Synergy

It's time to redefine student government at IU. \nThe IU Student Association has always done a good job, but with tireless and enthusiastic leaders it can achieve excellence. Synergy is the ticket that can infuse IUSA with the energy it needs.\nEvery member of our ticket is committed to our platform: fighting for students, helping student organizations, restructuring IUSA, communicating with students and establishing workable policies to deal with campus controversies. \nFighting to protect student rights is a major strength of our ticket. Justin Barnes, vice president of administration candidate, created the Student Judicial Program, which helps students going through the bewildering and intimidating campus judicial system. We'll expand that program to protect every student's rights. And where others talk, we'll act -- just like we did with the proposed alcohol policies. It was candidates from Synergy who met with Chancellor Sharon Brehm to discuss the policy and discovered that she does not support all of the recommendations of the advisory panel, as other tickets have charged.\nSynergy's candidates have pledged to cooperate with independent student organizations. Our ticket understands the challenges that student organizations face, such as making room reservations or applying for an SOA card. Synergy will work to ensure that every eligible group on campus in need of our help will receive it. We'll also lobby the administration on behalf of the greek system. If the greek system on campus dies, then the entire University will suffer.\nRestructuring student government is a priority. IUSA is too inefficient now to work effectively for students. Too many directors do nothing and spend tens of thousands of dollars a year to do it. We already have a plan to streamline IUSA and make student government a cost-efficient organization. \nCommunicating with students is essential to a good student government. There is ample room for improvement. We know that basic things, like making sure that student complaints are heard and then acting on those complaints, are the best ways of helping students. Our candidate for Vice President of Congress, Aimee Dawson, opened IUSA's doors to student groups this year by creating the IUSA Ambassador program, guaranteeing representatives of student organizations speaking rights in Congress. That kind of openness is time-consuming but necessary, and we have the will to carry it out. Under a Synergy administration, the IUSA Web site won't be neglected for months at a time, and we will contact every student organization on campus, not just three, as this year's administration did. \nFinally, we'll work to establish workable policies to resolve campus disputes. It's not realistic to think that the University will accept a tuition freeze when it can't afford a room and board freeze. What is realistic is to realize that student government can work with the Faculty Council to find productive solutions to benefit students. The continuing poor level of services from RPS is a genuine concern for students in the dorms. Synergy will pressure RPS into planning better for the long-term.\nSynergy is a strong ticket with radical but practical ideas. Electing a lethargic or an inexperienced ticket would render student government at IU useless. Electing passionate and dedicated student leaders means the campus can and will change for the better. Synergy has candidates that offer students the energy and the skill needed to make student government an effective part of the University.