Take Action

More than ever in recent memory, IU needs a student government that really cares about its job. \nAs a member of the Student Body Supreme Court for three of my four years at IU, I have witnessed annual iterations of IUSA from a unique vantage point. Unfortunately, the view is not always pretty.\nThe past two years have seen a clear decline in engagement in student government at IU. In 2006-07, arguably the biggest accomplishment of IUSA Congress and executives was their installation of Ruckus, a music downloading service whose contribution to student life here has been tenuous at best. Then, in spring 2007, just one ticket ventured for office – leading the IUSA Elections Commission to cancel executive elections altogether. \nThus, the current IUSA administration was installed without popular vote. This situation arrived on the heels of Bloomington undergraduates’ exclusion from the search for a new IU president last year (although the outcome was, quite fortunately given the circumstances, a student-friendly one).\nThroughout 2007-2008, IUSA Congress has rarely made quorum. And this spring, the Court has already been called upon to help maintain the integrity and openness of the IUSA elections process. \nIUSA, like the U.S. government, is comprised of three separate branches, each of which places checks and balances on the others. The Supreme Court is the judicial branch of IUSA. The Court re-hears judicial board cases that have been appealed, acting as student representatives. We hold conferences with campus judicial boards and interact regularly with the rest of IUSA. Court members also serve on student-advisory boards all over campus. \nWe operate on the principle that those who are interested in effecting positive change on our campus should have every reasonable opportunity to do so – and we seek to provide one of many venues for such change. That philosophy is why, without veering into judicial activism, we encourage IUSA as a whole to operate in the best interest of the student body they represent. In a similar vein, our role in hearing appeals is to ensure representation of students. If we find a student responsible for charges brought against him or her by the University, we assign sanctions for the purpose of education, not punishment.\nThe Court, like the other branches, has the potential to impact the entire campus community – if we are motivated enough. The Court is currently accepting applications from all majors for associate justice positions for the 2008-09 school year. Applications are available in the IUSA office (Indiana Memorial Union 387), or at www.indiana.edu/~court. Applications are due at 5 p.m., March 7 in the IUSA office or via e-mail to court@indiana.edu.\nI urge you to demonstrate concern for campus issues and our student government. If you want your student fees spent differently, if you wish you could give the administration a piece of your mind, if you think better representation is not an unrealistic goal, do something about it. Getting involved in a branch of IUSA (or, at the very least, voting) has great potential for impact. And it is no one’s task but our own.