Vote for Pedro sets agenda

Now that the new IU Student Association administration has gone through the formal rite of passage, it's down to business. On April 15 Vote for Pedro began its yearlong tenure planning to implement the platform that was the focus of their campaign. As summer is quickly approaching, IUSA executives are huddling together to plan their agenda for the upcoming school year.\nIUSA President Alex Shortle and his executives have marked Aug. 29 as not just an ordinary first day of school.\n"Students should expect a stronger voice in the operations of this institution," he said. "The underlying theme of our administration will be this powerful student voice. I see a trend where students are gradually being ignored in much of the functions of this University. We need to be forceful in using the student voice to create change. The students have great power, and I intend on handing them a microphone."\nCome September, Shortle said IUSA will have looked into more free speech zones for students to demonstrate besides Dunn Meadow, along with a more concerted effort to educate underage students on alcohol policies and laws on and off campus.\nAs for the May 6 IU board of trustees meeting, which will set mandatory fees for various student programs, IUSA will voice student concern on the athletics fee renewal and will look to implement the newspaper readership program for students -- making free copies of various publications available on campus.\nOther long-term projects include a year-long implementation of the dollar cab initiative, which was brought forward by Crimson, the former IUSA administration.\nDuring the summer, Shortle and his team will look to devise ways to incorporate their party platforms and coordinate committee appointees with IUSA administration.\n"We will be devising timetables and allocating directors to each issue," he said. "I will also be developing a strategy for better communication between the committee appointees and IUSA. By utilizing these appointees, the students of Indiana University will have a much stronger voice in the operations of the institution."\nThe summer months can prove essential for this new administration, said former IUSA Vice President Scott Norman.\n"The best way to be successful is to meet with many people at this University, to sit and talk with them and find out what issues are affecting them," he said. "They need to figure out what issues are affecting students now and what will affect them a year from now or three years from now. They should also take advantage of having no school work and tackle and deliver on the issues they campaigned on."\nNorman noted the new administration is working diligently since taking office.\n"They are doing their part to get a pulse of what people want," he said. "They've been going to meetings and meeting with lots of different people."\nFormer IUSA President Tyson Chastain said he believes the transition process from the former to the current administration is a good barometer of success.\n"There are lots of past projects coming through Alex and his administration," he said. "They should take appropriate steps to make sure the 2004-2005 administration projects are done after the May 6 trustees meeting, which will set the mandatory fees."\nChastain said it's hard to judge success on project completion, considering many other groups and individuals have their hands on them. However, Chastain admits he is seeing the new administration putting in the time and effort to get all past and current projects completed.\n"They are putting in a 100 percent and showing it through their hard work," he said.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Eric Tash at etash@indiana.edu.