It's That Time of Year Again...

Every year, in the unenthusiastic, exhausted month of January, there is unleashed upon Nipissing an event that breaks friendships and steals dignity. It comes in brightly coloured paper and occasionally candy bars. It grips students from every clique and friendship circle with a fervour seen only in mating season on the Safari. Plastic smiles are painted on while everyone is secretly cursing each other in their heads, no matter how good of friends they are, or will inevitably continue to be after all is said and done.

Election Season.

Don't get me wrong, I love that our students can get so involved with our student government and that it means so much to some of these people. But as a Frosh Leader, it's a very difficult time for me. Most of the elections that I've experienced have had many of my friends running against each other. In my second year, I knew every single person running. How am I expected to be impartial to that? It's really hard to concentrate on someone's platform when you have mental images of them dancing on a table in bar with no shirt on.

That being said, I encourgage, no I insist that every Nipissing student take the brief amount of time away from playing Tetris or Minesweeper and read the candidates' platforms or talk to them in the hallway from their campaign table. Sometimes they give you snacks.

When it comes right down to it, the killing of neon coloured trees for campaign flyers does actually mean a lot to many students in the school. Remember, each NUSU Executive is in charge of welcoming the new Frosh the next September and that will set the tone for their next four years. I just wish friendships weren't so stressed and allegiances questioned for that oh-so-brief week of campaigning.

Moral of the story: I don't care if you hate politics. Vote anyways.