Elections are over.
But they are only finished at UF.
For those who have been caught up in the nasty back-and-forth of this election, it's time to focus your attention on what's really important.
The Republican Party is in the process of selecting a nominee to challenge President Obama in the 2012 election.
There will be 435 elections across the country this November to determine the makeup of the U.S. House of Representatives, 27 of which will be in Florida. There will be 33 U.S. Senate seats up for re-election as well.
In Tallahassee, all 40 seats of the Florida Senate and all 120 seats of the Florida House of Representatives will be contested.
There are going to be sweeping changes all over the country and especially in Florida this year, so it's time to turn our focus to these contests.
After the primaries, the direction of higher education, including things like student loans, will all be part of the national debate, even at the presidential level.
But the real decisions that are going to directly affect the students of Florida will be made in Tallahassee.
While we have been bickering among ourselves on campus about these SG elections, there has been a lot happening in the Florida Legislature.
Earlier this month, a bill that would have given in-state tuition to students who are U.S. citizens but born to illegal immigrants was defeated.
Frankly, UF Student Government does not have any say on a matter that would likely affect hundreds of students in the state of Florida. Your representatives in Tallahassee do.
Last week, the Florida Senate Higher Education Committee approved a measure that would allow Florida universities, including UF, to raise tuition above the current allowed increases, if those universities meet 11 of 14 requirements.
This is a huge issue that deserves a lot of attention from students. If tuition is not increased, the state legislature will likely find areas to cut.
Unless students become actively involved and aware of what decisions are being made in Tallahassee, we will all likely face huge changes in the coming year.
The SG elections are done. It's time to focus on other matters.
Become informed about the issues, the candidates and the upcoming elections. Find out where your state representative, your state senator, your U.S. representative, your U.S. senator and the presidential candidates stand on these important issues.
Find out what bills are going through these governing bodies, and write letters to your representatives in support or opposition.
The past few days have been filled with a mixture of important conversation, civic participation and silly, petty rhetoric. Now, we must keep in mind the importance of the changes occurring this year.
Be informed. Don't let politicians pull a fast one on you.
