The Student Association is taking a risk by relying on student participation to deliver results, and community members must come through by giving input on HUSKIELINE.

The SA has plans to restructure the Huskie Bus Line, modernize access to student groups via Huskie Link and continue expanding the It’s On Us campaign. SA President Joe Frascello said the organization has more programs in the works.

“We also plan to develop new mental health and support programs, we plan to further the ideas and vision of shared governance, we plan to become an active participant in the Program Prioritization Process,” said Joe Palmer, SA public affairs director. “… We are excited to continue work on the numerous other SA programs and initiatives we began last fall.”

In the coming months, the community needs to see the SA’s ability to follow through on its proposed initiatives. Coupled with increased student involvement, a comprehensive, inclusive solution to the university’s transportation issue would be a significant display of the SA’s ability to get results.

Huskie Line

In terms of moving forward, Frascello and Palmer identified morphing the Huskie Line to HUSKIELINE as the SA’s top priority. The purpose of attending NIU is for students to get an education, and prioritizing a student-centered transit system will ensure being unable to get to classes will not stand in the way of that purpose.

“The next major step for us will be to roll out the HUSKIELINE focus groups,” Frascello said. “Each focus group will be designed to best facilitate student input and manage the goals of students with the realities of our transit infrastructure.”

Restructuring NIU’s entire public transportation structure is no simple task. Since the transit system will be used by residents and commuters, the SA has a great deal of responsibility in creating a system that serves the needs of everyone. Substantial feedback from transit riders will be needed to ensure everyone is getting the type of service he or she requires.

The biggest hurdle in trying to advocate for student needs is getting them to participate and communicate in the first place. Asking for student contributions to the reboot of the transit system requires a multi-faceted approach. Visiting classrooms to conduct surveys is a way of directly engaging students without the uncertainty of the attendance to the focus groups.

These days, most young adults interact online. If participants cannot or will not attend focus group meetings, then the SA should offer the option of online participation. If the SA encounters low student participation in the HUSKIELINE focus groups, it can delay the rollout of the system.

Students have a unique perspective that is invaluable to those planning the future of NIU, but that power is weakened when community members are too apathetic to participate.