Cynicism, anger and confusion.

Unfortunately, these are just a few of the many feelings that come to people’s minds when they hear the acronym “USG.”

However, USG has the potential to truly be both a voice and advocate for the students at the University.

If elected, our first goal will be to capture the voice of the students in a “Student Bill of Rights.” Several other universities have drafted such a Bill of Rights to include everything from protection against unreasonable tuition increases to a stronger voice in campus decision making.

Also, we would place a high importance on issues such as decreasing textbook costs through an innovative idea involving increased book-buying options.

We are also the only candidates who have talked about a continuity plan with issues such as instructor evaluations, making sure that all the hard work of this past year in USG does not go to waste next fall.

We want to work towards improving simple transportation issues, such as filling a few potholes that are big enough to get lost in.

And we are the only candidates who are currently working on and will continue to work toward improving organizational reimbursement procedures.

You have heard them say it before. “If elected, we will put USG back on the map, making it a powerful entity that effectively advocates your feelings to the administration.”

But we understand that every year all the candidates say this, that every year they tell you that USG is broken and they are the ones who are going to fix it. And yet, every year there are articles in The BG News, just like the one that prompted this response, calling USG ineffective.

And so in order for USG to shake this stigma it is time for vision, it is time for plans, and most importantly, it is time for realistic goals that can be achieved and can show campus that USG really is there to look out for the students.

We have prided ourselves on realistic goals and it is not as though they are lofty or pipe dreams. In fact we already have the enthusiastic approval from our administrative advisers to draft a “Student Bill of Rights,” we have been working diligently this year to improve current transportation issues for next year, as well as producing instructor evaluations for the students.

We believe that by building USG from the foundation up, we can shake this ineffective stigma and start showing the students and the administrators the Undergraduate Student Government is a force to be reckoned with.

So you know our issues, you know our goals, you know our mission. But if you still aren’t sure who to vote for, hear this: If elected, John Waynick and Sundeep Mutgi will bring a fresh face to the same old group of USG members who run year after year. We will strive to make an action and issue-based senate to better achieve the needs of the student body.

Most importantly, we will work unceasingly to make sure that one year from the day we are elected, when you have any problem or issue with the university, your first thought will be, “USG can help me solve this.”

It’s time for realism, it’s time for a fresh face, and it is time that USG starts making your needs our goals.

We appreciate any support you may offer us this week and encourage every member of the student body to vote.