Student Association President Josh Blades and his administration have done a good job. Really.
But listening to the candidates’ campaign rhetoric, one would think Blades and his fellow executive officers, upon taking office, had turned their backs on the students and flipped them the bird.
Several candidates are straddling the limits of logic. They criticize the present administration by innuendo.
They say variations on “I will be listening to the students.”
The innuendo: unlike the current administration.
Then they talk about how they will continue popular events like Bulldog Bash and build on the night route shuttle.
Left unsaid is that this administration can claim well-deserved credit for getting those real, tangible results for students.
Good SA administrations are rare and I don’t like seeing a decent one get tarnished by opportunists. Let me inject a little reality into the rhetoric.
Typical campaign talking point: I will seek student input and govern based on what the students tell me to do.
Reality: If they seek student comment, this is what they will hear: parking, parking and more parking. It’s one of the few things we all have in common and deal with on a day-to-day basis.
Fact is, compared to similar-sized universities, State’s parking situation is great. Our decal prices are low. We have more spaces on campus than we have cars.
But when several thousand people are trying to get to the same area within a short time span, someone is going to experience inconvenience.
Any candidate who tells you that he or she can fix parking is either lying or has no clue what the limitations of the SA are.
Since I’m not running for office, I can say this to the student body: suck it up and start walking.
Typical campaign talking point: I will bring the SA to the students. I will do this by face-to-face meetings, suggestion boxes, employing psychics, etc.
Reality: Most students have no idea what the SA does or even what it is. Better communication regarding its mission would be nice, but it’s more important to elect people who understand what the SA is capable of doing.
We need to elect people with original ideas, not people with original ways to get ideas.
Side point: All students are technically a part of the SA. How can one bring something to itself?
Typical campaign talking point: I will work hard for the students.
Reality: This really does matter. The difference between a good and bad administration is the difference between someone who will put in the hours versus someone who attends executive council meetings and little else.
But how do you know if a candidate will work hard?
Seek the candidates out. Ask them what results-results, not rhetoric-the student body can expect from them.
Ask around about how hard those candidates worked on the various jobs they’ve had. It’s not too hard to find out, as the candidates are all well-known on campus. One of your friends knows somebody who knows somebody.
The SA matters. Major differences exist between the candidates. Some are better than others. By using the information in this edition of The Reflector, plus a doing a little homework, you should be able to make an informed choice.
The SA is more powerful than most people realize. It lobbies the administration for funds and distributes those funds to organizations. It works with the city to put on events like the Bash and Bulldog Benefit. It works with the university to put on events like this fall’s gubernatorial debate. It represents the student interest when the university plans things like a new Colvard Union.
The SA can represent the best of Mississippi State to the world. It can also embarrass this university. Remember when Ole Miss student body President Hardy Case had to resign earlier this year? It could happen here, too.
And even if you don’t agree with a word I’ve written up to this point, please vote Tuesday.
A low voter turnout gives the administration and city license to ignore the SA, since they won’t think it has legitimacy.
Wilson Boyd is a senior economics major. He can be reached at [email protected].