As another year rapidly comes to a close, senior students all over campus are preparing to bid a bittersweet, sentimental farewell to the school they have called home for four years. Which means, it’s also time to finally act on whatever challenge or daring wish that’s been bugging your mind, because you know that you aren’t coming back here. You won’t get another chance once you graduate. And that’s why I decided to write this piece on the truths and myths surrounding the most discussed, prominent, and undoubtedly disliked organization on campus: USB.

I was the Commissioner of Performing Arts from 10th to 11th grade, and the IOC Chairperson, a member of the Executive Board, from 11th to 12th. So I know how USB functions, inside and out.

First and foremost, it is true that USB members are granted much freedom in handling money. Each pair of commissioners is given a budget every year, ranging from a few hundred dollars to as much as thousands. As a member of USB, I have never once been restricted on budget, but was rather encouraged to spend more if it meant I could put together a better event for the student body. Really, all a commissioner needs is a signature from the advisor to spend whatever amount he or she desires.

I know that USB has been put under fire repeatedly for its misuse of budget, and there is really no excuse for that. We sometimes spend money on things that seem completely unneeded and extraneous. Especially when some organizations are struggling to pay off their debt, there is no clear justification regarding the large pool of money we can freely tap into whenever our heart desires.

However, I can assure you that every member of USB spends purely for the betterment of the student body. We rented extravagant props at rallies so the students can be entertained. We hired YouTube performers during lunchtime so the students can enjoy good music. And of course, we bought a junk car so the students can get pumped up with Brahma spirit during Branding Iron. I know that some of these didn’t turn out the way we hoped. When we receive criticism from students, we try our best to learn from them. But sometimes, people forget that USB is just a group of typical, flawed teenagers who are no different from any other student on campus. We are prone to making mistakes, but with the financial power and liberty we are given, we can make mistakes on a much bigger scale. We are just ambitious servant leaders who aren’t satisfied with mediocrity.

One might emphatically defend this argument by asking, “USB is still corrupted. What about all their perks?” Trust me, we are well aware the student body harbors great hatred toward the notorious rewards USB members reportedly receive. Many rumors are true, while others are just misinformed claims.

We do attend most performing arts events on USB’s dime, but that is our way of supporting the groups. We fill over thirty seats each event, and the costs of the tickets are transferred directly to the organization.

Also, we receive free tickets to the Homecoming dance every year, but they are contingent on working and participating in every preparation and event that take place during the season. This includes coming to school at 6 a.m. to put together the HC Assembly, staying after school every day to hand-paint the backdrops, working until midnight Thursday to rehearse for the halftime show, and that late again Friday night for the actual show, which takes place the night before the dance. Not to mention that all this took place three days after Back-to-School Bash, when we all worked 10 hours straight until 2 a.m.

It’s really disheartening for us when our labor and dedication are masked by the privileges we receive, which include a pizza meal after event setup, two annual field trips, missing classes on rally days, monthly birthday cakes, and so on. (We don’t receive free tickets to Prom, or a yearbook, or snacks from the student store.) They are substantial perks, sometimes disproportionately generous, compared to what other groups on campus get. When we are offered them, we gleefully accept like happy children given candy. Truth be told, it’s really hard for us kids to say no to these perks, especially when we physically put in the work as USB members to gain that privilege.

Our physical labor isn’t exclusive to large USB events; from working the student store every week to attending sporting events as ticket receivers, to setting up audio and meals every day for AP testing, to working during summer registration, we are often the prime resource of manpower for any on-campus occasion. And although we complain about how frequently we are requested for trivial labor, we realize that we are well rewarded for it.

I am nervous as to how this article would come off. Maybe as an emotional, reasonable plea, or a whiny, stuck-up speech. Regardless, I hope it was a worthwhile endeavor.

To the current and future USB, it is my personal belief that the students deserve to know what we do as representatives of the Brahmas. And to the DB student body, please understand that we’re just teenagers. Our judgment isn’t always crystal clear, and we can sometimes be blinded by the freedom and power we are given. But harsh criticisms and bitter remarks posted on Facebook and Twitter could only take us so far in the right direction. What we need from our fellow Brahmas is a stronger voice, better guidance, and warmer support.