Election's over; now, the real work starts

Another day, another Associated Students election.

And once again, the winners, Jenny Moody and Julia Niles, are faced with the incredible task of finding new ways to make AS more relevant and meaningful to students' lives.

As has been said before, students still seem extremely apathetic toward AS, though not quite as apathetic as last year. Voter turn out nearly tripled yesterday. Sadly, that doesn't say much. Perhaps they're apathetic because they don't know how student government really benefits them.

But honestly, we don't really know how students are benefited, either. And that's something that Moody should carefully examine her upcoming year.

AS's ubiquitous role (stated on their Web page) is granting clubs "discretionary funding." But what else? Two years ago, under Annie Selak, the campus online community DogEars was established. This year, under James LaCamp, AS was successful in pushing for more wireless Internet hot spots on campus. These are valid and exciting accomplishments, but are they dealing with the most important issues facing students on this campus? We doubt it.

And is longer sidewalk crossing time, one point of Moody and Niles' platform, really going to affect students? Probably not. Our only hope is that AS steps beyond the sedentary role of "discretionary funds distributor" to focus on big student issues, such as skyrocketing tuition, lack of decent financial aid and rampant alcohol abuse.

We still are scratching our heads wondering why AS feels it more necessary to sponsor date events than hold an inquiry into tuition increases.

AS is caught in a odd place -- some say they do not have enough "power" to make real change, and some say they do not try to create real change to earn more power. We think it is time to break the stagnant cycle of the same old talk and actually make AS an important part of every undergraduate's life at Santa Clara.

Niles and Moody need to step up to the plate and get serious, not just "have fun" in their four-year dream of winning AS president and vice president, as they stated during the Meet the Candidates session held Monday night in the Bronco.

Rally for tuition cuts. Work towards more campus diversity. Boycott or do something to lower the Bon Appetit food prices. AS can be powerful and can create real change, but we have to want it and our leadership needs to facilitate the effort.