When it comes to having an effective student government, students have an obligation to be aware of what the student association is or is not working on. It should not only be working to strengthen ties between the University of Minnesota and student leaders, but it should also be willing to risk these ties in the name of meaningful change for the greater good of the student body.

In my last three years with student government, I did not see this occurring nearly as often as it should. The current agenda of the Minnesota Student Association is one that does not address greater issues and tiptoes around any concerns that could have the potential to counter current administration stances. An organization that receives such a large amount of student service fees should be much more conscious that the source of its funding is the student body, not the University.

Students, rather than the administration or other benefactors, have the power to hold MSA accountable. This body has not been a champion for students, but it has the potential to be just that.