As Associated Students, Inc. gears up for the campus-wideelections on April 27-28, many on the organization’s board ofdirectors are hoping for a larger voter turnout than the lastelection.

Last spring’s ASI race saw a showing ofjust under 10 percent &- nearly 2,500 students out of almost27,000.

Nicole Croly, director of education for ASI,said she thinks the culprit in students’ apathy toward theirrepresentative government on campus is a lack of knowledgeregarding what ASI does.

ASI is a private/nonprofit organization, withan $8 million budget, supported by a $109 fee students pay to theinstitution each semester to be their recognized voice on campusand in the community.

Pat Worley, executive director of ASI, saidthat the general purpose of ASI is to advocate and provide for thewelfare of Sacramento State students. To do this the 14 studentofficers on the board of directors meet biweekly to debate and passlegislation intended to enhance the Sac State experience for itsvast population whether it pays attention or not.

The purpose of much of ASI’s legislationis to support or fight programs and government legislationaffecting students. Examples include ASI’s formal support ofthe RWEC and its aggressive resistance to last year’sstatewide Proposition 54 through means of quad rallies and otherpublic forms of student vocalization.

“Any concern that a student has,we’re their voice,” said Jennifer Millsap, student lifeand service program director.

Millsap said that ASI played a crucial role ineducating students on how the state budget crisis has affected cutsto classes and services through rallies and ASI President PeterUcovich’s town hall meetings held on campus.

“I think if it weren’t forASI’s involvement, students wouldn’t have the awarenessthey now have about that,” Millsap said.

Worley said that while ASI does use studentdollars to provide numerous tangible services, such as Safe Rides,child care and the Aquatic center, it is important to understandthat before everything else, the institution exists to be thecollective mechanism by which students have their say in anythingthat affects them.

Croly said that any student who has acomplaint about anything on campus should care deeply aboutASI.

Students are able speak to the board directlyfrom a podium at the beginning of every ASI board meeting. Themeetings are held in Foothill Suite on the third floor of theUniversity Union. Students don’t have to be on the agenda,they just have to show up.

Millsap said she thinks the most important ofthe programs ASI does provide is Safe Rides. Safe Rides is aprogram that secures roughly nine volunteer drivers to be on callfrom 10 p.m.-2 a.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night toprovide students who call and request with a safe ride home fromsocial events.

“Drinking and socializing is a big partof student life and I’m sure there would be a lot moreaccidents related to drunk driving,” Millsap said.

A familiar campaign promise among the currentASI candidates is lower textbook prices. The power ASI has in thismatter, aside from lobbying government legislators, has been toaffiliate Sac State with bignerd.com, an Internet marketplace forstudents to name their own price for their books by selling them toeach other online.

Luke Wood, vice president of finance for ASI,said that teaming students with bignerd.com was the most valuablelegislation passed by ASI this past semester. He said studentsbeing at the behest of the bookstore have locked them into afrustrating cycle.

“You buy the book at a high price andsell it back for a low price and then they sell it again foranother high price,” Wood said.

Worley said that another way students seetheir fees to ASI come back to them is in the form ofstudents’ jobs. ASI’s largest source of student jobs isthe childcare center located next to the police building. Thecenter provides 90-100 student jobs per semester.

The Childcare Center mostly serves studentparents, as well as some faculty, and charges a sliding usage feebased on income level.

Croly said that an essential service ASIprovides students is representation in the California State StudentAssociation. The association is comprised of representatives fromall schools in the CSU who meet once a month to collectivelyrepresent the entire student body of the CSU.

Croly said that the association has provided away for all CSU students to band together and pass a formalresolution protesting student fee increases. She said that she haslittle patience for people who might dismiss the resolution as justa piece of paper that doesn’t wield any real power.

“Does that mean we should stopfighting?” Croly said. “If we just gave up who knowshow high our fees could be.”

Wood said that students should care about ASIbecause they are giving their money to the institution whether theypay attention or not.

“You don’t want taxation withoutrepresentation,” Wood said.