Here I am again, writing about the Associated Students of the University of Utah. It’s been so long I almost miss it. Almost, but not quite. Indeed, ASUU has always been a windfall topic for me, constantly providing fodder for my pen.
Unfortunately, this new administration is proving to be much less helpful than I had presumed. Tayler Clough and Rachel Rizzo as the respective presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the victorious Revolution Party ran on a platform that largely emphasized fiscal transparency. To their credit, they have fulfilled this promise and more.
A visit to the much more organized ASUU website offers a link on the front page to ASSU’s budget and spending. Although this information has always been available to students who cared to venture into the ASUU offices to ask for it, it’s now much more easily accessible.
The Revolution Party also promised to cut spending in order to benefit students, and if Friday’s Redfest was any indication, they are doing so swimmingly. For the first time in four years, students at the U had a free Redfest that certainly did not decrease in quality.
Presenter’s Office Concert Chair Bobby Sakaki said, “It was the smoothest Redfest in recent history.” This is his fifth year at the U. When asked why ASUU put on a free concert on Friday, Sakaki said, “We thought that students already pay a fee and that they’re entitled to a show.” Although this is only their first major showing, I’m beginning to hope that Clough and Rizzo have started a trend of success.
In my tenure at the U, I have only on rare occasions seen an ASUU administration fulfill campaign promises that anyone actually cared about. More often, it seems, ASUU realizes its April goals are unattainable and they begin to undertake other asinine projects. Such was the case with many of causes championed by last year’s administration.
However, by making reasonable campaign promises, the Revolution Party has created a foundation on which ASUU might not totally disappoint the student body this year.
It’s a bittersweet victory for me. On the one hand, I enjoy seeing my $45.04 not going to waste. I enjoy watching a group of individuals excel at playing grown-up where others have failed. And ultimately, I enjoy watching people succeed. Conversely, I also like having ASUU all but write my articles for me with its heinous screw-ups.
I’ll cross my fingers that Clough and Rizzo can continue their present, albeit short, winning streak. But I won’t buy a “Quest for Perfection” shirt just yet.
