You’ve probably never heard of Matt Forstie, and in all fairness, on a campus with 60,000 people, there are a lot of people you haven’t heard of.

However, I’d like to take this time to give him just a small piece of the recognition he truly
deserves.

Forstie is the chairof the Minnesota Student Legislative Coalition. If you saw, heard or were bombarded by people with information about Support the U Day, they were probably the people doing it. A well-dressed, well-spoken group of students armed with emerging passions in politics, MSLC serves as the student representation at the Capitol. Backed by research and anecdotal evidence, MSLC has brought the pertinent and relevant issue of medical amnesty to legislators’ attentions.

To be brief, medical amnesty refers to the legal protection of an underage drinking ticket to persons who make the decision to notify medical and/or legal enforcement in cases of a person being unresponsive. With chief and co-authors already signed on in both the Minnesota State House and Senate, it’s set to be introduced in committee today.

When it passes, as it most certainly will, it’s likely the bill itself will get the attention and not those who put in numerous hours to bring it to realization.

While the effort was one on behalf of the entire MSLC, Forstie’s leadership was crucial in keeping the momentum of the project going. So here’s to him, the unsung hero of medical amnesty and many more projects in the future as well.