Organization encourages students voice
By Michael Moeschler
If the efforts of one newly formed student organization continue to progress, the Santa Clara City Council and mayoral candidates will soon have to take notice of the university students in local eletions.
Registered just last Thursday, Santa Clara Undergrads for Democracy (SCUD) have spearheaded a campaign to increase political awareness on campus. The organization, composed of five seniors, has tackled several issues on the Nov. 5 ballot that directly affect the Santa Clara community. The primary objective of the group is to raise awareness that students have a voice and this voice can directly effect the decisions of local officials.
"We [SCUD] don't feel like the student's interests are being addressed," said club President Colin Barceloux. "We feel that students really haven't had a voice in local politics, and we want to get students organized so that their needs are heard with city officials, the police and city council."
Concerned about the continued decline in student rights, Barceloux expressed his dissatisfaction with the treatment of students by some Santa Clara police officers as well as housing authorities.
"I think the city does a horrible job enforcing housing codes," said Barceloux. "I think they let things go because we're students and, to them, we don't matter."
Peter Andrews, who acts as the group's contact through Associated Students (AS), believes that a constituency within the Santa Clara community will be the most effective way to show local politicians that students are interested and that their voices have value.
"The local politicians job is to work for the voters," said Andrews. "By getting students registered to vote, local politicians can't keep ignoring us. What we say affects the entire community."
Last week, tables were set up around Benson Memorial Center to motivate students to take an active role in the election process. The group's Vice President Kristen Kramer initiated a move to register university students as voters in the city of Santa Clara.
"I want to help out the freshman and sophomores," said Kramer. "I feel bad for them of what could possibly come out of new rules set by city council."
The organization has received support from both the administration and other campus organizations. In a letter to the editor in last week's The Santa Clara, Paul Locatelli, S.J. encouraged students to become "engaged citizens" and vote in the upcoming election.
"Voting is the key expression of civic engagement," said Locatelli. "By being a registered voter in Santa Clara you can influence the outcome of the upcoming City of Santa Clara, state and national elections."
Associated Student President Kristen Kramer has also shown her support for the group by sending emails to the university community. She believes SCUD has taken the right direction in getting students involved in the local government.
"Associated Students is thrilled to be working with SCUD, since this organization and the people who started it are serious about making our voices heard as a significant population in this area," said Love. "If you have received an administrative citation or are bothered by being videotaped and criticized as "those horrible college students" then now is the time to take action and get involved in the community by voting. We are given this right as citizens of this city, state, and country, so we need to take this opportunity to really make our voices heard."
In the four days that registration tables were set up, Barceloux reported that nearly 250 students had registered to vote on campus.
"That number sends a message to residents and politicians that we're organized and interested," said Barceloux. "You can't push the students aside and not listen to us, because we're going to be here."
Kramer was proud of the number of students that had registered. "The total number of registrations shows the city council that we're not just transients," said Kramer. "We are here and you do have to listen to us, because we will be voting for you."