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MSA candidates to run without campaign money
David Anderson
- For the Daily
In the race for the Minnesota Student Association's top two positions, presidential candidate Brent Grocholski and vice presidential candidate Gwen Steel surface as atypical candidates for priding themselves on running with neither a program nor campaign money.
"(Even) if we got elected, we wouldn't get anything done," Grocholski said.
With air hockey tables for the East and West Banks and a new table for the St. Paul campus as their main demands, the MSA newcomers' campaign is an attempt to highlight MSA's inability to make changes to the University, Grocholski said.
"I don't think we can change things," he said. "That's just how the system is set up. (The presidential race) is a joke; it doesn't matter who gets elected."
MSA elections will be held March 21 and 22 at five polling stations and online.
Grocholski is a physics senior, but he also plans to complete a philosophy minor by graduation. He sings in a band called Pissed Robots on Crack.
Steel, a junior from Annandale, Minn., majors in art and creative writing. Aside from her studies, she is a volunteer disc jockey for Radio K.
The two candidates met through a student group called the Atheists and Humanists of the University of Minnesota and, although they say they have similar opinions on most issues and share an interest for the arts, they do disagree on animal testing and religion.
The duo said that businesses have developed "fascist control" over the University with President Mark Yudof's support. They blame Yudof and campus bureaucracy for endorsing corporate partnership.
"We want more recommendability for these corporations," Grocholski said.
Grocholski and Steel are clear that they do not mock other candidates in the election race.
But they discredit MSA for only representing a limited number of students, namely fraternities, sororities and politically affiliated groups. Steel said most students have no idea what MSA is.
A 12-year high total of 3,066 students voted in last year's elections.
Even though they acknowledged they don't expect to be elected, Grocholski and Steel want to raise awareness about University students' lack of power, which they see as epitomized by the late impotence of MSA.
"We hope to get some votes," Grocholski said. "Enough to say that some people care to say a giant 'fuck you' to the campaign."
Grocholski and Steel are endorsed by the Activist Student Collective.
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