This year, there have been some significant changes in the structure of the student fee allocation committee. We, The Dakota Student editorial board, believe these changes have the potential to improve student life on campus if they are used correctly.

For those who do not know, the student fee allocation committee decides how much and where to spend the money generated by student fees. Recently, changes were made to the structure of the committee. These changes give Student Government a much larger role in deciding how to spend the student fees. We think if Student Government uses this new power appropriately, then students could benefit greatly from its decisions.

Unlike other members of the student fee allocation committee, Student Government officials are elected by the students of UND. This gives the students more power to decide how their money will be spent.

If candidates for Student Government positions run in part on how they say they will spend these student fee funds — and they follow through on these promises — each voter has an opportunity to influence the allocation of this money on campus.

However, in order for these changes to have positive impacts, it is essential for more students to vote in Student Government elections. Far too few students vote for their representatives. If you have complaints about campus and how your fees are being spent, then it is your duty to vote. With the recent changes, your vote has more power to benefit campus than it ever has in recent years.

The new power to decide how student fees are spent is something that future potential candidates should keep in mind. Student Government officials now have a significant influence on how student fees are spent.

If you are thinking about running for office, then having a plan of how to spend student fees that students support could be enough to get you elected. Moreover, you’ll have a solid opportunity to support your constituents.

UND’s Student Government is a representative democracy for a reason. As this new change gives more power to the student representatives, it gives more power to the students.

But only if the students actually vote for their representatives.