Congrats; now do not forget responsibility

Congratulations to those who were elected to SUUSA positions for next year.
We at the Journal want to thank those who ran for their desire to improve SUU and we urge those who were not elected to continue to find ways to get involved.
We want to remind those who were elected they have a big job ahead of them. Those who fill student body positions must remember throughout next year that the student body is relying on elected officials to act in their behalf.
SUUSA officials representing their constituents must stand up for student rights.
We ask student officials to think through issues and work in an efficient manner.
This year, we have seen some delegates and senators neglected their jobs by missing meetings or not representing their constituents’ wishes.
The rewriting of the SUUSA constitution is a good example.
We admit this is a topic we should have pushed earlier. We now believe a mistake has been made.
SUU students elected a C&O vice president, a position that will most likely be changing next year with the revisions of the SUUSA constitution.
SUUSA members have been meeting in a Constitutional Convention since Fall semester to change the SUUSA constitution, and finally, a senate committee is meeting to decide the final changes and are rewriting the constitution.
We believe the changes to the constitution should have been finished earlier so the student body could have voted on the revisions with the general elections. If that would have happened students could have elected someone to the correct position.
The members of the senate committee who talked with the Journal said they did not want to rush such important revisions to the constitution. We understand their worry.
But the Journal’s worry is the students and election turnout.
A special election will receive even worse turnout than the

 

general elections.
This year, candidates and the election committee have done a good job recruiting students to vote. We believe few students will turn out to a special election when there is little enticement or little knowledge.
If the revisions were on the ballot Wednesday, students could havemore easily voted on them.
We understand not all student representatives have dropped the ball and commend the Executive Council and other SUUSA members for staying on top of things this year.
We ask the newly elected SUUSA representatives to learn from the mistakes of those before them and try to efficiently, but thoroughly, fulfill their responsibilities next year.
The opinion expressed above is the collective perspective of the University Journal’s editorial board. The editorial board meets every Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Room 176 of the Sharwan Smith Center. Visitors are welcome.