In our own words

When I was asked to write a column for today's IDS, I had trouble deciding how I was going to get 35,000 students to vote for ONE in 500 words or less. I contemplated reiterating our entire platform, focusing on our dedication or stressing our ticket's diversity. \nBut after a month of campaigning, every word that came to mind felt rehearsed. Somewhat puzzled as to what to write about, I started to talk to our candidates. Every candidate had something to say about ONE they thought was important to mention in the column. That's when it hit me. \nLet the candidates speak for themselves. After all, they are the ones actively fighting for students. If you need a reason to vote in the IUSA elections this year, ONE's candidates can give it to you. The congressional seats for which they are running are listed after their names. \n• "I didn't know what IUSA was before this election. That's why I am running." -- Junior Allison Donahue (off campus)\n• "I want to see more lights on campus. It's very scary to be walking from class at night due to the lack of lighting." -- Senior Lisa Adelstein (education)\n• "I'm running for the students that live in residence halls that are forced to eat bad, unhealthy food." -- Freshman Benjamin Zemel (Willkie)\n• "ONE is awesome because of the variety of different student issues we cover. The passion and dedication that I have witnessed shows that these issues are going to be fought for until the end." -- Sophomore Nikki Romanik (COAS)\n• "I've been extremely disappointed with IUSA in the past, and since being involved with this election, I have witnessed first hand that many goals can be accomplished with effort and energy." -- Junior Brett Armstrong (greek, Third Street)\n• "To sit back and watch nothing happen is hard. So if ONE can come into IUSA and make this campus a better place … Hell yeah. I want to be a part of that." -- Freshman Arthur Hall (University division)\n• "The apathy that has crippled IUSA for the last few years has benefited no one. I want to make IUSA an organization that actively promotes student welfare." -- Junior Dan Dukich (off campus)\n• "I'm running because I want to see increased compensation for professors and AIs that teach here and to raise the threshold for academic performance." -- Brian Johnson (COAS)\n• "In order to make IU a better institution, we need people who have new ideas. That's what ONE stands for -- new people with new ideas." -- Sophomore Traci Geffon (journalism)\n• "Chicks dig dudes in office." -- Senior Kevin Salzman (business)\nTrue. \nWith executive and congressional slates committed to activism and student involvement, ONE has achieved so much during the past month. \nFrom collecting close to 2,000 signatures on a petition for campus-wide recycling to contacting state legislators to discuss removing Indiana's freeze on higher education spending, we have gone beyond the boundaries of conventional campaigning to prove to each student there is no better choice for IUSA. Other tickets will claim many of our goals cannot be accomplished. We've already proven they can. For more information about all of these goals and how we've begun to accomplish them, visit our Web site at www.areyouone.org. \nSenior Justin Treasure for President. Senior David Charney for Vice President for Administration. Junior Amanda Thompson for Vice President for Congress. Junior Matt Miller for Treasurer. Forty-six congressional candidates for activism. ONE for IUSA.