Student involvement in state government makes a difference

Those who think student government amounts only to something symbolic, not useful, haven't seen Sarah Fech in action at the state Capitol.

Fech, a senior political science and French major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is chairwoman of the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska's Government Liaison Committee — a branch of ASUN intended to carry students' voices to local, state and national representatives.

The position as chair doesn't end at Wednesday night ASUN senate meetings in the Nebraska Union. Fech can be caught rushing through Andrews Hall at midday in the crisp blouses and tweed skirts she wears for her double life as a lobbyist. She spends between 10 and 15 hours on the effort each week.

Moving through a revolving door between university and Unicameral, Fech and other committee members attend to the demands of student government — a primer for how the democratic process works – and then present the concerns expressed there to larger governments.

"That's the point of lobbying, that a voice be heard that's linked to a certain population," Fech said. "With the student voice it isn't always heard, so it's important for me to sit down with senators."

ASUN struck up conversation early on with the large freshman class of state senators elected to replace those outed for the first time by term limits, said Sen. Kent Rogert of Tekamah.

Student government representatives approached Rogert about two years ago, he said, and the relationship grew over time with later meetings and as he got to know former GLC Chairman Adam Morfeld, a senior political science major who was working as a legislative page at the time.

"It turned into a nice connection between the legislature and ASUN that I tried to keep going as much as I could," Rogert said. "It seemed logical when they were looking for someone to carry the (same-day voter registration) bill for them this year, I said, sure, I'd do it."

Allowing voters to register the same day as elections wasn't something he'd thought much about until ASUN talked to him, Rogert said. He recalled the difficulties of voting far from home during college.

Some of Rogert's other bills, such as keeping bars open later and lowering the age of majority, are plainly of interest to students, he said, so ASUN talked to him about them.
The ASUN committee doesn't only shake hands with senators who tend to be on their side, as Rogert described himself. Members attend and sometimes testify at committee hearings, gauge senators' reactions and work on swaying those with differing opinions.

It doesn't always work. Sen. Scott Price of Bellevue said he was impressed by the students' energy, but he just doesn't think same-day voter registration is necessary.

"The argument of, ‘We're busy,' doesn't really hold a lot of water," Price said. "No one's saying you're not busy. It's prioritization. There was one young man, I asked him, ‘You're going to law school. Is there a deadline for that application?'"

Whether of the same mind on issues or not, senators said they enjoy meeting with and seeing young people take an interest in politics.

Sen. John Harms of Scottsbluff said although he can't quite remember what concerns ASUN members brought up with him in a meeting earlier this year, he finds it important for students to get engaged, particularly through in-person encounters instead of less commanding phone calls or e-mails, which he might have hundreds of in one day.

"It's so important for young students to be involved in the democratic process, because you are the future. You might decide to run for a position here," Harms said. "The more you're around it, the better we'll be as a country."

rachelalbin@dailynebraskan.com