Having dedicated the vast majority of my time at Loyola to serving the student body, I can say with confidence that Sarah Cooper and Maria Rossi are the best choices for Student Government Association president and vice president.

I realize that voting for student body leadership may not seem like a crucial decision, but in fact, that very decision will have a sweeping impact upon your experience as a Loyola student. The SGA president and vice president serve to represent the interests of the entire student body, which may be as simple as adding seating to the dining hall or as vital as addressing the rapidly rising costs of tuition and on-campus housing.

During campaigns for student leadership positions, uninformed candidates often promote an unfeasible agenda or make ill-conceived policy promises with the sole hope of gaining votes.  This campaign cycle is no different. After consulting the platforms of each of the candidates, the choice is clear. Cooper and Rossi pledge to establish programs and enact policy that will markedly improve the Loyola community.

Both Cooper and Rossi have dedicated themselves to addressing the needs of the student body, building upon the current successes of SGA and implementing innovative approaches to enhancing student life. They have both demonstrated an inexhaustible work ethic and an unsurpassed knowledge of those issues most important to a Loyola student. Cooper has served honorably as a justice on the SGA Court of Review, ensuring that the administration respects the rights of individual students. Rossi has held a seat on the SGA senate, representing the College of Humanities and Natural Sciences and tirelessly working to promote reform.

At a point when student leadership is more important than ever, I urge you to make an informed decision. From the perspective of someone who knows each of the candidates personally, and has a thorough understanding of the responsibilities of a student leader, the decision is simple: vote Sarah Cooper for SGA president and Maria Rossi for SGA vice president.

Cade Cypriano is the Student Government Association president and a political science senior. He can be reached at [email protected].