Three tickets have each asked the University to select them as their leaders for next year. Only one ticket has illustrated the respect, concern and accountability that merit student support. Jigar Madia and Bridgette Murphy have created a campaign that truly reaffirms the belief that the Minnesota Student Association can be a positive vehicle for real change.
Anyone can campaign on slogans rather than ideas; however, it takes hard work and dedication to seek practical attainable goals for next year. The Madia and Murphy ticket promises to balance the modest challenges of the Twelve Months of Action with the input and feedback of students.
Madia and Murphy are the only ticket to actively attempt to better know their undergraduate peers. They have not talked to students but listened to them. Their lively initiative and honest interest in bringing together students as well as administrators to find common ground is the unique appeal of these campus leaders.
The two other tickets offer a solid vision for their administration. Yet, Madia and Murphy are offering so much more. Supporting the Madia and Murphy vision is a contract with students to accomplish attainable, worthwhile goals while also building a student government more accessible and responsive to our needs.
Why pay more and get less? Jigar Madia and Bridgette Murphy have the most to offer students and are the best choice for MSA president and vice president.
John H. Ray,senior, Carlson School of Management

Almost two years ago, MSA leadership decided that student government needed to use its energies exclusively at the Legislature and with administrators. Unfortunately, when student government decided to place its emphasis on the Legislature, the students were forgotten.
The MSA president who made that decision almost two years ago was Matt Musel. He has created himself a nice little legacy by being president last year, strongly supporting his successor this year, Helen Phin, and in Monday’s Daily, endorsing Corey Donovan and Kioara Bohlool. They are, unfortunately, his heirs apparent.
Along with Musel’s support, Donovan and Bohlool have garnered the support of those in MSA who believe the organization is run well, mainly because they currently run the organization and hope to do so next year.
In contrast, the Madia and Murphy campaign is strongly backed by a large number of MSA members who are consistently disappointed with the close-minded leadership, the priorities and wayward direction of the organization these past two years.
Instead of gathering a close circle of exclusive advisers to come up with empty campaign rhetoric and meaningless slogans, MSA presidential candidates Jigar Madia and Bridgette Murphy have sought the input of the student body to put together their agenda. More importantly, Madia and Murphy have promised to redirect the priorities of student government back to the students, rather than hob-nobbing with state legislators.
Bill Gilles,College Republican chairman

The fairy tale of good and evil in student politics presented to us in Matt Musel’s April 21 letter, “Donovan and Bohlool make team of hope,” was an arrogant and insulting example of negative campaigning. Matt Musel’s statements are completely unfounded.
In my experience with the Minnesota Student Association, I have met many dedicated leaders — people with goals, ideas and faith in students. I haven’t run into any of the unenthusiastic, hopeless trolls the writer makes Jigar Madia and Bridgette Murphy’s supporters out to be. I have worked on their campaign and met people that are excited about and dedicated to improving MSA next year.
He also calls us a “motley crew.” I kind of like that, because we are all very different people politically — liberal, conservative, moderate — with different backgrounds of leadership and involvement on campus. But we support Madia and Murphy as the only ticket with a clear platform, and a responsible set of goals that can be accomplished and actually improve campus life.
Amy Mertl, sophomore, CBS

I have chosen to support Jigar Madia and Bridgette Murphy because I have hope. I hope that the MSA can do a better job of representing students than it has done under the administrations of Matt Musel and Helen Phin. Madia and Murphy represent the hope that through action and hard work, students can improve their own lives. Donovan and Bohlool, on the other hand, seem to have all of their hope riding on the meaningless rhetoric that makes up their entire campaign platform.
To them, hope is found in catchy phrases like “believing in students.” To Madia and Murphy, hope is making plans and taking action to fight for students.
Donovan and Bohlool are campaigning on the idea that we should elect them based on the premise that today’s rhetoric will somehow magically transform into tomorrow’s ideas. Madia and Murphy, on the other hand, have come out with “12 Months of Action,” a series of concrete, real ideas to improve campus life.
Rather than present a platform based on issues, the Donovan and Bohlool camp has decided to resort to personal attacks on their opponents.
This election is about action versus rhetoric. Students can choose to vote for Donovan and Bohlool on the faith that they might someday find some issues, or students can vote for Madia and Murphy and be secure in the knowledge that they have supported active, worthwhile student government.
Adam Miller,junior, Carlson School of Management

I normally hate politics. I find its bickering and status quo methods to be against what government should be. Government should be a place where all people are represented; these people are respectful to each other and their opinions, and they try to make changes for the greater good.
I don’t see this happening in the status quo MSA that is operating now or in its handpicked successors Donovan and Bohlool.
Recently, I’ve questioned what action and responsibility mean to people. Is action what you take when you have a problem? Is responsibility what you take when you have no choice? I believe otherwise.
Action is taking an active role in developing a better future based on what people strongly believe. Responsibility is placing yourself accountable for launching the changes you believe in. Too many people seem willing to blindly follow the system that is in place. They feel that they have no real power. They don’t think they can do anything.
Wrong! Not only is it imperative that people stand up to take action, but it is a requirement to move into the future. Stagnation results if you do not stand up and be accountable for what you have the opportunity to accomplish. Only the Madia and Murphy ticket is responsible enough to take the action that is necessary to lead the status quo MSA into a productive forum for students.
I need candidates who want to be in office because they want to make a difference and they know they can. Madia and Murphy’s ticket offers the best plan to advocate for all students’ needs.
Twelve Months of Action is a comprehensive pro-student, pro-safety and pro-involvement plan. It was formulated from countless talks with students from many different groups. Specifically, it includes: a fair-priced book buy-back program, the creation of advisory boards — including one to fix transportation problems — increased campus safety, placement of students on policy-making committees and improved outreach to students.
Madia and Murphy plan to direct the student voice to change MSA. It will return government to the students.
Jenny Hoffmansophomore, CLA