Promises must be kept by Hollinger

So, Brandie Hollinger and Logan Berkowitz have won that election thing that engulfed campus for the past two weeks. If you see them, congratulate them, because obviously all that campaigning (coughfreefoodcough) paid off.

But we imagine most of the student body, especially those experiencing their first SGA Presidential election, are left wondering "now what?"

Don't worry, that sentiment is not surprising. The presidency you are most familiar with - the one that is elected every four years - has absolutely nothing in common with the SGA President. So here is a little primer on what you can do to make sure Hollinger is doing what she said she would.

First, realize that even if she doesn't follow through on all of her campaign promises, you won't have a chance to make a difference next year by voting her out because she is a senior.

Nonetheless, she is making $18,000 over the next year to serve you, so here are some key issues from her Web site (which, as of the night after election, was not updated with the results) that you can keep track of.

This is the first of a two-part series, and we will have more on Wednesday.

1. "Foster a Safe Tailgating environment for all." - With the announcement of the Sept. 15 opening of the on-campus football stadium being broadcast on ESPN, the stakes are pretty high here. If ESPN brings the popular College Gameday show to campus, this promise will be tough to keep. It also could set a precedent for pregame activities on campus that cater to alumni, who pay for tickets, rather than students.

2. "Help SARC expand its resources to better facilitate student use." - The Web site states that she will look to secure funds for expansion. However, there is no tangible measure or plan to get that done as of right now. If this plan does come to fruition, make sure it is not at the expense of something important in the SGA budget.

3. "Oppose the additional $500-a-semester fee." - Also known as the Academic Enhancement Program. We find it hard to believe that a program that has gained a foothold at other universities in the state will be held up by student government. However, there are very few students who favor having to pay more every semester, even if it did benefit UCF in the long run. We believe this fee will happen, so if it does, make sure Hollinger has done everything in her power to oppose and stop it.

Check back on Wednesday for the rest of the breakdown and how you can create your own system of checks and balances for the new SGA leadership.