Though the results of yesterday's elections are up in the air, we will soon begin to wait expectantly for the fulfillment of the promises made to us by our peers. Longer hours in Valentine? Sounds great! Wireless Internet all over campus before we graduate? We're in support. A better advising system? Everyone agrees we need one. Study abroad programs sponsored by the College? Hey, that was our idea!

There is no doubt that the candidates are in touch with the concerns of the student body. On a more serious note, however, we really doubt that the winning candidates can get their proposals accomplished. It is not that we lack confidence in their motivation, desire or previous accomplishments (all basic parts of their platforms), but rather that their platforms demonstrated a lack of awareness as to what the president and vice president of the AAS actually control and can influence.

And while the victorious will realize soon that they cannot deliver on some of their promises, more problematic is that the rest of the student body will remain in the dark, wondering why little has changed at Valentine and why the advising system remains the same. These students will continue to complain that the AAS is ineffective even if the senate does accomplish a great deal in the 2005-06 school year.

AAS members do have input on dining services, the advising system, athletics, etc., but most of the body's influence comes from one or two students who sit on committees with faculty members. And while the president and vice president do get to sit on some committees, they don't sit on all of them.

Many of the candidates knew about the limitations of their desired positions-they served on the AAS themselves as senators. However, many of their advertisements all over campus and via e-mail came off like elementary school students promising class trips to the amusement park or soda in the water fountains in order to get elected to the student council.

We're no longer in elementary school, and we're old enough to understand the limitations of what we can ask from our AAS officials. We find these empty promises useless. Indeed, we don't feel as though we are exaggerating to call some of the posters, table tents and mass e-mails examples of demagoguery.

We wish we could have seen candidates demonstrate a knowledge of the AAS constitution, and the student body as a whole demand more than impossible campaign pledges from our peers. We, like many of the candidates, want the AAS to earn more power and respect on this campus, but making empty promises is the wrong way to start.