STAFF EDIT: Group could have BIG impact

As Union members come together with officials from other college governments and the city of Boston for today’s first ever Boston Integrated Government meeting, BIG will start a course of action that could have a big impact for college students. With proper organization, it could give students a united voice, provide a link to city government and increase the number of educated college voters.

The group’s initial focus on registering more voters before next November’s elections is the first step toward giving city officials more reason to consider student concerns. Boston’s massive number of college students has the potential to become the city’s largest voting bloc, so mobilizing students and educating them about how to register could gather a force too large for Boston government to ignore. While students are often transient, only stopping by for four years, their votes remain important because they can represent college concerns regarding issues like ‘Night Owl’ bus service, college tax proposals and the idea to prohibit graduation for students with outstanding parking tickets.

Once more students vote, BIG could show them how government impacts their lives, educate students about Boston politics and mobilize reaction to proposals. Having a large number of politically informed college students would benefit both the students and the city by getting them to work together and possibly reduce frequent friction between them. Improved relationships between student and city governments could help the student groups accomplish more of their goals and address wider issues. Moreover, Boston University’s Student Union could find out how other school governments work and perhaps get some advice about becoming a functioning body.

The Union has shown excellent leadership in pursuing this goal and actually getting it started. However, BIG’s details have yet to be ironed out and they will be crucial to determining whether the organization achieves any of its worthwhile goals. Meeting only once or twice a semester will not do much; BIG should come together once or twice a month to develop and institutionalize meaningful relationships. Its meetings should perhaps operate like city council meetings and be open to the public to encourage student involvement.

The most integral factor to BIG’s success will be determining exactly who will participate in it. Each school should elect its representative(s) for legitimacy. At BU, the delegate should be separate from the Union Executive Board although the election could conveniently be held at the same time as the E-board election to maximize student interest. Once in position, the representative must remain accountable to the student body (probably through the Union) and stay informed about student concerns and Boston news. With proper planning and organization, BIG should be able to make a big effort toward representing college students’ political concerns.