Got what it takes?

As election day approaches, it's easy to lose patience with the constant barrage of scandals and cheap shots. Every. Single. Day. \nKind of turns you off politics, doesn't it?\nWell, don't discount governing positions just yet because IU is now soliciting applications for its next student trustee. When current student trustee Casey Cox's term ends this spring, some lucky student will get the unique opportunity to step into his shoes and do, well, whatever it is that trustees do.\nKidding! Actually he board of trustees acts as IU's governing board, legal owner and final authority. Basically, what it all boils down to is this:\nThe board of trustees owns IU.\nHowever, trustees don't spend their days relaxing in comfy leather chairs, smoking Cuban cigars and reveling in their power (as far as we know). As Spiderman will tell you, "With great power comes great responsibility." Being a trustee is no cakewalk, considering the amount of time they spend researching and creating University policies, planning and developing new programs and institutions and working to project a good image of IU to the outside world. \nA student trustee is a full-fledged member of the board, with the same rights and responsibilities as the others. As such, he or she must be willing to give up a massive chunk of time to devote to this vital position. In fact, Cox compared the time spent taking care of the responsibilities of being a trustee to having a full time job on top of class work. Yikes. \nDespite the time commitment, however, there are more advantages than drawbacks for filling the position. Once selected, the trustee will get to see an entirely different side of IU. All too often, students fail to realize that the University, comparable in size to a small city, does not run itself. Rather, people like the trustees sacrifice their time and energy to keep our school heading in the right direction. \nIn the past, students have complained about lack of representation and involvement in University policies that affect their lives. Well, here is your chance to change that. A good student trustee should be able to take into account the well-being of the nearly 100,000 IU students and present their best interests to the board. If you think you can do that, you are a perfect candidate. Admittedly, the job is rather weighty, and boiling down the interests of that many students is nearly impossible. But without a student's perspective on the board, IU just wouldn't be the same.\nSo whether you are a graduate student or an undergraduate, a Democrat or a Republican, a greek or a non-greek, applying is worth a try. It's a tough job, but hey, you're tough. You can handle it. \nApplications are available online at www.indiana.edu/~trustees and at several offices and locations across IU's campuses, including the IU Student Association's and board of trustees' offices in the Indiana Memorial Union.