At the beginning of the school year, MCSG holds elections for first-year representatives and other positions that remain open. This weekend, elections will be held for the Vice President/Student Services and Relations Committee Chair role as well, after Seth Loeffler-Kemp ’17 resigned the position.

“I was offered a full-time internship in DC that I couldn’t turn down. I knew that by accepting this position in DC I would need to resign,” Loeffler-Kemp said. “I hope the student body elects a new VP with enough charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent!”

There was a vice presidential debate held Thursday night in Olin-Rice.

Jolena Zabel ’16

I am running to be your Vice President to ensure every Macalester student has the resources, space and voice to live out their potential. Here are my promises to you:

Develop a MCSG that prioritizes students. MCSG is the voice of the students both within and beyond the Macalester community, but dysfunction has impeded progress. I pledge to restructure MCSG executive roles, reform MCSG bylaws, work with the administration and establish transparent communication between students and MCSG. Moreover, MCSG must work to reflect the diversity of our community.

Expand campus resources, including mental health and sexual assault support, accessible all-gender restrooms in every campus building and subsidized internships, laundry and textbooks. Every student must be empowered to thrive in the Macalester community. Funding must also be easily available to organizations and individuals. As VP, I will be an advocate for students and orgs, ensuring additional allocations and budgets are considered from the student perspective.

Move forward! Last year I created a $50,000 internship fund and fostered campus-wide dialogues on sexual assault. As VP, I plan to expand these resources, support Fossil Free Mac’s divestment campaign and continue being a voice for every student.

With the right leadership, MCSG can and will be an effective student advocate. I will bring three years of strong leadership experience on MCSG, the SSRC, and across campus to the MCSG Executive Board. I am here to empower every student — no issue or idea is unimportant. To have your voices truly heard, vote #JZ4Veep.

Samuel Doten ’16

As your vice president, my term will revolve around the theme of student power. MCSG must do more than distribute the Student Activity Fee — MCSG must fight for student power, support student initiatives and bring new voices into its conversations.

As students we can be the most powerful voices at Macalester, yet too often we are only given token roles in decision-making or excluded outright. For example, Macalester’s recently-passed strategic plan has an entire section on “shared governance” but does not make a single mention of students. That’s unacceptable, and we must take action for our power.

In pursuit of student power, MCSG must support student initiatives. In the role of VP, I will advocate for the Income Inequality Campaign, advocating respect for our campus employees with a minimum living wage of $14.17/hour.

Additionally, I will support the Fossil Free Mac campaign to move us closer to divestment. MCSG must become an effective conduit to amplify students’ concerns, and these two campaigns are just the beginning.

Most importantly, we need an outlet for non-MCSG members to direct MCSG’s positions. That’s why last semester I helped organize the first Student Assembly in 10 years, and this next year I plan to hold at least three more. The questions before MCSG are too important for only 26 students to decide. We all have a stake, and we all deserve a vote.

There’s no question about what I will fight for. Student power is too important. Let’s get to work.

Eamon Smith ’18

My name is Eamon Smith and my pronouns are he/him/his — they/them/their — or she/her/ hers! I’m thrilled to be running for VP and SSRC Chair of MCSG! My platform largely revolves around student accessibility and building coalition across difference within MCSG. As VP, I plan to foster an environment of cooperation and community, simplify and make public the MCSG bylaws for student use, promote event funding via the community chest, showcase MCSG events through student media, re-frame MCSG as a trustworthy organization whose primary concern is the student body and much much more!

I will also, as VP, strive to build coalition through difference and to highlight voices on campus too frequently dismissed. I have consistently fought for underrepresented voices on Mac’s campus and am currently working with the DML to create an educational document for faculty on how to best engage with PGPs to combat transphobia in the classroom! I know how hard it is to enter a space in which you feel alone, and I’m ready to work towards ending that theme within MCSG.

I freely admit, I am not an expert. If elected it would be my first time having such an active role in Mac politics. However, I have many wonderful people both in and out of MCSG to lean on and learn from. And I give you my word, as VP I will commit to that learning not only to better myself, but also the community I love.