Miyah Jones and Cydney Perkins are running for Missouri Students Association president and vice-president under the Mizzou4U campaign. Mizzou4U has three intentionally ordered objectives, composing a three-step plan: to circulate knowledge, establish culture and then to allocate resources. The Maneater breaks down each step of the plan and how the slate aims to accomplish their goals.

Circulate Knowledge

The first step is to inform Mizzou students about available resources and the impact MSA could have on campus. Jones and Perkins said MSA is not currently well-known among the MU community.

“If you were to ask a student — the majority of students on campus — what MSA is, most of them wouldn’t be able to tell you,” Perkins said. “And considering that each student pays about $10 towards MSA from their tuition, you should know what it is because you’re paying money for it.”

MSA is the recognized undergraduate student government on campus. According to its website, its goal is to represent the student voice to university administration and the greater Columbia community.

If elected, Jones and Perkins will increase awareness of MSA by providing informational presentations and open forums across different locations on campus.

“I’m gonna go to different schools and divisions throughout the university and just give presentations, ask questions, have open forums,” Jones said. “I’m just gonna make MSA more accessible just by being there and just putting that information out in front of everybody’s faces.”

Additionally, Perkins noted the importance of creating an environment where students are aware of what is happening within MSA. They plan to create a consistently updated online space where students can see what the executive cabinet is working on.

Jones said she wants MSA to serve as a one-stop shop for anything a student might need help with, such as knowledge about how to utilize a resource and context on how administrative aspects of campus function.

“We should be the voice of the students; we should be the face of them,” Perkins said. “So that way, it’s just right there, in your face, and you will see it automatically, because you’re already locked in with us and you know what’s going on.”

Establish Culture

The second goal centers around creating lasting relationships between MSA and student organizations on campus. According to Jones and Perkins, Mizzou4U seeks to create a campus culture of security and safety for students.

“What that means is like having to talk about MSA, and like how it doesn’t always have the best rep,” Perkins said. “When it comes with different organizations, we definitely aim to mend that reputation and work with different organizations and different students from different backgrounds on campus.”

Jones and Perkins said MSA’s reputation is due to the fact that some student organizations on campus don’t feel that MSA is a safe space for them.

They plan to work with different organizations on campus of students from different backgrounds, and work to build friendships and increase discussion about unifying campus.

“We’ve already talked to different leaders within (the Interfraternity Council) and (the Panhellenic Association),” Perkins said. “And definitely having those conversations, building those friendships first. And then from there, like talking about different ways we can unify campus together.”

Jones and Perkins want to make MSA into a more available space for students to express concerns and have their voices heard.

“If we were elected, we would want to have an open walk-in space,” Perkins said. “So if students needed to express concerns and we were available at that time, we would definitely want to hear them at that moment.”

Allocate Resources

After establishing their first two goals, the third and final goal is to allocate MSA resources to students and organizations on campus.

“We want to freely allocate resources to student organizations that wish to access them and provide substantial support when needed,” Jones said. “Also, we want to amplify all the resources across campus so people know where to go. If you don’t know how to use the Counseling Center, you could come to us so we could put you into contact with other resources.”

Perkins and Jones want to increase awareness of funding available to student organizations from MSA.

“I’m the Vice President of Mizzou Black Pre-Law, and I planned a conference to Harvard this past fall,” Jones said. “And it was really hard, just trying to find funding for that, because Harvard is very far away. Luckily, because I was in MSA, I knew that I could request funding from them… And they actually gave me more funding that we even asked for.”

The third step is built off of the groundwork that Jones and Perkins laid out in their primary goal of circulating knowledge. Once the student body is aware of the resources that are available, they can work to allocate them.

To get the word out about available resources provided by MSA and MU, the pair plans to answer questions and post information online via social media.

“I feel like if you have a question with anything on campus, you should be able to ask your student government, ‘How does this work?’ and we’ll be able to tell you exactly how to do that,” Jones said.

The slates will be participating in a debate this Monday, March 6, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Middlebush Auditorium. Students are encouraged to attend and to send in questions for both slates.

Edited by Mercy Austin | maustin@themaneater.com
Copy edited by Grace Knight