If ISU students aren’t worried about their rights, they should be. While students were gone this summer, ISU administrators presented the Student Disciplinary Regulations to the Board of Regents. The regents approved the regulations and they went into effect this fall. Having these regulations sneaked through this summer was the pinnacle of the administration’s trampling of students’ rights. These rules determine how students are punished for breaking policies, yet students were barely given a chance to approve their own conduct code. The Government of the Student Body saw the new codes, and looking out for the best interests of students, requested that three of the clauses be changed. Their request was ignored. The GSB had cause for concern. According to the new regulations, students can’t have a lawyer present at the All-University Judiciary, but the university can. In a hearing that could determine students’ academic futures they must represent themselves against the university’s counsel. This is not a way for students to “learn anything,” as director of University Legal Services Paul Tanaka said, but a way for the university to keep its iron fist gripped around the student body. Students don’t know how to argue cases and there is nothing to prevent students from bringing legal counsel with them anywhere; the university saying they can’t is a scare tactic. This issue is even further complicated by the “preponderance of evidence” rule. A student only needs to be 51 percent accountable to be found guilty. And this is with students arguing their own case against the university’s lawyer. Guess who wins? These dictatorial policies are not something students should blithely accept. We just said goodbye to one strong-arming administrator – are we really ready for a new set to take over? Editorial Board: Carrie Tett, Greg Jerrett, Katie Goldsmith, Amie Van Overmeer and Andrea Hauser