I love the Student Union.

I love how there is an entirely student-run organization at Brandeis that is devoted to our rights and improving life at the University. I love how every semester the Finance Board supports the rich club culture at Brandeis-one of my favorite aspects of life here.

But I don't love everything about the Student Union. I don't love how irrelevant elections seem to be.
I also don't love the lack of connection many students feel to the Union.

To remedy this, a renewed advocacy for students' rights by the Union would help engage the student body and enact positive change for us all.

Consider how in the recent election Union Secretary Carlton Shakes '14 inaccurately interpreted the ballot data and announced the winner of the off-campus senator position.

In reality, the "abstain" option had received more votes than any other candidate. According to the Student Union Constitution, if "abstain" wins the election, the seat is not filled.

However, the "skip" option was created several years ago to prevent "abstain," from winning.

This gives students the option to not participate in an election.

However, the difference between the "skip" and "abstain" options was never properly explained to new students prior to the elections, and this system did not prevent problems in the recent elections.

The Student Union isn't fostering the necessary climate on campus to encourage more voting.
Just look at some of the statistics from the elections: The Justice recently reported that less than 10.6 percent of 567 and Charles River residents participated in the senator elections and both the Ziv Quad and Foster Mod candidates ran unopposed.

A major cause of this voter apathy is the website we use to vote: Big Pulse. Every time I have used it, something has gone wrong. For example, it doesn't always move on to the next election after I submit my vote, forcing me to reload the page and log in again-which does not always solve the problem.

The website is simply not user friendly. These types of technology-related issues do not encourage voter turnout, even among students who have used it before.

Another factor is that students may not feel connected enough to the Union to be active constituents.
That is not to say that the Student Union is incapable of engaging with the student body. The weekly emails we receive about what is happening on campus are prime examples of consistent connection.

Moreover, last year's 'Deis Impact event was an excellent example of the Student Union really engaging the student body. On its website, the event is described as "a unique collaboration between the Brandeis Undergraduate Student Union and the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life," showing how integral the Student Union was to the event. The fact that several clubs, such as the Brandeis Academic Debate and Speech Society, Brandeis Labor Coalition and the Pre-Law Society, were involved in events and that the student attendance rate was impressive, illustrate the Union's success.  

However, I think that the Student Union should better publicize other initiatives they are involved in and undertake more. They say they are fighting for students' rights and a better life for us on campus, but they need to do a better job of proving it. When the biggest story about the Union a month into the school year is a major, and very avoidable, misinterpretation of election results, things need to change.

For example, they could push for better dining options for students with special dietary needs.

Food allergies, such as corn allergies, do not seem to be represented at all. Food ingredient labeling could be improved in both Sherman Dining Hall and Usdan Boulevard and Caf?(c) so students, regardless of their dietary needs, know exactly what is in their food.

The Union could also work to increase labeling prices of items in the Provisions on Demand Market as well as to try to get more food products to count as part of a meal so students pressed for points will not run out as quickly.   

Further, the Union can develop plans and put pressure on the administration to further reform the University's sexual assault policies, which are still in need of improvement.

Inaccurate reporting of sexual assaults and the lack of adequate resources for rape victims, like a 24-hour hotline or rape crisis center on campus, are a few of the issues with the University's policies.
The Student Union can help clubs like the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance or Students Talking

About Relationships in their efforts to promote their resources and events. Such actions would show true initiative on the Union's part and reaffirm their commitment to student's rights.

It is clear that the problems with the Student Union are much larger than the election. There is a vicious cycle on campus of student apathy producing a less-than-optimal Student Union. Even though the Union does a lot of good right now, it can do so much more.

For this to happen, students need to pressure the Union to be more active, and the Union itself should work as hard as it can to deal with its internal problems.