Student coalition opts to focus on issues instead of candidates

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

The student coalition Delta Force will not be nominating Student Senate candidates this year.

The coalition, which has existed for 12 years, has decided instead to focus on one issue.

According to Delta Force co-president Bridey Maidhof, Overland Park senior, the group has not yet decided what issue to focus on. Some prospective issues include sustainability, fair trade and the structure of Student Senate. Delta Force will choose one issue and work with related campus groups on the issue.

Contributed by Delta Force

Contributed photo illustration

She added that the group wants to focus more on activism instead of campaigning. In 11 years of running candidates, the group has only won once.

“We want to impact at a different level,” Maidhof said.

John Cross, Kansas City, Mo., senior and co-president said the decision to focus on activism was a group decision. He said abstaining from running would save substantial time and effort that could be spent elsewhere.

“We don’t have to worry about selling a brand,” Cross said.

Studie Red Corn, Shawnee senior and four-year Delta Force member, said the money and energy coalitions spend campaigning does not always translate into successful campus change.

“This is one of the best decisions the group has ever made,” Red Corn said.

Delta Force students interested in running for Student Senate have joined other coalitions.

Jack Connor, Overland Park senior and member of Connect, said Connect members and Delta Force members share a lot of the same values.

“Delta Force didn’t run to win elections, but ran to reach out to students,” Connor said, a former Delta Force coalition member. “That value is shared by Connect.”

pullquote

“Delta Force didn’t run to win elections, but ran to reach out to students.”

—Jack Connor, Overland Park senior

Maidhof said many Delta Force alumni were passionate about the coalition not running candidates.

The coalition sent a mass e-mail to its former members explaining the decision and saying that the group would now campaign for issues instead of having people run for office.

Karen Keith, 2003 graduate and 2002 Delta Force presidential candidate, said that when she was impressed when she received the e-mail.

“It was a brave decision,” Keith said. “It’s hard to break away from tradition.”

— Edited by Nick Mangiaracina

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