EDITORIAL: The problem with pizza

There is no such thing as a free lunch, especially if it’s during election time here at FIU.
The “free pizza” that the Student Government Council at the Biscayne Bay Campus “provides” students, if and only if they vote, is paid for by all students, through A&S fees, regardless of whether they vote or not.
Not only is this unfair because students are paying for food they will never eat, unless they chose to vote, it borders bribery and it only happens at BBC, meaning students at the Modesto Maidique Campus miss out on the opportunity.
The Beacon does not dispute the effectiveness of enticing college students to do a myriad of things by promising pizza—especially in an uncontested election.
However, it is problematic that for some students, the driving impetus to vote stems from the mediocre pizza they are salivating over as they pass by the Financial Aid office.
In a perfect university, students would want to vote because they want to be actively involved in student government. The Beacon recognizes this is not the reality; however, holding pizza hostage in exchange for votes is definitely not the answer.
If the rebuttal to this argument is that the pizza encourages students to vote, that only strengthens our concerns – students need to be engaged because of issues and collective interest, not because they are hungry.
We respect SGA for attempting to make politics fun.  Perhaps they could have regular “free” pizza parties that center on debates and student concerns prior to election day.
The Beacon proposes two ideas to remedy this disparity. One, stop serving pizza. Two, provide pizza for all on election day, regardless if the student votes or not.  The latter solution is a fair alternative to the current system.
Another point to make about the problem with promising pizza to students who vote is that it cultivates a cavalier attitude towards voting.
Students who do not know the candidates and their platforms can’t possibly become familiar with their policies in the few minutes after receiving their pizza and before submitting their vote.
The Beacon loves pizza. We especially love pizza we have paid for, we just don’t like it topped with politics.