Ceremony to mark transition of IUSA execs

The Feb. 26 IU Student Association elections were supposed to put an end to four parties' hard-fought campaigns. But after the winning party's disqualification, the Student Body Supreme Court named second-in-line Crimson the official winners. Now, after this controversial victory, the Crimson executives will finally take office.\nIUSA will host a farewell and inauguration ceremony at 7:30 p.m. tonight in the Oak Room at the Indiana Memorial Union. The occasion will mark the official end of the administration of President Casey Cox and the beginning of Tyson Chastain's presidency. \nThe ceremony will open with remarks from Steve Veldkamp, the assistant dean of students, director of student activities and IUSA adviser. Hoosiers for Higher Education Director Kirk White, who served as IUSA president from 1983 to 1984, will be the keynote speaker, and will address the kinds of experience he had in student leadership positions. \nCox will then give a few farewell remarks on the highlights of his term and deliver advice for the incoming administration. Chief Justice of the Student Body Supreme Court Brian Clifford will swear in Chastain and the other Crimson executive members. The ceremony will end with Chastain's acceptance speech, in which he plans to outline some of his administration's goals. \nThis will be the first time a formal ceremony has served as an official transition of power in many years. Cox said the event will help to give IUSA more legitimacy as a student government body.\n"It brings formality back to the organization," he said. "It also adds visibility and credibility -- two things which are very important for IUSA."\nWhite said the ceremony will also allow the new IUSA administration to get a bearing of the road ahead.\n"It's an opportunity for IUSA to look at the progress for this year and set goals for the coming year," he said. "It allows the outgoing leaders to look back on their administration and allows the incoming leaders to get pumped up for what will be a challenging year."\nVeldkamp said he proposed the idea of a formal inauguration to Cox and his colleagues this past year, and "they just kind of ran with it." \nCox said part of the reason he pushed the idea of the ceremony is because other schools in the state and the Midwest have similar procedures.\n"I like to keep up on other Big Ten student governments and what other schools in Indiana do," he said. "They have ceremonies. I thought it was something we really needed to have, too."\nCox said he will miss being part of IUSA, but is pleased with how he is leaving it.\n"Walking away from something that dominated your life for a year is always hard," he said. "I'm proud IUSA has a new life and that there is a general interest in IUSA and student government."\nCox, who will be graduating in May, said he will likely go on to law school and would eventually like to go into university administration or public affairs -- an aspiration fueled by his past year in office.