What is the point of the Maroon and Gold Association, which started last week? According to leader Anthony Zammit, to “make sure things get done for students,” to fight “for students’ issues” and to make sure people are held “accountable.” This focus is largely aimed at getting the Minnesota Student Association to do certain things – and quickly.

The Maroon and Gold Association has set a series of points in its contract with the students. Although it is commendable to try to make the University a better place for students, the Maroon and Gold Association needs to prove it is needed and that its ideals truly represent student wishes, if it wants to be effective.

According to Zammit, the points within the Maroon and Gold Association’s contract “are the beliefs of a majority of students and further a majority of MSA members.” Bearing in mind that the Maroon and Gold Association thinks MSA displays “impotency,” and yet they hold the beliefs of the majority of MSA, it begs the question, is the Maroon and Gold Association needed?

The Maroon and Gold Association claims its goals represent those of the majority of students. Is this the case? We think the Maroon and Gold Association will need to do more to prove it is.

Zammit says, “There is a general student desire for a stadium.” Yet there have been no polls sponsored by MSA, nor the Maroon and Gold Association, to justify this assertion. He also assumes students support the greeks on the historic designation issue. Once again, there is no proof to back this up – aside from perhaps the consensus of the MSA Forum.

Is this supposedly nonpartisan group – whose only members willing to disclose their names all happen to be College Republicans – actually pro-student as it claims? The Maroon and Gold Association should release its membership roster to prove its credibility and get a better grasp on student opinions before trying to espouse them.