Well, it’s fairly safe to say that here at Binghamton University, student-government politics has reached a whole new low. The two Student Association presidential candidates are each telling very different stories about the same alleged case of sexually tinged blackmail (see Page 1), and that only means one thing: one of them is lying, plain and simple.

To be completely honest, we’re not totally surprised by the lack of ethics being shown by one or possibly both of the candidates. SA elections, particularly presidential races, have been plagued by underhanded acts and a rather immature inability to admit defeat for as long as we can remember. If you need an example, just think back and check our archives for the past few years ‘ they’re full of elections grievances on top of grievances and controversy.

But never before have we come across a student-government situation quite as despicable as this. Whether or not the allegations are true makes no difference; either a candidate truly did resort to sexual coercion and blackmail to win an election (and then lied about it), or a candidate made up a story about being sexually coerced and blackmailed to win an election.

Is it just us, or does it seem like Sodexho slipped crazy pills into the Salisbury steak this week?

And the worst part is, despite who we’re inclined to believe, we’ll probably never know which one is lying. So no matter who ends up with the office, all of BU will always wonder whether their SA president is legitimate ‘ and more than that, whether he’s ethical.

It’s an old clich√É© to say that student politics is so petty particularly because the stakes are so low, but perhaps this abominable display should serve as a wake up call for everyone involved in the SA. Yes, it’s real money and real responsibility, but in the end participating in any student group or activity, including the SA, should be an enjoyable experience that builds character, leadership skills and, most important, friendships.

This election isn’t just making a mockery of everything the SA should stand for. It’s robbing the legitimacy right out of the entire system of student government at BU.

And keep in mind: American politics and the future leaders of our nation start right here, in student governments. The people who participate in student government now and sit on the SA are more than likely the very same ones who will go on to law school and into the political world after graduation. These are the people who will one day run our country ‘ and this is how they choose to act to win a student election? What will ethics like these lead to when the stakes involve more than an approximately $2 million budget and 12,000 person constituency?

And we wonder why the world is shaping up to be the way it is.

So what do we call for now? Do we ask the liar to come forward and exonerate the innocent candidate (if there is one) to save the integrity of BU’s student government? Would it even make any difference?

We don’t want to be cynical, but a situation like this one doesn’t leave us with much choice. Maybe it’s just time that everyone stops for a minute and takes a look at their world and the way they act within it ‘ and maybe start to question if this is the world we really want to be building.