Caring for Our Claws launched their candidacy in the Mizzou Student Association 2026 election on Feb. 27, led by presidential candidate junior Noah Schnarre and vice presidential candidate junior Jase DeCota.
Schnarre is studying for a bachelor’s degree in psychological sciences and is on the pre-med track. DeCota is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer science and is also on the pre-dental track.
Both are Missouri natives who are full of Mizzou pride; Schnarre has seen the University of Missouri in his future for many years.
“I actually wanted to go to Mizzou since I was young,” Schnarre said. “I would say, like, second grade … and I’m actually a fourth-gen Mizzou student.”
Schnarre began considering running for MSA president in December of last year. Similarly, DeCota had been thinking about a candidacy since the summer of 2025.
“Jase, being just the amazing guy he is, stepped up to the plate, and it’s been really fun getting to work with Jase and developing our platform together,” Schnarre said.
After collecting 250 signatures, the pair finally announced their candidacy and officially started their campaign.
Outside of their campaign, both candidates are highly involved in campus organizations and clubs. Schnarre works in a research lab studying addiction and alcoholism, while DeCota is involved in Greek Life and regularly attends meetings of the 3D Printing Club and the MU Computing Club.
“Whenever I’m in a community of any sort, I always look for ways to improve it,” DeCota said. “Like in my fraternity, I was on exec, trying to fix things, just make things better for the community that I’m in.”
Schnarre said he joined MSA after seeing a link to apply on social media. Throughout the past several semesters, he has served as both vice chair of internal affairs and fiscal chair.
Both candidates said their time in MSA has helped them develop important leadership skills.
“I think the most beneficial skill … is getting the ability to work with people that have different opinions,” Schnarre said.
For DeCota, the experience has helped him to develop discipline and time-management skills while balancing coursework, involvement and leadership responsibilities.
“My duties in MSA, as well, like, other things, like the combination of everything stacking on top of each other, made me realize, like, when I need to get stuff done, I need to get stuff done,” DeCota said. “And it’s made me very good at, like, staying ahead on work and just generally having my stuff done.”
Both candidates value Mizzou’s diverse campus, noting that the campus offers many opportunities to connect with others.
“I always enjoyed having a lot of people around me,” Schnarre said. “I’ve always been a very social person. I really enjoy seeing very different people across campus, but also being able to see recognized faces.”
DeCota echoed that sentiment, noting the variety of clubs and organizations on campus.
“There’s all these different clubs, all these different events always going on.” DeCota said. “There’s always something you can do. I live right off campus, like right across the street, so I can always just walk to the Student Center and there’s something going on no matter what.”
Both Schnarre and DeCota expressed that their ultimate motivation to run is their love for Mizzou and a desire to address the problems they and their peers have experienced on campus.
“I just want students to have precedence at the school they go to,” DeCota said.
