A casual observer might find it difficult to distinguish Jon David Cole and Jonathan Cobb, the candidates in a run-off for Student Association attorney general.
Both candidates have shaggy brown hair, both have short last names beginning with the letter “C” and both candidates agree on many issues that will face the 2004-2005 SA.
They differ, however, on issues of experience and how each would implement some policies and events.
The run-off election will be held Tuesday in the Colvard Union.
Cole, a junior history major from Brandon, served on the SA committee-Academic Vision-which pushed for a Freshman Experience program at Mississippi State. Cole also served on SA Cabinet this year as director of Campus Outreach.
Cobb is a sophomore accounting major from Bugscuffle, a suburb of New Albany, This year he served on the SA Student Activities Committee.
Cobb supports a freshman experience program, saying that he would push for a class to cover topics ranging from the university’s history to time-management skills.
The push to include the latter topic comes from personal experience with the benefits of student involvement, Cobb said.
“I did not have a smooth transition,” Cobb said. “My first semester, I was looking forward to Fridays and going home until I heard about an opening on SA Freshman Forum.”
Cole was one of three students to attend a conference in Dallas on freshman experience programs, which he said solidified his support for the idea.
“My key goal for the class part (of the program) is to allow people to experience and come to appreciate the university,” Cole said.
Cobb agreed that the class should focus on the university’s history.
“Knowing about the cowbell, how we got the Chapel of Memories, things like that make you proud to be an MSU student,” Cobb said.
Cole emphasized that the class would be a part of a much larger program, which would include learning communities designed to promote interaction between people with similar interests.
The overall goal is to improve the student experience and increase retention rates, Cole said.
“It’s a proven fact that when students are plugged in as far as relationships and involvement on campus, they are more likely to maintain their enrollment,” Cole said.
Both candidates support an active role for the SA in the upcoming city elections. Cobb and Cole both said the SA should support its own candidates for alderman.
Cole emphasized the need to register student voters.
Cobb said it was important to have a dialogue with whoever won the office.
Neither candidate was willing to say whether the SA should offer city candidates an endorsement.
Candidates in other races raised the issue of “diversifying” Bulldog Bash, but Cole said “a lot of people are criticizing it for not being diverse enough and there might be some improvements to be made, but Bulldog Bash has appealed to a lot of different people … I don’t think its format should change that much.”
Cobb agreed that the format should stay the same. He pointed out that, in addition to having rock, blues and bluegrass musicians, the Bash featured NSP, a hip-hop artist. “I had a great time at (the NSP) show,” he said.