Candidate promises positive environment

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Junior Kevin Maisto is a candidate for Student Body President

My name is Kevin Maisto and I am running to be your Student Body President at Drake University.

I’d like to think that we have run into each other on campus, but if not, consider this our formal introduction.

My attempt is to be as visible and transparent as possible and allow the student body to make an informed decision about the upcoming elections.

The next two weeks will establish the campus environment that will be set for the following year, and therefore you as a student deserve as much information as possible.

A bit about me: I am a current junior studying Marketing and Management, and my campus experiences include being an RA in Herriott and Carpenter, a Student Ambassador, Orientation Leader and member of various committees and task groups across Drake.

Further, I have served on the Student Senate since my first year, including being the Business Senator last year and the current Student Body Treasurer.

This year, I have also had an incredible internship in the marketing department at Des Moines Performing Arts.

The Student Body President is the student face of Drake. They are often called upon to speak upon issues facing the student body, present at university functions and serve as the most legitimate bridge between the students and the administration.

I am lucky to be following in the footsteps of some of Drake’s finest, truly creating an office that advocates for student life.

Above all, the Student Body President needs to solidify the student experience and ensure that students have the voice needed to succeed on campus.

I am running because I can bridge the gap between being that voice and enabling students to create their own voice.

One such issue is that of the university’s policies regarding sexual violence response.

We need to ensure, as a Drake family, that all students feel safe. This is not only in a physical sense, but also to seek institutional support in the event of a crisis.

Working with the Office of Sexual Violence Response and Healthy Relationship Promotion to create a comprehensive and clear set of policies, then successfully promoting to the student body to create that institutional safety is a priority of mine.

I have experienced firsthand the emotional and psychological impact of unhealthy relationships and understand the necessity for this safety.

With President-elect Martin starting in just a few months, it will be a crucial role of the Student Body President to represent student life and maintain the high expectations that we should be demanding from Drake.

I have every confidence in the selection process and for the start of this exciting time for Drake – we will be the first class of the 21st century to experience this change.

As President, I will immediately establish the standard that will be “student first.”
Capitalizing on our unique position in the heart of the presidential primaries, I hope to expand civic engagement and student involvement in the political process to unprecedented levels.

I was never aware of the incredible position that Iowans hold in this process until I visited Washington, D.C. over J-Term (pro-tip: sign up for this trip in 2017!) and was treated as a rock star simply due to my ability to caucus in Iowa.

Under my Presidency, campus programming surrounding these events will explode and provide students unprecedented opportunities.

In the interest of the transparency discussed above, I will be honest: campaign promises are simply campaign promises.

However, I have a proven record of providing tangible results to students.

This year, 73 percent of all motions brought forward to the Senate table came from my committee and me, bringing to campus and students events such as Dogtown After Hours, One Voice’s Chalk Fight and publications like Drake Political Review.

Simply, proof that my campaign promises are more than just promises. They are your future campus initiatives and standards.

I hope that this letter enlightened you slightly regarding the position and about my candidacy, but above all, I hope that it encourages you to vote.

This position extends far beyond the Senate table — it affects all of campus and, with your help, we will see that it creates tangible change for the most important people at this school — the student body.

For more information regarding my candidacy, please “like” Maisto for President on Facebook, follow me on Twitter or send me an email.

I look forward to serving you in the future — reach out should you have any questions or opinions on my platform.