Bring back pride to IUSA

Once upon a time, the IU Student Association was a force to be reckoned with. IUSA was a powerful voice on campus that fought zealously for student rights and was able to command respect from the administration. Today, IUSA still struggles to champion student issues, but hopefully the winning ticket of Wednesday's election will be able to bring some of the old fire back to the organization.\nIn 1960, when Thomas Atkins was student body president, he threatened a campuswide protest to pressure the administration into granting students a voting representative on the board of trustees. His request was granted. IUSA has had a hand in pressuring the University to provide day care for students with children. Child care is still provided, but it would be nice to see the association tackle more hard-hitting issues like this, and more often. \nInstead of focusing on issues many students have no interest in, such as campus clocks or a new IUSA constitution, members should concentrate on more relevant goals, like organizing a book exchange so that students don't have to pay hundreds of dollars for their books each semester.\nMembers used to approach the administration with a list of demands, not mere requests to be taken under consideration. During the last few years the group seems to have lost a great deal of momentum. IUSA members spent last Wednesday night approving a new constitution for itself, which will be put on the ballot in the upcoming election.\nIt's definitely a positive step for the association to have an easily understood constitution. But IUSA's voice can only be as strong as the students who are in it. The organization's power has little to do with its constitution and everything to do with the importance of the issues it tackles and the strength with which it approaches them. A newly-ratified constitution isn't going to make much of a difference after the elections if the people who make up the winning ticket don't step up and bring IUSA back to the business of fighting for student interests. The winners of the election Wednesday need to show a genuine interest in discovering what students want by canvassing the student population year-round, not just during election time.\nStaff vote: 11 - 0 - 5\nyes - no - abstain