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Originally published by The University Register: Campus newspaper of the University of Minnesota, Morris
Thursday, March 31, 2005 - Volume 17, Issue 21
Dan Moore
My name is Dan Moore, I'm a sophomore history and management major, and I'm asking for your support as I wish to lead the Morris Campus Student Association as the Vice President for Finance and Operations next year. As part of the MCSA leadership team I hope to truly make it YOUR student association. We're fortunate to have such a strong body of students working specifically for us and I want to see all of us take advantage of this great resource. Here in Morris we pride ourselves on a strong tradition of activism and MCSA is an excellent way for us to be heard.
Getting involved in campus activities and decision-making and working with you through my job in Edson Auditorium have been wonderful ways for me to get to know you and get a better understanding of how I can serve you. As we've worked together you've asked me to use my skills to help you with the behind-the-scenes details that make your experience the best that it can be, and I've done my best to use the leadership skills that I've developed and the resources at my disposal to go the extra mile in helping you out. I'd like to continue to do this within our student association.
I've been involved with MCSA for the last several months and I have seen the enormous impact that student decision-making has on every students' experience here at UMM. This is an amazingly talented, dedicated, and fun-loving group of students who are committed to ensuring that we all get the most out of our UMM experience.
I'd like to lead an MCSA initiative, with other campus leadership from the faculty and staff, to examine where our campus is at and where we want it to be in the future. Many of the important actions of our student association are taken with short-term goals in mind and I would instead like to lead students in drawing the bigger picture. Where do we want to lead this campus, and how can we best achieve that vision?
I'd like to lead MCSA as a body in being an effective, efficient, and exciting organization capable of meeting student needs and making the most responsible decisions with our resources as a student association while continuing to get more students involved in the decision-making process.
I'd like to lead MCSA into taking a more visible role in student life, providing all students with a readily accessible forum for addressing concerns and initiating projects. By working to market MCSA, getting more directly involved with campus organizations and events, and by producing a reliable web resource for an enhanced relationship between students and MCSA, we can more effectively serve all students.
I'd like to lead MCSA in a new direction with your Technology Fee. Student leaders are given a huge responsibility in allocating that money, and we owe it to you to take all the necessary time, while considering every possible option, to serve the campus as best we can from a neutral leadership position.
I'd like to lead an effort for every student organization to have an opportunity for voting representation on MCSA Forum so that student decision-making might be a more accurate and equitable body representing students' interests.
I'd like to lead an effort with MCSA and other campus bodies to gather together the most impressive aspects of our campus, from organizations to relationships to academics to our way of life, so as to better promote the greatness that we have at UMM. Then, by providing everyone with a readily accessible "Best of UMM" resource, both on the Web and through individual students, we can give students and the world an opportunity to become more involved at UMM.
I'd like to lead MCSA in improving communication between our campus and the Morris community. It is a privilege to have such a great town around us and there are many things that can be done to strengthen both the city of Morris and the UMM campus with an open and productive relationship between two unique groups of resources.
I'd like to lead MCSA by example in looking at every aspect of a decision, even the most obscure, and thinking about what each situation says about our institution. I believe that students will be better served as a result of critical analysis and potential change to some aspects of our status quo. As a student body, we ought be constantly thinking about moving the campus forward in new or improved directions.
I can think of no better or more satisfying way for me to use the skills that I have, the relationships I have built, or the insights that I have gained than to go the extra mile as a voice for you as a leader of your student association. The Morris Campus Student Association is a place for strong and committed leaders to work together and with the campus community. I would appreciate your vote of confidence and the opportunity to represent you, work with you, and improve the UMM experience for you.
Please remember to make your voice heard by voting for your student leadership in the Student Center on Wednesday, April 6. Thank you!
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[Author's Note, 2012] So when nobody wanted the VP of Finance & Operations job, I decided to take a crack at it. Traditionally these petitions of reason over promise and under deliver (not unlike most elections), but I was working with some amazingly talented people and though three of the four leadership positions remained uncontested (including one campaign run from Australia through an on-campus proxy), I'm happy to report that I received the highest percentage of 'no confidence' votes of any of the offices. We attributed this to my reputation on campus as a leader in the College Republicans and great deal of uncertainty about whether or not I was seeking office to create "Republican change." Luckily this was never really an issue once we took office.