personally to students. If students don’t think they will be affected by the outcome, students will not vote.

If these qualities were taken into consideration more students might care to vote. As for this election, hopefully the candidates will reach a higher standard than they’ve proposed.