Here's a quick exercise to keep your mind sharp if you're reading this between classes. If you're reading this elsewhere, play along.

Name the words that comprise the acronym "ASMSU."

Congratulations if you even know what ASMSU is. In light of our collectively faltering civic duty, it's not surprising if blanks are being drawn all over East Lansing.

Outside of temporary loans and legal counsel, when the fuzz cramps your social agenda - which is what the Associated Students of Michigan State University is primarily known for - our undergraduate student government is one of the most singularly dynamic student groups on campus. The greeks, minority-interest groups, colleges and beyond are united and act in the glorious spirit of democracy and compromise.

So for a group that is strong enough to boast a student liaison to the MSU Board of Trustees, it's remarkable the powers that be have kept things apolitical. ASMSU's ability to sit in the proverbial aisle while dictating student government is commendable, especially during an election year.

But allow the analogy to sink in a bit - ASMSU is keeping politics out of student government. To keep things linear and discourage the bureaucratic nature of bipartisan politics, it's a good move, but in maintaining that spirit of democratic government, ASMSU is effectively shooting itself in the foot.

Last March, 4,900 undergraduate students cast votes for their elected student leaders. Roughly, that equates to 14 percent voter turnout. In that same election, nearly 40 of 60 student candidates were disqualified from voter consideration when MSU's College Republicans and College Democrats released endorsements for their candidates of choice.

These endorsements - displayed on fliers, postcards, e-mails and the like - were found to be in violation of the ASMSU election code. The stipulation being that no registered student organization, like the MSU College Republicans or College Democrats, may endorse a candidate without the authorization of the candidate and the All-University Elections Commission.

When the ASMSU election code was revised and approved on Friday, the provision that kept the politics out of student government elections remained intact. Dems and the GOP are rocking the boat and ASMSU is taking a hard line to avoid straight-ticket party voting.

Here's where student government fails the students. Remember that voter turnout of 14 percent? That was an all-time best for ASMSU election turnout. Granted, any measure that coordinates nearly 5,000 young people is impressive, but if ASMSU voter turnout ever cracks 25 percent, we'll eat our hats.

To deny candidate endorsement, however renegade it might be, is denying undergraduate students the opportunity to realize the kinetic nature of student government. Feel free to blame the lackadaisical college voting record, but any measure that could make 14 percent seem less like a record and more like a joke seems reasonable.

Let's boost student government by not condemning politics and freedom of speech. The power of a flier might be stronger than ASMSU thinks.