MSG Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates
February 14, 2017
Presidential Candidates
Jonah Jackson
As MAC chair, Jackson sits on the MSG executive board and reports on multicultural programming, as well as representing diverse groups on campus and spearheading the “I am…” campaign.
He has previously served as chief ambassador of Black Students for Unity and programmer for MAC, where he planned campus events V.I.B.E. Caribbean, V.I.B.E. Asian, Beautiful People and Who Runs the World? Girls.
“I decided to run for MSG President because since the beginning of my freshman year I have looked for ways to integrate myself into the campus community to enhance the experience of all students,” said Jackson. “I believe I bring three important qualities to the position: a wealth of knowledge, experience and passion.”
Jackson’s platform includes several plans for the university.
One is working with the Faculty Senate to standardize grading across the board for all majors. Jackson said he believes a 90 percent should be an A in every academic department.
Second is improving access to transportation off campus, which he noted as vital for freshmen, international students and other students without a car.
Third, Jackson hopes to secure a limited amount of laptops that would be available for rental by students on a temporary basis.
“I remember when my laptop was out of commission and the difficulty of having to go to the library to get work done,” Jackson said.
Jackson would also like to increase the number of iCard events to include more art performances.
“We have great arts programs here at Mercyhurst that should be given more attention,” Jackson said.
Lastly, Jackson would like to work with the newly formed MU Crew to enhance Laker Spirit at athletic events.
“Starting out as a member of several clubs and making a conscious effort to get to know and work with a diverse set of people, I have a good idea of the concerns of many students, clubs, organizations and how MSG can help,” said Jackson.
“From my time as chief ambassador, then programmer, and now chair, I have the experience of taking many leadership positions while stepping back and giving others a platform through the work I am doing.”
Katie Reisinger
In the past, Reisinger has served as both freshman senator and Public Health senator.
“I’ve been really dedicated to seeing through the success of student government and Mercyhurst as a whole. I’m really grateful for what MSG has given to me and I want to continue to help the organization grow and make progress,” Reisinger said.
The main points of Reisinger’s platform include improving school spirit pride, student life and campus involvement and campus sustainability.
The candidate hopes to increase school spirit through athletics and other groups on campus. She said she would like to see the school form a unified student section, offer busing to athletic events and provide more giveaways for students.
“Another big thing is student life, focusing on an inclusive community, ensuring that as Mercyhurst grows that our class sizes and academics remain true to the community feel that we have now.”
Reisinger would like to improve student facilities, as well as look into new entertainment options, like “possibly doing a TV and movie subscription. Instead of cable, having HBO Go, which can actually help reduce our bandwidth and over time save us money.”
Other improvements would be looking into the feasibility of upgrading upperclassman housing, which is a long-term project that will require lots of planning. She would also like to collaborate with international students to bring authentic cuisine into the dining halls and look into the possibility of bringing an outside food to campus.
The last major point on her platform is building a healthy and sustainable campus.
“Being a Public Health major and Environmental Studies minor is a really big part of who I am and it’s also part of our Mercyhurst values to be globally aware. So I really want to help cleaning up campus and creating more healthy lifestyle options,” Reisinger said.
She would like to see a smoke-free campus, a plan that is currently in the works, and incentives for going to the REC Center.
“Even though I’m a sophomore, I don’t want people to look down on that,” Reisinger said. “Being a part of various different clubs and things on campus, I spread myself out to different areas and different groups. I think that I can pretty well represent what students are looking for and be the voice for students.”
Vice Presidential Candidates
Christian Copper
Copper said he decided to run for VP because it was a good opportunity to step up, take on a leadership position and give students the opportunity to do some cool things around campus.
“If elected, one of my priorities is to make sure your voice is always being heard.”
Copper noted that one issue that some clubs face is reserving rooms. He said that he would like to improve the efficiency of the room reserving process. He would also like to assist clubs as they transition leadership roles from year to year, as the process can sometimes present difficulties.
“Another goal of mine is to make sure that all of our clubs and organizations on campus have every resource they need to be successful.”
Copper said that his passion for student government, interpersonal skills and communication skills make him qualified for the vice presidential position.
“I have no problem working outside of office hours to get things done,” said Copper. “I guess I’ve fallen in love with what student government does.”
Copper encourages all students to vote in this election.
“Students should still try to bring concerns and complaints to MSG, regardless of the outcome,” Copper said.
Kimmie Kramer
If elected VP, Kramer plans to make a separate Facebook page for RSCOs and having information about various clubs displayed on televisions across campus, including Grotto Commons and the REC Center, so more students are aware of clubs and meetings.
“I want to bring more opportunity for students to get involved, even if it’s just going to meetings and events,” Kramer said.
Another idea she has is to partner with the Counseling Center to create a sexual assault awareness course, similar to the online alcohol awareness course that freshmen are required to take.
“If conduct issues come up, we can reference that course (with the student),” Kramer said.
A third idea is to work on having the library, or parts of it, open 24/7 during finals week.
“We could have volunteers from MSG sit and supervise, just to give students another place to study during finals,” Kramer said.
Kramer said she believes she would be successful in this position because of her hard work and dedication.
“I have so much passion for this school I want to keep improving and making it better for all students,” Kramer said.
Kramer is also the president of the Ambassador Organization.
