Students need to be involved with SGA election

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Students need to make sure they vote next week in the Student Government Association election.

With budget cuts, new Board of Trustees members and George Ross’ first year as university president — student representation on campus policies is needed more than ever.

Students are encouraged to get involved and cast their vote for SGA president.

Go to vote.cmich.edu and let the university know which candidate you want to represent your next academic year.

Voting takes place Monday to April 11.

SGA is comprised entirely of students working for the interests of students.

Members meet with administrators and the Board of Trustees to ensure student voices are a part of policies created on campus.

SGA should strive to be an influential organization at CMU.

The editorial board brought the candidates in to interview on live stream and, overall, was impressed with both platforms.

We feel Brittany Mouzourakis and Evan Agnello, despite differing ideas, are truly concerned with making CMU a better place for
students.

In the end, our vote goes to Mouzourakis and vice presidential candidate Dave Breed.

We feel Mouzourakis has the experience in SGA and the track record to show she is capable of bringing change to campus.

Last year, she and current SGA president Jason Nichol worked with the administration to change some of the restrictions placed on tailgating during the football season — the increase in attendance from hundreds (Sept. 27, 2009 vs. Akron) to thousands (Oct. 10 at Homecoming) is proof of that.

The duo also increased the Campus Programming Fund by $26,000, a significant move given the economic climate in the state.

Mouzourakis and Breed have a couple of innovative ideas that, if put into effect, could really help students out for years to come.

One such idea is a pro bono clinic where students could get legal advice on everything from MIPs to speeding tickets.

The two also pledge to work on tailgating issues next fall and protect the general fund, which contributes to many areas of campus.

That’s not to say Agnello is a weak candidate. He has brought light to interesting issues and thinks differently than most SGA candidates.

He pointed out how the SGA election committee coordinates the debate between candidates, creating a conflict of interest between those involved in SGA and those not.

The debates should be monitored by a third party.

This would eliminate favoritism and encourage all candidates to comfortably participate.

One thing working against Agnello was his running mate, Jessica Richard, has not yet made a single public appearance.

Agnello said she had a family emergency to attend to, which is understandable — however, it still hurts his campaign when virtually nobody knows what kind of person the vice presidential candidate is.

Whoever is voted the next SGA president, we hope they fight hard to make sure students are heard and have an influence on policy at CMU.