Why you should vote in the EUSA elections today

I know we are all sick of the leaflets. I know that getting in and out of the library has to be a carefully skilled manoeuvre, to avoid being accosted by another activist flyering. But don’t let that distract you from acknowledging that this is important.

I know it seems boring- but these things do matter and they do impact your life.

This article isn’t supposed to be preachy- it just wants to make the infrequently made case that student politics actually matters.

Last year, when gender-neutral toilets were introduced, many felt they hadn’t been consulted and were annoyed, rightly or wrongly. Engineers were fuming after they weren’t consulted on a decision to ban arms companies from careers fairs, rightly or wrongly. These are the sorts of decisions that EUSA make, and they affect us all. We have the right to influence those decisions.

It isn’t all about midweek Big Cheeses and extra dessert options- it’s about where your money goes, the mental health services and counselling provided by the university, and the kind of role you want the university to play in your life.

There are possibilities to actually improve your quality of life as a student – online only submissions, recorded lectures, better year abroad options, mental health provisions, diversification of the curriculum, safe spaces and financial assistance.

Or you may disagree entirely, and want to keep things as they are – in the hands of dedicated cadre of activists and insiders, who make decisions on behalf of all of us.

I know it seems ridiculous, and the Facebook cover photos and videos often overshadow what can actually be good policies but these are attempts by candidates to just get people to engage. Yes, there are many flaws in the election process and in EUSA itself, but if you’re fed up with it, like so many of us are, be part of that change.

Voting will take two minutes of your time – all of their manifestos are online. If you any of the positive changes EUSA have introduced in the past year have helped make your life easier such as the 24 hour library and free buses to King’s Buildings then you should vote to shape the changes that could be made in the next year.

This is where you can vote.