Two weeks into its term for the 2006-2007 school year, this year’s Associated Students of the University of Utah is no doubt beginning to bear the brunt of the full weight of its new responsibilities.
While the new student leaders were greeted with cheers at their induction ceremony on April 27, those cheers will quickly turn to jeers if the former BLOC Party candidates forget campaign promises and develop into complacent leaders.
Senior officials Jake Kirkham, Toby Collett and Mindy Chidester may well believe that they have already won their respective battles during elections, but in reality, their fight is just beginning. As Collett concedes, the trio made myriad claims about what they would do once in office and now have the chance-or burden-to make good.
Among other things, ASUU’s major goals for this school year include allocating a lump sum for student groups to use, creating 50 new scholarships from independent donors and establishing new student traditions such as a dance marathon and “True Crimson Kissing.”
Above all else, these leaders have promised that all allocated money will get into the hands of the students, that ASUU will not take advantage of its situation and become self-serving and that common students will have every chance to communicate their thoughts and demands with their elected officials.
The effectiveness of ASUU will ultimately be determined by how many of these goals it achieves, and it is the job of you as students to hold your student leaders accountable for accomplishing their promises.
And while these leaders should be appreciated and respected for the good work they put in for the U, they should only receive credit when they follow through. When student leaders achieve the lofty goals that they have set out to, they should be encouraged and thanked at every chance.
On that note, congratulations to ASUU for already accomplishing one major campaign goal: restoring the non-traditional student board, in which under-represented groups such as married students and international students have the chance to voice their feelings.
Getting off to a solid start was step one. Hopefully ASUU continues to encourage positive progress around the U campus.