It’s official: ASNMU election season is underway. This week, ASNMU President Cody Mayer sent an email to the student body detailing the process to file to run. As candidates begin declaring, it offers an opportunity to reflect on what we as students expect of our student government and representatives.

First and foremost, our representatives should represent us. Student interests should always come first. This means addressing things that actually matter to students, and not wasting time and resources on redundant or unnecessary projects. The things that ASNMU work on and expend resources on should directly improve the lives of NMU students. This also means following through on proposals and ideas. Too often, projects get swept aside before completion. The energy spent by our government should be selective and focus on executing correctly.

Additionally, it cannot be stressed enough how important good communication is between ASNMU and the students. People should know what is going on in their government, and ought to receive updates from their representative. They should also be comfortable approaching their representatives and be able to convey their ideas and concerns to them. That means that those elected should prioritize making themselves not just available, but an active resource for their constituents.

The most important component of a healthy relationship between government and the people is building trust. This means not making false promises with no intention of keeping them in order to drum up support during election season. It also means committing to transparency and accepting the role that students and media play in keeping government accountable.

Lastly, representatives should be devoted to fulfilling the duties of their position and focusing on their role in our government. We understand that everybody is a student, but those who choose to offer themselves for public service should accept the responsibility that comes with that service. Student government should be for genuinely serving the students and not just be a stepping stone to better position people on their career paths.

ASNMU elections will take place the first week of April.