As a student at the University at Albany, I've heard many people say my generation is aloof and apathetic to public affairs. But many students are involved in politics, especially those I met at the 12th annual Democracy Matters Summit held here in Albany. Together, we left the summit energized and ready to demand real democracy and fight for publicly financed fair elections.
As students, we need to ensure our elected officials are listening to us, especially because their decisions continuously affect us negatively. These include lowering state aid for SUNY and CUNY while raising tuition and increasing the burden of student loan debt.
These policies are no surprise because many representatives ignore the voices of students. They assume our votes are unreliable and instead choose to spend their time fundraising among a handful of wealthy donors whose interests are opposed to ours.
This old-fashioned brand of politics is simply outdated. Students at UAlbany voted in droves on Election Day and were crucial to electing state Sen. Cecilia Tkaczyk, who won by only 19 votes. Tkaczyk's victory is so important because it shows that her support for fair elections reforms resonated among students who want money out of politics and representatives they can trust.
By passing fair elections, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state's lawmakers would help erase cynicism about politics and restore faith in our democratic institutions. Students need to know that democracy can still work for them, and not just the state's wealthy elite.
STEPHANIE SATURNE
Albany