The editorial is the opinion of the editorial board of The Daily Eastern News.

It was a race filled with late entries, election mischief, controversial decisions and more than a few verbal battles. This newspaper was involved with most of those, and we now proudly congratulate the winners.

Hugh O’Hara, our new student body president, has one huge task facing him: reversing the downward spiral of student apathy. The voter turnout alone is serious evidence of a disenfranchised student body, and being in the favor of a majority of students who only account for about 7 percent of your constituents isn’t exactly a resume-booster.

O’Hara will have a number of things to deal with during his tenure in Student Government’s top spot, but students who have lost interest in nearly every aspect of their lives at Eastern will prove to be his biggest obstacle.

Daryl Jones, the newly elected student vice president for public affairs, is the only executive member who wasn’t a part of the Students First Party. This makes him, perhaps, the most important new officer. He will have different ideals and views than his executive colleagues, and he should make sure his voice is heard to serve as a counterpoint to what may become a singular ideology.

Jones also is the oldest member of the new executive board, giving him an unofficial leadership role. His life experience will lend a balance to the rest of the board, which has proven its capability in Student Government but hasn’t traveled the world as Jones has.

Yve Williams, the new student vice president for student affairs, astutely identified minority relations as a weak link in campus society, and her plans to address the touchy subject should be embraced by Eastern.

Jen Fanthorpe takes over as student vice president for financial affairs, and she says she wants the Apportionment Board to communicate more and increase the number of times it meets, both of which make sense after this year’s history of scattershot scheduling and scarce quorums.

Jessica Catto admits she will be busy in her new job as student vice president for academic affairs, but students shouldn’t worry. She knows the expectations of her position and is confident she can exceed them. Her ideas to create a scholarship database and add extracurricular activities to transcripts prove she wants to work for students.

Congratulations to the new executives and senate members. Go out and celebrate. But remember that we all expect you to perform your jobs to the best of your ability and make us all believe in Eastern again.