If MCSG went defunct tomorrow, the college would resume business as usual, and many students would never even know. A student at Macalester could spend their entire four years without participating in the college’s political process and still have a fantastic experience.

Macalester has a plethora of departments staffed by paid adults to provide the services Macalester students need. From housing to academics, the college provides the necessities. A student could earn the 128 credits required for graduation without bothering with the student government.

Macalester as an institution of higher learning does not need MCSG.

Macalester as a community needs MCSG.

Macalester isn’t just a place to earn your degree. Macalester isn’t just a workplace for its staff and faculty. Macalester isn’t just an alma mater for its alumni. Macalester is a tight-knit community. It’s not perfect, but it’s a community we can call ours and ours to change in the ways we see fit. The student government aims to make Macalester a great community through a variety of avenues. From coordinating the dozens of student organizations to representing the students’ collective concerns to the college administration, the student government aims to foster a sense of community.

As everyday citizens, we should participate more in the political process. When we elected our representatives and executive board members, we hired them as our civil servants. We gave them our activity fees ($221 per student) so they could create a budget to fund the dozens of events held each year. We should feel accountable for the people we elected. They are our representatives, and it’s our job to supervise them.

If you don’t like MCSG or don’t know what they do, I have good news! We can change that. MCSG shouldn’t be this secret organization the vast majority of student body doesn’t know about. Consider running for class rep! Consider applying to be a committee member on the various campus committees. Consider emailing your representatives about your concerns. Do you have an idea that could improve the lives of Macalester students? Email your representatives and make it come alive. Come to an MCSG meeting. Meetings are held every Tuesday night in the Weyerhaeuser boardroom from 7 to 9 p.m. And most importantly, vote.

I am not a member of MCSG. I am, however, a first year and one of the many Macalester students who voted in the past two executive board elections and plan to vote again in the upcoming one in late April. I plan to make sure my representatives and executive board members are held accountable for the platform they promised to fulfill.

Will you join me?