Editorial: SVSU Is And Should Remain A Part Of Kochville community

We all deserve a voice – SVSU and Kochville share a lot more than just territory. The two are more intertwined than ever. As a population grows, their needs and demands grow with them. While most SVSU students will not remain in the township post graduation, the votes they cast are not simply for the fleeting needs of a few, but are meant to stand for all those, both present and future.

The issue - SVSU students voting in Kochville Township elections.

Our position - A vote cast in Kochville by an SVSU student not only represents the individual, it represents the individual who will replace them when they graduate, and leave the township. The young voters who choose to participate in this community shouldn’t be silenced, they should be educated.

Years ago, around 1770 or so, there was severe unrest in our nation. The English settlers were growing increasingly tired of paying British taxes without having a representative in the Parliament. The issue of taxing a large population of your community without giving them a voice in determining policy is one of the fundamentals on which our country was founded. So when we read that certain people in our community think  SVSU students shouldn’t be one of many determining factors in township elections, we find cause to worry.

Allow us to articulate our position  as clearly as possible: A vote in Kochville from an SVSU student does matter.

Our life span here may be short, our faces may be unfamiliar, but there will always be about 10,000 of us occupying the corner of Bay and Pierce Roads, pumping thousands of dollars into the local economy, keeping Old Town alive and giving businesses a reason to populate the area. To say SVSU students are not real stake holders in our community is not only narrow-minded, it’s degrading. 

The student population at SVSU has grown exponentially over the last decade. Of the almost 10,000 students who attend SVSU, 1,660 actually live in the township, and that population isn’t going anywhere.

A vote cast by a registered student voter is not a vote cast for for some transient need. It’s a vote cast both for them, and the student who will replace them when they move on after graduation. 

We aren’t here to undermine the lifestyle of lifetime residents. We’re here to learn. The things we want: A local pizzeria, a bookstore, a coffeeshop – basically a place for us to gather that doesn’t require a 15-minute bus ride to less than savory parts of town – hardly comprise the rural living enjoyed by those who reside in the surrounding area. 

As of the Nov. 4 election, 369 SVSU students were registered to vote in Kochville. They make up roughly 18 percent of the 2,088 total registered in the township. The issue here should not be trying to silence Kochville’s youth vote, it should be trying to educate them. There’s a responsibility on our end to attend meetings and research the issues, and a responsibility on the township’s end to support that.

We’re working in the wrong direction. An animosity between the University and the rest of the township will not serve anyone.

But the fact that there are people in our community, our own neighbors, think our small voice should be squelched is a frightening thought. Strike that, it’s an utterly terrifying one. The very essence of our government is that each person, no matter of age, race, religion or creed has a right to choose our elected officials. So much for democracy, indeed.