For those of you who don't know (first of all, you really need to crawl out from that hole you've been living in), ASUA decided to extend the deadline for potential candidates for any and all of the positions in this year's election. As you might guess, this has been a very controversial decision, and it spurred excitement for this year's election before it has even started.
Now, I had no idea what we were all in store for when I wrote my column last week. I knew we'd be in for some fun, as every election brings, but this is ridiculous. Candidates have yet to begin their campaigns, and elections commissioner Dan Suh has already made a decision controversial enough to deserve commentary.
I'm impressed, excited and appalled, all at the same time.
Now, it would be easy just to pick a side, but I'm not going to, even though Suh's decision was not only the right one, but also legal according to the election code. It might be because I'm in such a good mood because the Patriots are in the Super Bowl and all I can think of is firing up the barbecue, cracking open a cold one and watching my Pats kick some Panther butt. Regardless, this has presented me with an opportunity to tell you all about a long-lost relative who ASUA only invites to weddings, funerals and the occasional holiday dinner: the ASUA Supreme Court.
Every year, we elect 10 senators, two vice presidents and one president to run ASUA the following year. During this process of choosing who gets the reins, it is inevitable that problems will arise, and, like the "ASUA justice league," the five ASUA Supreme Court justices step in and handle the situation with a pound of their mighty gavel.
Unfortunately, elections have become the only time we call upon our superheroes in robes. What's even more unfortunate is that most people have forgotten that we even have this branch of the student government, until we need them to impart their wisdom upon us so everyone stops squabbling and gets down to business.
The last time anyone filed a complaint with the court was two years ago, during ASUA elections, when then-elections commissioner Joe Rogers disqualified candidate Brandon D'Angelo. The Supreme Court ruled that he overstepped his bounds as commissioner and allowed D'Angelo to run, forcing a special election for administrative vice president. This was the last we heard from our beloved Supreme Court. For two years they have been sitting in their secret lair - you may know it as the law school - just waiting for the call to duty, like Batman and the bat signal.
One would think that with everything that goes on in student government, somebody would get mad, or think he or she was being treated unfairly. Having been a part of ASUA, I can tell you that this happens more often than you might think and more often than we media types know, much to the happiness of everyone in ASUA. Why doesn't the Supreme Court get involved? Mostly because everyone forgets what the court is there for or they don't want to take the time to follow through with the complaint.
It is very disturbing that we have a judicial branch that just sits on its hands, not because it isn't doing its job, but because nobody knows or cares about it. The court could be used for so many other things, and perhaps settle many of the arguments and disputes that distract ASUA from its goals. The court shouldn't be used at the drop of a hat, but it is there for a reason - and it's not just elections. Despite popular belief, the members of the court do have superpowers other than knowing how an election should be run. I should know - I have been to their lair and seen the mystery that is the law school.
The almost annual appearance of our robed superheroes at election time has become almost as commonplace as the election itself. This year, it may show up early in the process. I'm sure some of the senate candidates who got their paperwork in on time will summon the court down from the law school to settle the current elections controversy. If the court does swoop down to save the day, I urge everyone to remember that we have such a powerful tool.
Jason Poreda is a political science and communication senior. He can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.