If you’re unfamiliar with The Maroon and Student Government Association’s relationship, hear it from us, it hasn’t been great recently. And by recently, we mean at no point in the memories of anyone currently involved with these organizations.

Case in point: The Maroon still displays the 1985-86 “Horse’s Ass Award” given to us by SGA that year. It’s on our editor-in-chief’s desk.

But that’s how the relationship between the media and government usually goes, at all levels. Whether it’s the SGA office or the White House, it’s the job of the media to hold those in power accountable and make sure they answer to their constituents.

So in previous years, The Maroon would basically dust off the same old editorial around this time—criticizing SGA for their abuse of power somewhere over the last year and then maybe making some endorsements for elections.

We’re not doing that this year.

That’s because there’s not really any power being abused, because SGA isn’t using it the way Loyola needs.

At a time when our university is making massive budget cuts and many of our programs are at risk, SGA’s role as the students’ voice is more critical now than ever.

So for once, we urge our government to please use the powers you have to the fullest extent possible.

This go around, current SGA president Ellie Diaz spent the year sitting in on multiple administrative meetings and working with the Office of Admissions to help give the student opinion on getting more students at our school.

In other words, she fulfilled the duties of a major representative within a representative government.

But when our school’s entire future depends on enrollment numbers, when our livelihoods at this university depend on them, how could one student be enough?

Where are the senators-at-large and college senators? These are supposed to be the people on the ground, finding out and solving problems around campus. If they’re doing their jobs, who better to know the ins-and-outs of Loyola to get more students here and get us back on track.

And if faculty members don’t want the listen to the input they need, it has to be the SGA’s job to say “tough luck,” on the behalf of the student body.

More SGA representatives — emphasis on the “represent” — need to be there at critical university committee meetings, they need to be engaging with and collaborating with administration and, most importantly, this information needs to be communicated with students in as clear and as far-reaching a way as possible. So, not through OrgSync.

We’d love to do an editorial about SGA abusing their power. Those are easy, and any organization that has power is probably going to end up abusing it in some way, and it’s our job to publicize that when it happens.

The ultimate goal of doing this is not to tear down those in power (OK, maybe sometimes), but to make sure they don’t forget who they’re working for.

The Maroon wants SGA to succeed. We want SGA to be a vibrant organization. We want SGA to be clearly visible to students and work with administration. We want to be able to write stories about SGA when they slip up, and when they do well.

So, SGA, do your job. Give us the ability to hold you accountable. You have the power of a university department, you have the ability to sit on university committees that decide Loyola’s policies, you have the power to be the students’ voice in one of the most troubling times in our university’s history.

You have so much power, SGA. Use it.

So come on, SGA, there’s a great spot open in our office for another “Horse’s Ass Award” when you start. Or maybe you could update to a “Fake News Award” these days.