It’s safe to walk through Tate again; the armies of yellow and blue have sheathed their swords for another year.

This year’s Student Government Association election seemed to drag on forever, though the campaign period was actually shorter than in the past.

But let’s be realistic – campaigns always seem like they’ll never end. For the people involved on both sides – win or lose – congratulations on completing the process. You put yourselves out there and demonstrated through running that you care for your classmates.

Regardless of how long the election was drawn out, as far back as election records are kept, OASIS drew in the largest number of voters in the past decade: 7,306 voters.

This is a near 50 percent increase from 2008 and 100 percent increase from 2007.

Whether your intentions for voting result from fulfilling the obligations of being a good friend, a belief in the people running or the organization itself, a cry to change the system or otherwise, you have illustrated your recognition that students can and do have a vocal presence on the University’s campus.

We recognize our inherent bias in this claim, as we each served in SGA during our stay at the University and have internalized and operationalized what we believe it means to be a student advocate.

But we want to commend those who ran and to thank those who voted for legitimizing the power of student advocates on campus. With each discussion Katie Barlow, Cameron Secord and Joe Chadouin have with administrators, faculty and staff, the Board of Regents and other decision-making bodies, they will speak with the strength of 7,306 voices.

You also, and perhaps more importantly, set the bar high for Katie, Cameron, Joe and the new senators. The three executives have signed a contract with the student body to fulfill their goals, to support our initiatives, and to serve as advocates in our stead.

Just as we have a right to be kept in the loop beyond these past two weeks of campaigning, they have a need for our continued support over the next twelve months. They have no idea the challenges they are soon to face – neither of us did. Some look at the positions with a cynical eye, criticizing the prestige that accompanies them. Though they may have presented the greatest challenges for the two of us, these critics are exactly right.

Representing students should not be an honor but a burden.

Not a position providing opportunities, but one requiring challenges.

Support Katie, Cameron and Joe – they will, at points, come to rely on it. They will deserve your support, for first and foremost seeking your best interest.

But don’t support with complacency; rather, be active in the process yourself.

When you criticize, do so directly and constructively. When you believe action needs to be taken, provide a direction.

These past two weeks brought forth passion and excitement around the student cause that has rarely been witnessed on the University’s campus. Let us, as a student body, keep up the energy over the next year. The two of us certainly plan to.

- Katy Bowers was the 2007-2008 SGA president and Connor McCarthy was the 2008-2009 president.