IUSA elections can affect your life

IU Student Association elections started at midnight today and will continue until midnight tomorrow. Although this year's election has not been as visible as past years, IUSA is still the student group on campus with the most power as far as administrators are concerned. \nMake sure they use this power for your interests. \nAnd make sure you use your power -- vote in these elections.\nAdministrators cannot listen to all students all the time. The sheer number and variety of students on campus means they cannot physically seek out students from all walks of life to give them input.\nThey often look to IUSA to be the voice of students.\nThe current president of IUSA, Meredith Suffron, a senior, sits on numerous boards and committees. These include the Chancellor's Committee, Athletic Director Search and Screen Committees, Athletics Committee, Transportation Committee, Bloomington Faculty Council, Student Trustee Search and the Committee for Fee Review. She has input on decisions made about many different aspects of campus life. \nAdministrators and other leaders look to her for answers about what the students on campus want.\nEach ticket contains an executive slate of a president, vice president for congress, vice president for administration, and treasurer. \nIn addition to executives, these elections will choose students to serve as senators and representatives in the IUSA congress. In the senate, every place students live is represented: residence halls, greek houses and off-campus apartments. Two graduate students will be elected as senators to represent the graduate student point of view. The assembly of representatives contains undergraduate students from each school, and there are an additional 11 spots for graduate students from these schools. \nWould you like improvements made to the school in which you spend most of your time? Right now, 10 seats in the congress and 13 seats in the assembly of representatives are listed as "vacant," meaning no one is representing those interests. That's 32 percent of the total seats, empty. \nMany students think IUSA does not affect their daily lives. Do you like paying for a bus service you might or might not use? The current bus plan stems from a proposal started in IUSA several years ago. IUSA can affect your life and your pocketbook.\nPart of that student activity fee that appears on your bursar bill each semester goes to IUSA, which it distributes to student groups and uses for programming.\nDo you want your voice to be represented? Do you want improvements on this campus? Make your voice heard -- vote.