Student Elections: Your (Informed) Vote Matters

Would you trust a group of college students with over a million dollars?

Between April 11th and 15th, IPFW held its student body elections. And allocating over a million dollars in student fees is one of their responsibilities.

Student government may be considered just a popularity contest, but it shouldn't be. With this much money at stake, accountable leaders, or watchdogs, are needed to make sure the spending of this money is responsible and transparent. In addition, these leaders need to follow the guidelines and rules of student government so that it upholds its legitimacy.

While the Indiana University - Purdue University Student Government Association website offers information about the officers, Constitution, manuals, and forms to request funding, it fails to provide any information about how student fees are allocated. Student government is meant to instill community involvement and civic duty in students, though this lack of transparency does not seem to reflect the real world. In local, state, and federal governments it is easier to find how tax dollars are being used and allocated.

We'll investigate the transparency of this year's student government, factors influencing how students vote, and discuss who will be the executives of the 2011-2012 year.

Casinos - Boon or Bust?

Yesterday, eight of the 11 Fort Wayne mayoral candidates attended a debate at Concordia Lutheran High School.

The event was sponsored by Allen County Right to Life, the Indiana Family Institute, and the Coalition for a Better Fort Wayne, all of which are groups who consider themselves as pro-traditional family values. As expected, questions regarding abortion and gambling were raised. The three leading Republican candidates said they would oppose putting a casino in Fort Wayne.

Although the Indiana House killed a bill in February 2009 that would allow residents to vote on Indiana licensing a casino in Fort Wayne, the conversation is still ongoing.

Although it has been insinuated to me in the past that I am very anti-family values, I am a bit conflicted on this issue. It has been proven to be an economic boon for some towns, but is it really a wise investment?

I have been to casinos in Vegas and around the Midwest, but my friends and I didn't really get a whole lot of these experiences. They are kind of gross and depress me. And as much as Fort Wayne and its elected officials tout the area's "family values" I can't really perceive a casino doing well here. Aside from Las Vegas, I didn't get the impression that a casino added any character to a city. It just made it kind of sketchier.

Should we reevaluate casinos in Fort Wayne? Or should we look into something else that will bring in more tourism?