On Sunday night, the Editorial Board of the Optimist interviewed the candidates for executive officer positions for our endorsements and one of the questions we asked was, “How do you think the student body views SA? ”

The typical response was “What is SA? The students here don’t know the power that they have in SA and the fact that they can change things for the better. We just need to work together.”

This is a concern among the candidates and those involved in SA. SA is for the students, and those on Congress are not the only ones who should benefit from it.

The Students’ Association is not a bank, a clique or a select group of friends who get together to feel important and talk about legislation. It is an organization of your peers, who have taken on this position to serve you, the student body.

Congress and students need to take their roles seriously and understand their jobs are to better this student body and campus and help you to have a say in what goes on in the university.

SA is designed to be a liaison between the students and the university administration, and as such, it needs to have open communication with students so it knows what to bring before the administration.

When most students are asked what they would like to see changed on campus, the first response is something to do with the Bean and meal plans. While such subjects are important, many students bring that project up because that is the only issue students seem concerned about. There are bigger issues at stake, but too few students know about or are concerned about these.

Our Congress is available to you. The members are your voice to the administration, and with their help and input, students can accomplish great things for this campus. Don’t let your Congress members get away with slacking in their jobs, not coming to meetings or not representing your interests. If they are not in meetings, your voice is not being heard.

Senators and representatives have signed a contract with their constituents, and as such, they should take their responsibilities seriously. Being a member of Congress is not merely a status symbol or something to make students’ resumes stand out among the rest, it is a job that needs time, attention and commitment in order to do well.

Students need to understand that SA is about more than executive officer elections, and it is more than a club of elitists. Every undergraduate on this campus is a member of the Students’ Association, and every student should care about what happens in SA meetings.

SA meetings are open to all students. They are conducted in Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Room 114 at 5 p.m. every Wednesday, and the student body is encouraged to come and give input on issues that are important to them.

This is the only way Congress will serve its purpose, and the executive officers you vote for will use their positions to make the largest difference possible on this campus.

You are the future of ACU. Vote, talk to your congress members and representatives, and care about what happens on this campus.

Be pro-active, and have opinions on what you think needs to happen in the university.

Only by taking pride in our university and the action required, will we see the change we want to see at ACU.