The gimmicks, speeches, promises and posters have returned with this year’s Students’ Association executive officer elections set for next week.

But with this year’s elections comes an opportunity to continue the proactive role the university has seen from this year’s SA Congress.

The SA Cabinet, which includes the president, vice president, treasurer and appointed offices, hit the ground running this year, logging hours of work before the school year began to assemble “Welcome to Abilene” for the new students.

With the unveiling of the iPhone initiative and annual tuition increases, SA hosted forums that brought students and administrators together – and made a strong step toward better communication and respect on both sides.

And most recently, SA’s crusade to bring Def Poetry Jam to campus paid off – the performers arrived on campus a few weeks ago with the help of several departments.

Students often accuse SA’s Congress and Cabinet of doing little to better the community than offer free bowling, but leadership this year was anything but lax.

In light of a rather productive year, ill-cast votes for weaker candidates would be a sure step backward. Students may find SA procedures boring, voting inconvenient or the election process futile. But they would do well to look ahead to the coming year and remember that SA represents the entire student body – and the body will have a lot to say in the coming year.

Next year, the university will continue to pursue its 21st Century Vision, overhaul the Bean and launch its iPhone initiative. And these changes are only the ones on the horizon now.

With such drastic changes slated for next year, students must elect stellar candidates to the roles of SA president, vice president and treasurer.

The student body needs leadership that will represent the multi-faceted campus, earn respect from the administration and put his or her interests aside in order to act as the face of the entirety of the student body.

Although free Christmas lights and games of bowling are nice, such legislation will not be what SA is remembered for this year, nor should it be what SA is remembered for next year.

As students cast their votes, they should look for character, passion and drive that will last until May 2009. Because next year’s administration has a lot more on its plate than doling out coffee.