IU Student Apathy

Despite intense IU Student Association campaigning Tuesday, many students said they didn't feel like they knew enough about either party to vote. Still more said they didn't know IUSA had an election today or what the governing body does.\n"I haven't heard enough about them to make an educated decision and I'm just not really that interested," said junior Rebecca Cohn.\nSupporters of the two competing tickets, Hoosier and Red Hot, set up tables in high-traffic areas and agreed that many of the students they talked to weren't previously aware of the two parties.\n"We've had to educate most voters on what each party is about," said Hoosier's chief financial officer and junior Eric Noeth, who was lobbying votes for his party in the School Education Tuesday afternoon.\nHoosier campaigners placed students with laptop computers in several academic buildings including Ballantine and Jordan halls, in the Indiana Memorial Union and in the Student Recreational Sport Complex, said Hoosier Vice President of Administration candidate and junior Andrew Lauck. More than 100 students are scheduled to have lobbied students for his ticket by the time the election is finished, he said. \nRed Hot stationed volunteers in similar places. The ticket's original base of operations was Gresham Food Court in Foster Quad, but staff asked the party to leave after finding out the executives had not gotten the proper prior clearance, said Foster Quad Residence Manager Dennis Perkins. Red Hot Treasurer candidate and junior Scott Ottenheimer estimated his party also had more than 100 students moving votes.\nLobbyists from both parties sat just feet from each other at a desk in the IMU and in the main lobby of the Kelley School of Business.\nFor lobbyists and candidates on both sides, Tuesday was the culmination of weeks of campaigning and preparation -- and they wouldn't have had it any other way. \n"Everybody loves it," Ottenheimer said.\nBut, this excitement didn't always resonate with the students.\n"I haven't even heard anything about the issues they're trying to address," said freshman Katie Wolt.\nIn previous years voter turnout has been on the rise. Nearly 9,500 students voted in the 2005 IUSA election -- a 25 percent increase from the previous year. In 2004, about 9,100 students voted, up 50 percent from 2003. \nDean of Students Dick McKaig said many factors contribute to voter turnout, but in the end the numbers reflect how well the parties campaigned. \n"I think ultimately it does come down to the students running for office," he said.