The Criterion would like to congratulate the respective Associated Student Government President and Vice-President elects Connor Boe and Alex Forsett, who weathered the ever so exquisite brand of ASG politics with networking persistence and a couple of humorous campaign commercials.

Each of the presidential tickets showed a lot of promise in an unprecedented three-way race. We hope to see the same engagement with the student body from Boe and Forsett that was shown by all the candidates during their campaigning. The dedication to the student body seen during the race should be indicative of all student life leaders, ASG or not.

As a proposed student fee increase moves along to the board of trustees from CMU administration this week to supplement a Maverick Center in dire need of expansion, the student government should begin to set some priorities for their own expenditures of student fees next year.

The upcoming biennial budget process, which allocates student fees to various student organizations, will require a considerable amount of time, along with cooperation across the broad interests of student life. Collected per credit hour from every student, the student fees that are allocated by ASG have been stretched quite thin during this school year.

The revenue generated by student fees grows in proportion with a growing student population. It does not grow in proportion to a student body that has become much more active and engaged, however. While student population has nearly doubled since the last increase of these fees, student activity funded by them has surely tripled.

It is imperative that a comprehensive discussion be held next year within student life and ASG to determine the impact and necessity of a student fee increase that would give student life and its organizations the fiscal ability to support itself and the demands of students.

It is up to ASG to create a reasonable proposal that newly-elected Student Trustee Adrienne Barlow can present to the board of trustees that will result in an effective student life that embodies the “empowering growth” slogan that Boe and Forsett campaigned under.