Party on

Now that the High 5 party has officially dropped out of the next IUSA elections, the Hoosier ticket -- and with it, its close ties to the current IU Student Association -- is the currently unopposed future leadership of our student body.\nIt is our hope the unopposed Hoosier ticket will not become too comfortable. We expect the Hoosier members to keep in mind, as current IUSA leaders have, that their position exists to advocate for the student voice.\nThe Henke administration, one of the most active IUSA parties in recent memory, will be a hard act to follow. It vehemently advocated for a greater student voice in the IU presidential search. It reviewed the legitimacy of the rape crisis fund in the student body interest. It is now actively petitioning the athletics department for a student section at Assembly Hall without an additional cost to students. IUSA members pushed to be placed on the panel that researched the IU Motor Pool outsourcing issue.\nThis administration never let the University ignore the student voice. It is a tenacious group of individuals that has been a glorious thorn in the side of the University bureaucracy in pursuit of greater student representation in policy decisions. The upcoming administration will do well to take the example of Henke and her fellows in its position as student advocates.\nBut though the current Hoosier party provided a good example of advocacy and tenacity, it was not without error. There have been a few disastrous mistakes that we hope serve as a warning of what not to do in the future.\nIn pushing for greater student representation in normally closed policy decisions, the Henke administration has exhibited hypocrisy in its own transparency. The waste of funds that was the Students Against Terrorism T-shirt campaign, and the subsequent fallout, is one example of a mistake that cannot happen again. We hope the next administration takes this incident into consideration and works for greater transparency and discretion in policy decisions. It is vital for the next IUSA party to review the IUSA AID system to make the delegation of funds a more hands-on and serious process. We also hope for greater cooperation between IUSA and this newspaper (especially the editorial board) over decision-making and the dissemination of information -- a situation we are happy to report is already improving.\nThe next administration must take its position as seriously as the Henke administration has. It needs to keep in mind that, as the elected leaders of the student body -- even if running unopposed -- its members have a responsibility that goes beyond building their resumes and networking opportunities. With it comes a huge responsibility to the students. They will be our representatives, and they cannot forget they are the ones in the best position to fight the University for our well-being. They must spend our money wisely and defend our interests tenaciously. The latter is the greatest characteristic of Henke's IUSA.\nAnd they can absolutely expect to be held to that responsibility.