The newly elected Student Association executives face a lot of work in the upcoming year. Several issues are so important that they readily present themselves as an agenda for the Executive Board.

First and foremost, the new officers should bring more productivity to the senate. In just this semester, the entire legislative branch of the SA was disbanded by the SA Supreme Court, then brought back together. There have been numerous impeachments and resignations, and many of the senators who have resigned listed “senate ineffectiveness” as a reason. SA President-elect Huda Scheidelman should take more control over meetings so they do not degenerate again into bickering sessions.

SA Vice President-elect Steve Coloia should prepare agendas in advance of meetings and make them more detailed so senators know what they will be doing ahead of time.

Treasurer-elect Bruce Williams should make sure that most of the work reviewing SA-funded organization’s budgets is done at the committee level so there is no need to go through the process a second time at senate meetings.

Another concern of the new officers should be to keep tabs on the Illinois Student Association. Some $25,000 in NIU student money has been committed to the ISA in the form of a $1 refundable fee. NIU’s student government should make sure that students get a return on their $25,000 investment. The fee is worthwhile only if the ISA can effectively lobby for increased state funding for NIU.

As mandated by the SA Supreme Court, a redistricting plan should be implemented.

The newly-elected SA officials bring together several good ideas. But it will be impossible to carry out those ideas until the SA Senate becomes an effective group.