Tuition is too high. But Minnesota Student Association President Joelle Stangler and Vice President Abeer Syedah want to talk about how University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler’s statements hurt MSA’s feelings.
Look, I get why they’re mad. By making about $625,000 per year despite his enormous incompetence, Kaler is responsible for administrative bloat that burdens us with more debt. But Support the U Day is one of the few small things MSA does to fight high tuition. To stop it smacks of misplaced priorities.
MSA can do better. Stangler, Syedah and our other representatives have done good work on mental health, for instance. Tuition is obviously a tough riddle, but that doesn’t mean MSA shouldn’t try to solve it — especially if the alternative is to spend time grandstanding about Kaler’s press statements.
MSA should drop its misguided threat to pull from Support the U Day and focus entirely on issues that impact the injustices and material realities facing students on campus.
Andrew Urevig
University student
The first half of this letter appeared Wednesday.
