Whatever the outcome of the Students’ Association elections that will sweep the campus Wednesday and Thursday, there’s little doubt that there will be be a lot of new faces on the student’s chief elected body for the coming year.

And with all those new candidates come a myriad of new ideas on topics from student utility fees to health and wellness to flexibility regarding union expansion.

It takes more than ideas, however, to be truly innovative in campus government at SDSU. It takes a firm knowledge of the hurdles of administration and a keen ability to work within the established system to innovative ideas to a new reality.

This ability is most clearly seen in Clinton Powell and David Hove as they make their campaign for Students’ Association President and Vice President, respectively.

The two men present an image of professionalism and worldliness unmatched by many campus leaders. Their ideas — exemptions to the costly and inefficient proficiency exams, negotiations for better cable and utility prices, a unified campus e-mail system — are at the same time innovative and realistic. They provide students with both substance and practicality.

As agricultural engineering majors, Powell and Hove both have the added advantage of being able to effectively represent the voices of many students currently unheard in the SA. Typically led by members of the large College of Arts and Science, the Senate could use a perspective that comes from students in other colleges.

That perspective also brings a willingness to look outside the world of the SA Senate and other student organizations and into the issues that are going to have an impact on students campuswide.

Because, while it is important to keep students aware of the Students’ Association through outreach and advertising, it is even more worthwhile to make students recognize the SA through its action.

Whatever you may think about their policy ideas, Powell and Hove leave little room to doubt that they are men dedicated to acting for SDSU.

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