MSA slate “Maximize Mizzou” launches campaign

Missouri Students Association presidential candidate Samantha Hole said her 2022 campaign slate with vice presidential candidate Daniel Daugherty, “Maximize Mizzou,” isn’t about earning them any titles. 

“It’s not about us [getting elected] ‘president’ and ‘vice president,’ putting that on a resume and having that position of power — no. We feel like we are uniquely qualified [to] advantage students,” Hole said. “We want to serve them.” 

Daugherty said if they end up clinching the MSA election, he wants their administration to be remembered for amplifying the unfiltered voices of MU students.

“Rather than be the channel that students use for us to blast their message, we want to be the megaphone,” Daugherty said. 

Hole and Daugherty begin their efforts to become the student body’s “megaphone” this month, and their slate will campaign until the MSA election on March 7. Their platform to “maximize Mizzou,” features four key tenets: increasing communication with administrators, integrating Greek Life, prioritizing student safety and revitalizing student resources.

Hole said that communication from MU administration, especially last semester, was not as effective as it could have been. She added that catering to students by communicating through online platforms the student body most frequently uses would help remedy the issue. 

“Students are the lifeblood of this university,” Hole said. “We are going to be alumni someday, but if you scorn the students now, [the] power and vigor of Mizzou is going to decrease and diminish.”

Hole, a member of Greek Life herself as a Sigma Kappa, also described the slate’s goal to integrate Greek Life with the rest of campus.

“[Greek Life] is a very separate and distinct part of campus,” Hole said. “You join Greek Life to be a part of a community, [but] there is the issue that you only hang out with other people in Greek Life.” 

By working with Greek Life leadership to build stronger connections with the rest of MU, Hole believes non-Greek students will throw more support behind Greek philanthropy and service initiatives. At the same time, Hole said part of Greek Life’s integration is guaranteeing that Greek chapters are safe and cared for. 

Daugherty spoke to the importance of the slate’s other two campaign platforms. Daugherty said increasing student safety is a multifaceted goal, ranging from COVID-19 protocols to off-campus incident management.

As for Maximize Mizzou’s fourth goal to revitalize student resources, Daugherty said that while MU has a variety of resources, many of them are not currently serving the student body fully.

“[Student resources] are marketed from day one to prospective students,” Daugherty said. “Where are they when you’re a junior and a senior looking for help?” 

Hole said the slate’s platform is the result of months of work between her and Daugherty. Ahead of the debate with the other MSA slate, “Show Me Mizzou,” made up of students Josiah Mendoza and Molly Miller, Hole and Daugherty said they aren’t very nervous. 

“I have been told growing up that I am a very good arguer,” Hole said. 

On the topic of debates, Hole mentioned her involvement in the Missouri Debate Union, a student organization that hosts debates and encourages members to refine their rhetoric and intellect. The MDU is one of the many organizations Hole has been involved in during her time at MU. Together, Hole and Daugherty have a broad collective resume.

Hole held several positions in the Residence Hall Association, including Speaker of Congress. Hole became a senator and Budget Committee member for MSA her freshman year. 

Like Hole, Daugherty is also an MSA senator and has experience in the RHA, having served as both an Advocacy Committee Representative and the Chair of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity. Daugherty spent time in Jefferson City working as an Associated Students of the University of Missouri Legislative intern his freshman year. 

Additionally, the two candidates are both pursuing multiple degrees at MU. Hole is triple-majoring in political science, economics and constitutional democracy.

Meanwhile, Daugherty is an environmental sciences and political science double-major. Apart from his academic life, Daugherty works at an off-campus Starbucks. (His drink of choice is a tall iced latte with three blonde ristretto shots, brown sugar and oat milk.) 

Between their courses, extracurricular obligations and the month-long MSA campaign, Hole and Daugherty are both taking steps to maintain their mental health. 

“I have actually used all the different facets of the MU Counseling Center,” Hole said. “I am looking to get back into therapy because I know that this will be a very rough five weeks for me.” 

Hole’s support system includes her family from Columbia, her pastor and the “immeasurable support” of her Sigma Kappa sisters. 

Similarly, Daugherty began counseling after last semester. For support, he leans on his boyfriend and two cats, Soba and Dashi. 

In addition to their own unique support systems, Hole and Daugherty said they are strong supporters of one another, talking almost every day. 

Hole said the Maximize Mizzou slate members’ relationship is ultimately built on a strong foundation of “friendship, mutual trust [and] transparency.” Together, they noted their excitement and confidence about a campaign that wants to put students at the center of the conversation. 

“We want to make sure that [students] are getting the best experience that [they] can,” Daugherty said.

More information about the Maximize Mizzou candidates and platform can be found at https://www.maximizemizzou.com. 

Edited by Namratha Prasad l nprasad@themaneater.com