M THE MANEATER The student voice of MU since 1955
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Vol. 84, Issue 26
April 11, 2018
FIRST DEBATE
Five takeaways from first MSA presidential debate
The two presidential slates, Wopata/McAteer and Schmidt/Kahveci, debated MSA and social justice issues at the April 9 debate.
Wopata said she was considering running for senate rather than president, but decided to continue in the race for presidency.
2. Both slates admit there are holes in their platforms regarding LGBTQ issues on campus.
CAITLYN ROSEN AND SKYLER ROSSI
Assistant Editor, Student Politics Editor The Board of Elections Commissioners and Four Front held the first debate of the 2018 Missouri Students Association presidential election Monday in Bengal Lair. The two slates are Julia Wopata and Connor McAteer of “More to Roar” and Robert Schmidt and Alp Kahveci of “Mizzou for You.” Here are The Maneater’s top five takeaways from the debate:
1. Neither of the presidential candidates have served in MSA before.
Actually, the only candidate in
MUTV livestreamed MSA’s first presidential debate for the 2018-19 school year from the Bengal Lair in Memorial Union North. PHOTOS BY MADI WINFIELD | VISUALS DIRECTOR
the race who has been involved with MSA before is McAteer, who served as an academic business senator. Neither Wopata nor Schmidt have participated in MSA before, and neither has Kahveci.
When asked if they would be willing to serve in MSA should they not be elected, the slates responded differently. Schmidt and Kahveci were open to the idea but said they didn’t know where or how to apply.
Four Front asked if there was anything specific in the slates’ platforms that addressed LGBTQ issues. Schmidt said there is a part in his platform addressing mental health and that because members of the LGBTQ community are more likely to have mental illnesses, it applies. He also added that he and his running mate would listen to the concerns of the community. Wopata said she plans to continue MSA efforts to install gender-neutral bathrooms in downtown Columbia. However, she and her running mate recognized that there is nothing specific in their platform addressing this and plan to listen to the concerns of the community as well.
Five | Page 4
THE SLATES
Wopata/McAteer focus on Schmidt/Kahveci aim to mental health, communication increase student input on budget
Operating under “More to Roar,” the Wopata/ McAteer slate aims to build an inclusive community for students. MAWA IQBAL
Staff Writer
Junior computer science major Julia Wopata and junior business major Connor McAteer have thrown their hats in the race for Missouri
Students Association president and vice president, respectively. Operating under the slogan “More to Roar,” Wopata and McAteer are focusing their campaign on student mental health, campus safety, student success and diversity. Wopata and McAteer are one of the two slates running in the MSA presidential election. Both Wopata and McAteer have been involved in various organizations
ROAR | Page 4
Schmidt and his running mate, Alp Kahveci, hope to bring outsiders’ perspectives to MSA with “Mizzou for You.” CAITLYN ROSEN
Assistant Student Politics Editor Junior biochemistry majors Robert Schmidt and running mate Alp Kahveci are running for Missouri Students Association president and
vice president, respectively. They are running under the slogan “Mizzou for You” and a platform that focuses on increased student input, more political involvement, promotion of healthy living and sustainability. Schmidt said they published their website April 5 and launched their campaign via Facebook on April 8. Schmidt and Kahveci are one of two slates running in the MSA
You | Page 4