Challenging year, exciting future

It’s been a great semester in so many ways, but also one of disappointment from some of our campus’s more visible members. The dishonesty displayed by former men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson and the debacle that was the recent IUSA election marred the reputation of all of us. But we believe that the campus is committed to restoring its image and that we must be diligent in moving forward with integrity and pride.\nOur once-revered basketball program became a national laughing stock in February after the athletics department announced it had received allegations of major recruiting violations from the NCAA. And of course, the Hoosiers’ season ended in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Fortune, you could say, had turned her wheel – the team that many analysts claimed to be Final Four contenders at the beginning of the season had fallen in the first round.\nThings looked brighter in April, though, when IU named Tom Crean the 28th men’s basketball coach. We should be happy with this grab – Crean built a winning, respected and, most importantly, clean program at Marquette, and a couple of his top recruits have already made verbal commitments to IU simply because they want to play for him. Tom Crean brings quality, honesty and pride to an IU program now so desperate for a noble leader. Hoosier country can look to a bright future despite its dismal year.\nThe leaders of the Big Red ticket – if this election circus ever finally ends and Big Red is indeed installed – have a unique set of challenges and opportunities ahead of them. Student apathy is already high regarding IUSA, with few members of the IU community knowing what it is exactly that IUSA does, and even fewer caring. It’s a shame that the organization’s visibility has increased dramatically in the last month not because of its accomplishments and leadership, but because of the ethical violations of the Kirkwood ticket and the ongoing struggle between the two leading tickets for power. There are some really good people in IUSA who care a lot about the University, but they have unfortunately had to swim upstream in an organization that has lost its way. \nHopefully Big Red will change that. In addition to IUSA’s already questionable credibility, Big Red will be seen by many as illegitimate. We hope that the desire to prove these perceptions incorrect will cause Big Red to work hard to convince IU that they are worthy of their position. Student government can be a great asset to an academic institution, but if IUSA can’t get its act together, there are better ways to spend $80,000 per year. We’re calling on President-elect Luke Fields and everyone else representing us in IUSA next year to be aggressive in recreating the organization into something that serves students with honor and respectability.\nWe wish the best to all the students who are graduating and leaving our community. But for those of us who are coming back, it is imperative that we take pride in our great university and that we hold our leaders to high standards of honesty and excellence.