Last week, while walking back to campus from lunch, I ran into a friend who, three years ago, ran for MSA president.

As his “campaign manager” in name (there was a sticky spot with KCOU and BEC during that election season), I finally had some fascination with our boring presidential elections.

Okay, not boring in terms of events, but in terms of candidates. Obviously, any of the readers who were around last year remember the debacles caused on behalf of the Travis-Horan slate, the Hansen-Oxenreider lame horse and the seemingly newcomer and only viable option, Woods-Moon.

You guys, I was across the world and somehow still knew about all the drama occurring in mid-Missouri.

The year before that was a snooze fest — only Tim Noce and Danielle Bellis ran for president and vice president. DUMB. The year before that was between Paul-Hoffman, Fessehaye-Abell and Williams-Snipes.

I guess in all four years, this race was the only interesting election, and only because there was a woman running as president.

In recent memory, besides Phyllis Williams, no woman has seriously run and obviously never won. I think this is absurd, especially at such a large school. The last student body president at Arizona State University was a woman. A woman who worked in the same cubicle space as me this summer was the student body president at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. Oh yeah, and she is black.

Obviously the lack of female presidential candidates irks me.

Anyway, why am I talking about MSA presidents?

The MSA presidential elections are coming up next week and this was my one chance to discuss how I feel about this year’s slate. To clarify, the slates are Xavier Billingsley-Helena Kooi, Greg Loeffler-Lauren Damico, and Everett Bruer-Lexie Cartee.

I guess the first question I have is, do any of the readers know there was an election happening?

Besides Maneater coverage, I have seen very few banners (remember Jordan Paul’s banner?) or coverage of anything. There hasn’t been any buzz on Twitter either! Que sorpreso. Granted it has been pretty banal thus far, so there isn’t much to report on. If I wasn’t involved in Four Front or The Maneater, I would be as oblivious to this election as most people.

Before the BEC debate, I honestly didn’t know the difference between the various slates. They have power verbs and talk about One Mizzou. This debate (the only one I knew about before this column went to print) was one of the most docile events I have sat through related to MSA.

It should be acknowledged, though, that I was in senate during the time of Josh Travis, Brett Dinkins, Abhi Sivasailam, Alex Holley, Matt Shepard and Amanda Shelton among other political “power houses.” There was always a shouting match at Senate meetings, and without fail, lasted longer than two hours every other Wednesday.

Now that I do know the slight difference between the candidates, I still can’t get on board with any of them. Sorry y’all, but all your platforms are dull. Your answers to debate questions are vague. There is similar syntax in the answers, which doesn’t help me or any of the non-supporting students make up their minds.

Lastly, it cracked me up that the Billingsley-Kooi and Loeffler-Damico slates had such lofty platforms that cannot be implemented in just one year of office. Not to forget the fact that Gov. Jay Nixon won’t sign a damp campus order into effect, *cough* Loeffler.

I have to give it to Bruer-Cartee; they are the only ones who have an academic aspect to their platform and have practical goals. I like Xavier and Greg just fine, but I wish they had more pragmatic visions.

Regardless of what I think, please read up on the slates, go to the Four Front/Maneater debate — at 6 p.m. this Sunday in Memorial Union 110S — and vote sometime between Nov. 7 and 9. Exercise your civic duty.