According to the preamble of the bylaws of the MSU Board of Trustees, MSU has a “legal responsibility to provide a liberal and practical education for the agricultural and industrial classes and all others, to prepare them for the various pursuits and professions of life.” The Board of Trustees therefore requires the university to provide students with the best possible education. That makes the Board of Trustees one of the most important bodies on campus that affect the lives of every student. Therefore, the student body as a whole has a duty to care about the upcoming election.

Members of the MSU Board of Trustees are elected in pairs every two years and serve for terms of eight years. They are elected in state-wide elections, along with the regents of the University of Michigan and the governors of Wayne State University, which is mandated in the State of Michigan Constitution. Along with electing the president of the university, the Board of Trustees, according to article VIII, section five of the Constitution, “Shall have general supervision of its institution and the control and direction of all expenditures from the institution’s funds.”

There are 11 candidates that will appear on the ballot Nov. 4, with two from each major party and the rest made up of candidates from third parties.

The powers of the board aren’t small, and what they decide matters for MSU for years to come. Not only does the board decide tuition rates — which seem to rise every year — it also decides on the direction of the university.

I don’t have any recommendations for who to vote for. However, it’s very important that we, the students of MSU, care about how the election turns out. The power to shift funds to issues such as environmental protection or residence hall renovations, or any other number of things, lies with the board members, but affects us the most. Voters across Michigan are involved in the board selection, and that’s another testament to its importance.

Businesses are also affected by who wins the election. For example, Green Party Trustee candidate Terry Links has in his campaign platform a promise to invest in Michigan businesses and businesses that have an environmental focus.

Though our lives might be busy at MSU, we can’t overlook something as important as this. Young voters tend to be the most apathetic. But this is personal. Decisions regarding the Board of Trustees and the choices they make will affect the campus on which we live, work and study. That shouldn’t be undervalued or ignored.