On three separate dates at election workshops held by Associated Students, Inc. meant to provide information on how to run for ASI elections, hardly anyone showed up.
Nobody showed up at the first workshop held on Feb. 17, which may have been due to a combination of the day’s heavy rain and the fact that it was a Friday, when most students don’t have classes or head home for the weekend.
The next workshop was on the following Monday, Feb. 20. Only two students showed up to that workshop.
Isaac Curtis, the current ASI Election officer, presented the workshops and said that ASI promotes in variety of ways.
“We emailed different clubs, we go to a large majority of the campus organizations that exist and we give them flyers and we talk to different employees,” Curtis said.
Curtis said that the poor attendance didn’t necessarily mean that there’s a lack of interest in student government.
“Because we are still within the developmental stages within the current elections season we still have a lot that we are working towards making it better,” Curtis said.
The workshops presented resources on ASI employment, volunteering, and — most prominently — elections. Those who attended the workshop agreed that it was helpful.
Janay Yeartie, a recreation, parks and tourism major, said that she learned “how little things add up to a bigger thing in the future.”
“I thought that was interesting,” she said.
Only one student attended the third workshop, which was on Feb. 23.
Lisa Dalton, a Board Associate for ASI, expressed that these events have been promoted since the fall semester, with six workshops completed. Dalton also pointed out that ASI has done special presentations with a variety of campus partners, such as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center among 24 others.
Whatever their reason for not coming, students still have something to gain from these workshops, said Curtis.
“I think it’s incredibly important for students to be able to get involved,” Curtis said. “I think that ASI is incredibly accessible to a large percentage of students and that is something to the benefit of current individuals that are on the board and are working day in and day out to make ASI accessible.”
Curtis does express the hope that ASI conducts more workshops, as elections are right around the corner. Interested candidates must complete an application by March 10.
