After nearly a year of achievements and setbacks, Vote for Pedro will wrap up its term of working for the IU Student Association when the newly elected ticket, Hoosier, takes office April 15. \nFrom disappointments, such as a bumpy start in IUSA Congress attendance, to the implementation of several long-term goals, such as universal transportation, Vote for Pedro executives and IU administrators reflect on the ticket's involvement in student government.\n
Flippin' sweet skills
\nIUSA President Alex Shortle said one of Vote for Pedro's most important achievements for the 2005-06 school year was implementing universal transportation, a program that allows students with a valid ID to ride IU buses for free. Shortle said universal transportation had been a goal of previous administrations. \n"That was probably the first big victory, but if nothing else, it made the administration realize that this is a powerful group," he said. "The students will speak their minds." \nIUSA also made its voice heard when it lobbied to remove the mandatory athletics fee, a $30 fee students paid to eliminate the athletics department's budget deficit. The board of trustees approved a plan in November that removed the fee but cut 500 student seats from Assembly Hall to give the seats to donors. \nShortle called the athletics fee a "huge headache," but said he was glad students were finally heard. \n"We ultimately did away with it," he said. "Whether or not that was the best thing, I guess time will tell. It certainly was something we fought about over the last two years ... Students have to be included in that process, and I think we made that point known." \nAssistant Dean of Students Steve Veldkamp said while Vote for Pedro implemented several specific initiatives, such as the student readership program, which provides students with copies of The New York Times and USA Today through a $2 annual fee, one of its most important accomplishments was following through on the work of previous administrations. \n"One administration takes (the issue) as far as they can, and then the next one picks up the ball and takes it further," he said. "I think the big accomplishment of the Vote for Pedro ticket is that they really respected the work of previous administrations and were then able to carry those ideas forward." \nDean of Students Dick McKaig said one of Vote for Pedro's most lasting influences will be the relationships it cultivated within the University. \n"They've established very good working relationships with the campus administration," he said. "I think Alex (Shortle) has been respected by the trustees and the campus for his advocacy for students. He certainly worked well with other campus leaders." \nIUSA Vice President Will Leckey agreed. \n"The passion we had for our friends at the University, both administration and students, will be (our legacy)," he said. "I think people will remember us not as politicians, but as their friends." \nIn addition to the work of executives, IUSA Congress also voted on a variety of legislation over the past year, including a unanimous vote to support the Bloomington Faculty Council's initiative to raise admission standards at IU-Bloomington. \nIUSA Vice President of Congress Courtney Thom said she was pleased with legislation passed by congress this year. \n"Dealing with congress, by far above and beyond, has been the best experience I've had at IU these past four years," she said. "We've brought some great legislation to the table, supported various groups in their endeavors, and I think congress has come a long way this year, and I'm really proud of that."\n
My lips hurt real bad
\nBut the year wasn't without its disappointments, the executives said. \nWhile Shortle said he feels IUSA succeeded in making the student voice heard this year, he said he also faced disappointments, including an overwhelming transition period and a broken promise of T-shirts for basketball season ticket holders. \nWhile campaigning for office, Vote for Pedro said if elected, it would try to obtain free T-shirts for football and basketball season ticket holders. Because of confusion in the contract, the plan fell through for basketball ticket holders after being implemented during football season.\nLeckey said he was disappointed the plan didn't work. \n"We're not robots," he said. "That hurts us. We worked hard for it." \nShortle said while he was frustrated when the contract fell through, looking back, he realizes there are larger problems within IUSA that need to be addressed. \n"One of the biggest disappointments is how unprepared anyone is to do this. I was unprepared," he said. "And I think that's a flaw of IUSA. We don't have any transition. That's my goal for the rest of the semester: The president, executives and congress need to know how this University runs." \nLeckey expressed similiar sentiments, and wrote in an e-mail that the biggest disappointment he faced this year was "recognizing that sometimes students are of the least concern to Indiana University." \nJunior Betsy Henke, who will begin her job as IUSA President in April, said she plans to restructure leadership within IUSA, particularly directorship positions. Henke said she rarely saw directors in the IUSA office last year, and cited the fact that IU bookstores no longer allow students to bill books to their bursar account as an issue Vote for Pedro should have addressed. \n"I think they weren't an advocate for students in general," she said. "Students took a financial hit, losing bursar billing." \nVote for Pedro executives also faced criticism this year in the form of a mass e-mail. The e-mail, which was sent to roughly 12,000 IU students in September 2005, was sent by student Matt Lettelleir in an attempt to block the passage of the proposed IUSA budget for the 2005-06 school year. The e-mail, sent to a listserv address he titled "The Shortle Watch," said the budget was "full of self-serving perks." In spite of the attempt to block the budget's passage, congress approved the funds after a lengthy debate. \nIUSA Congress also faced attendance issues in the beginning of the year. In October, the congress was forced to remove 19 percent of its representatives because they had missed more than three meetings. \nThom said attendance has been an issue for IUSA Congress for as long as she could remember. \nTo reduce the number of senators who are recruited for IUSA but do not attend meetings, congress members approved changes in the election code that allotted a $3,000 spending limit to \ncampaigning tickets, regardless of how many congressional candidates were running on the ticket. Previously, tickets received a $1,000 base and an additional $35 per congressional candidate. \nThom said she was hopeful attendance will not be an issue next year. \n
Pedro offers you his protection
\nShortle gave his biggest piece of advice for the newly elected executives: "Don't be afraid to ask questions." \nTo make the transition into office easier, Shortle said IUSA would hold its annual retreat in the spring instead of the fall, so current IUSA members could attend and give the new members advice. \nShortle also said he thought transportation would be an important issue for the next ticket. \n"We got universal transportation done, which is great, but one of the issues with it is the lines, and students being turned away because of the influx of students," he said. "There's a lot of room for improvement of transportation." \nMcKaig said items on the next ticket's agenda could include the selection of a new student trustee and addressing campus safety. \n"IUSA will probably have lots to work with," he said. \nVeldkamp said Hoosier will most likely have more flexibility than Vote for Pedro did. \n"This administration may have a bit more freedom to create an agenda as some of the lingering issues -- transportation, the athletics fee and the readership program -- have been decided," he said. "This administration is going to have a little more flexibility in finding out what student issues are for the future." \nLeckey said he gave a speech prior to the elections urging the new administration to be passionate about its positions. \n"The whole thing revolved around being a real person and being authentic, because I know that's what we did," he said. "And if you can continue that way, it's a wonderful thing for the student association"
