Some of the best government officials are people who hate bureaucracy.

It doesn’t take a political wiz kid to make a difference. More importantly, college is a place where the free and unadulterated expression of ideas is supposed to be paramount.

The place where people care for other people and do something about it.

Sounds foolish? Maybe. Sounds idealistic? Probably. Sounds impossible? Absolutely.

But still, the opportunity is there. Ask Jamie Pennington. Ask Chris Hoagland. Ask Jeff Monroe. All were at NIU at one time while serving on the DeKalb City Council.

Ask the some 50 people involved in one way or another with NIU’s Student Association, the direct student voice to the administration.

Ask DeKalb Mayor Greg Sparrow, who began his political career with the SA. Ask Bob Tisch, who parlayed his term as NIU’s Student Regent into a state representative bid.

Applications are being taken to fill the DeKalb City Council’s 1st Ward seat. The SA will hold its elections in upcoming weeks.

If you’re too bashful to make the headlines, everyone needs good, hard-working, behind-the-scenes people to get the programs off the ground and keep a pulse on public sentiment.

The choice is yours. The opportunity—and need—is there.