OUR OPINION: The duties and behavior of the student body president over the last two elections have been muddled, and this year’s SBP candidates need to bring the role of the position back to its grassroots.

The misperception that the student body president has any real, raw power is doing students injustice. The only solid power an SBP has is that of advocacy – a lobbyist of sorts.

He or she has the ability to rally people – most importantly students – together to make changes. This is a leadership role – its aura goes no further.

Whoever is elected the new SBP in March needs to come to this realization ASAP. The sooner he or she does this, the sooner he or she can start making a real difference.

Along with the responsibility of advocacy, the SBP must also realize that he or she is working for students – not the administration.

It is important to mend the relationship between the administration and Student Government, but becoming buddy-buddy with administrators is not part of the job description – nor is appeasement.

We need an SBP who can rile up students and get them excited about getting things done on campus. Tailgating and Hillsborough Street can’t be stressed enough; however, there are other issues surrounding the coveted SBP position.

Instead of encouraging students to attend Student Senate meetings or passing events in the Brickyard, the SBP should seek out students and their issues. Candidates need to be proactive and venture beyond the doors of Witherspoon Student Center and Holladay Hall.

Student Government is in need of an overhaul – a major redefinition and the new SBP is the person who needs to grab the bull by the horns.

Right now, Student Government is a glorified debate club – nothing more. That doesn’t mean, however, that the organization doesn’t have the ability to make a difference – it just needs the right leader.

Only then can our elected representatives start movements that will chip away at education costs, revitalize campus’ gateway and bring back all the traditions students and alumni yearn for.

Power is a relative term. In the case of the SBP or Student Government, power only comes in the form of numbers. That is, it is essential that the new batch of representatives gain the support and respect from all students, not just the 75 or so friends and acquaintances that showed up at the Bell Tower to advocate more tailgating last semester.