Yes, IUSA does matter

Before spring break, the student body was subjected to a number of negative articles that gave a bleak picture of student government at IU. The Indiana Daily Student reported IUSA rejects election reform because "There's little chance for reform from the inside, as the current administration owes its place to the system as it is today" (March 11). The IDS' Jayson Blair-like research ignores the fact the IUSA elections actually did undergo a number of reforms. The elections code was rewritten this past summer and approved in September by the Student Congress made up of members from three of the four tickets that ran this year. As the consistency of election controversy plagues IUSA year after year, I wonder how long individuals will blame the code itself instead of the true genesis of the problem. The true problem lies in the breaking of the code or petty allegations that other tickets broke the code. The only way to cure such a problem would be to abolish all rules and spending caps in the elections, a measure the student body would find both annoying and abominable. Like it or not, the integrity of the system has been tested in the past as well as this year. It's been put to the test, and it worked.\nConsistent coverage of negative criticism paints positive achievements in IUSA as forgettable and unimportant. The IDS tore down the positive achievements IUSA has worked for this year and ripped into the legitimacy of a student government that has produced achievements like the SRSC, on-campus ATMs, late night busing and free national newspapers over the last two years. I'm writing today to ask you to look at another side of IUSA, the merits of which will make it hard for students to forsake their student government. \nIt's difficult to measure the achievements of IUSA because so much of what IUSA does is produced over the long term. But don't be fooled; student government matters. Convincing the administration students deserve more late-night transportation and defending a newspaper readership program from a student newspaper determined to defeat it costs time and causes stress but makes a difference. Securing structural changes to the library, greater equity in universal bus transportation, coordinating effective student contact to state legislators, convincing students to use an online book-exchange for their benefit and enlightening students of the costs of an unpopular city noise ordinance make up just a few of the tasks undertaken by this administration alone. Other less glamorous feats come in the form of making appointments to University committees, offering scholarships, tirelessly arguing the alcohol policy, representing students in judicial hearings, raising money for Middle Way House, sponsoring events, allocating money to student groups and pursuing student memorials. IUSA makes a difference. But how many of you actually knew of these accomplishments in contrast to Corvettes and the IUSA elections?\nProbably the most underappreciated aspect of IUSA is the leadership experience it provides to the students who choose to get involved. I've often described the student body presidency as a one-year intensive leadership seminar. Executives, representatives and staff members have logged countless hours in the IUSA office, in Congressional meetings, working on student government-related projects and attending committee meetings and conferences throughout the year. IUSA executives are expected to stay during the summer in order to coordinate campaign promises and represent students on committees. The "nice stipend" alluded to by the IDS a couple weeks ago goes to subsidize living expenses during this time, because while other students are off on internships and summer jobs, IUSA executives stay in Bloomington. But once again, don't be fooled. If it is spread over the entire year, the stipend adds up to about $0.70 an hour. The monetary consequences incurred by elected student representatives are traded for experience that runs a greater long term benefit. Just ask the last two mayors of Bloomington about their experiences as leaders in IUSA.