What Wildcats look for in a student leader

The student body elections may not be as important as voting for the federal or even local government, but involvement in the workings of the school can prove fundamental for shaping the upcoming year. There is a lot for a student to consider when participating in the election — whether or not to even vote, and then who to vote for and why.
When there is a vote to be made, it will not go everyone’s way, and the most common reactions are either making the best of what has come of it, or complaining, sometimes loudly. But for the people who didn’t vote and didn’t give their say in the matter, what gives them the right to grumble?
“It’s important for us to choose who we want our leaders to be, and who represents us,” said Nick Nance, a WSU student working on his general studies.
All of the candidates have their own views and goals they want to achieve if elected, and one person’s goals may be counterproductive to another candidate’s.
“Depending on what you choose, that’s what the outcome is,” said Roger Reyes, a clinical lab science major. “That’s what will be done, that’s what will be changed.”
So after students decide that yes, they are going to vote, whom do they vote for? And why? Many things must be taken into account when trying to decide who will be the best person to lead in the upcoming year.
A good quality to look for in a leader is organization. A way to get some insight to whether a candidate is organized is to look at that person’s signs all over campus. If the sign is neat and looks like the candidate put some effort into it, then it is a safe bet that person has their ducks in a row.
“The pretty signs!” are the determining factor in accounting major Erin Near’s vote. “I like the Victoria’s Secret one because that was kind of clever.”
Another desirable trait may be how well a person can accomplish goals. What good would electing someone be if that person weren’t going to work to improve the school with their newfound power? This quality is a little harder to determine, but aside from letting time tell, it is helpful to attend the speeches the candidates give, and vote for the one that seems like he or she can get something done. But a person’s goals must be realistic. Cutting tuition costs in half would be an amazing thing, and a candidate may have a solid plan of how to make it so, but could that really happen? And if it did, where would the money come from to do things around campus?
In the end, though, some students may settle for bribes. Who gives out the best campaign loot? It might be candy or balloons or those cool snap bracelets. One thing is for sure, though: when it comes to voting time, the student body will remember who had the best signs, who gave out the coolest stuff and whose speech stood out among the rest, and they will vote accordingly.