During student government election season, it can be difficult to discern the purpose of the pomp and circumstance surrounding these campaigns. After all, we are talking about the Associated Students of ASU, not the president of the United States. Why should anyone really care?
That's a feeling I know many students hold. However, our community has strong reasons to care about its Undergraduate Student Governments and Graduate Student Government.
I'm not going to suggest that everything these organizations do matters, but they serve a critical, if easily dismissed, role on campus.
Now that we've passed the hubbub of campaign season, I want to explain why to care about these elections, as well as student government throughout the year. Ultimately, it all boils down to impact on students.
READ MORE: Associated Students of ASU 2025-26 election results
ASASU impact
ASASU primarily affects students' lives through its power over fees and funding.
For one, the leaders of the five student governments have an active say in the fees students pay each semester. Paying attention to ASASU, therefore, means watching one's pocketbook.
Student-initiated fees finance the University's facilities, organizations like the Programming and Activities Board and student clubs, counseling, health services and more, according to an ASU web page. It also currently accounts for $685 required of each on-campus student per year.
That is not an insignificant amount, and the services it funds are not insignificant either. Students have a right to know who is behind the decisions to raise these fees or implement new ones, as well as to elect leaders who will represent their perspectives in these conversations.
Through these fees, student governments also have a direct say in how some of that money is spent. Students can apply to their respective governments for travel and professional funding that can help them advance their education and future careers.
There is a lot of money coursing through the veins of the University's five student governments, and it's certainly worth ensuring that those funds are spent wisely and in the public interest. That's impossible if nobody is watching.
Another integral activity for student government is representing us in policy conversations that impact higher education. Our student leaders discuss legislation and advocate for us, and we should be holding them accountable for that advocacy.
Transparency and accountability
The belief in the importance of ASASU, for all its insular self-importance and lack of engagement with the student body, means we need to prioritize transparency and accountability in our student leadership.
If decisions about our funds are to be made responsibly and with our interests in mind, we as students must engage with student government. That doesn't just mean voting, though that's certainly part of it. It's also about attending events, meeting with representatives and getting involved however one can.
It's also critical to take advantage of the resources they offer. Student government offers funding and services that belong to the students. Neglecting to take advantage of them is neglecting to participate civically.
Transparency starts with the public asking questions of their elected representatives and paying attention to their actions. Even if we're talking about student governments, the basic principles don't change — particularly when these organizations exercise so much control over our finances and college experience.
Editor's note: The opinions presented in this letter are the author's and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
Edited by Senna James, Jack McCarthy, Sophia Braccio and Pippa Fung.
Reach the reporter at coyer1@asu.edu and follow @carstenoyer on X.
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Carsten Oyer is the politics desk editor at The State Press. This is his third semester with The State Press, having previously worked as a politics reporter. He is studying journalism and mass communication and political science.
