Student elections have taken Mississippi State campus by storm. Not one student has missed the action of the so-called scandal that involved current Student Association President Jojo Dodd. Dodd took to Twitter earlier this week to show his support for the current SA Presidential runner Roxanne Raven, who also serves under Dodd as SA Vice President. Dodd was quoted, a small exerpt from his letter on Twitter as saying, “I’m encouraged to know that there is a candidate committed to working for every student, regardless of who they are: Roxie Raven. I’ve been able to observe as she’s worked diligently this past year –even when she thought no one was watching – to make MSU a better place.” Some students say it was okfor Dodd to show support for his VP, while others disagreed with his decision sighting it was unethical.
The Student Association constitution states, as printed earlier in The Reflector, “The elections board and SA executive officers shall not wear or display any type of campaign materials. The constitution also states the elections board and SA executive officers shall not publicly express support of any candidate.”
Dodd broke the rule of not showing support for any candidate; which makes him unethical in the eyes of the SA Senate who voted 25-0-3 to have him impeached as SA President. His act was unethical because he broke a rule of the constitution.
The senate had no choice but to vote to impeach him as president because others would question the validity of the ethical stance on the situation. They have the job to uphold the rules of the constitution even if they personally agreed with Dodd on supporting Presidential hopeful Roxanne Raven. Those who oppose Dodd want him to be impeached because of the terrible decision he made by endorsing Raven on Twitter.
Let’s be honest, Dodd probably made the greatest decision ever as SA President by supporting Roxie Raven. He stood up to a system he believes does not support the average student. Was he wrong for saying he wants to include more diversity in SA? Was he wrong for going against the status quo? No, Dodd did the right thing in standing up for those who usually do not have a voice on Mississippi State’s campus. He spoke up for minorities and also gave a voice to those students who are non-Greek. It makes no sense to have a smaller faction make decisions for the larger one. I already see your argument coming for those who will oppose this article. I know that the 80 percent of students who are non-Greek rarely vote. Why don’t you be like Dodd and step out and invite others to vote to see what SA has to offer? Diversity and inclusion have become such a problem with those who are in power or want to keep a system that is not working.
Dodd, unlike others, has stood by his comments. It would have been easy for him to apologize and just move on from this incident like it never happened, but he welcomes the consequences. Dodd was quoted in The Reflector saying, “I am aware this goes against a particular rule. I think it is important enough, I believe in it enough and I am passionate about it enough that I think it is worth it,” he said. “The student association is important if you think Mississippi State is important. The student body president has real influence, and truly affects all aspects of student life. You want someone in that position who is committed to serving all students and someone committed to making campus better.”
Since meeting Dodd, he has remained the same person both before and after becoming SA President. I respect someone who stands by what they said instead of apologizing for being who they are as a person. Candidates always say they are for your best interest, but Dodd showed it by speaking out. People who challenge the status quo can change the world. If Dodd believes his VP is the best candidate for the job, then I agree with him because he has done such a great job of promoting diversity and inclusion on our campus. Who better than Roxie Raven to continue the trend of welcoming all students to SA?
