by Ryan Walker / 10.6.2011
KCOU’s Ryan Walker will profile each MSA Presidential candidate in the coming weeks. Here’s the first installment of that series:
COLUMBIA- MSA Presidential hopeful Xavier Billingsley and running mate Helena Kooi said they’ve got the upper-hand on the rest of the competition for one reason.
“Combined Xavier and I have more experience then any other slate that is running,” Kooi said. “And I think that is going to give us a lot of benefits.”
Billingsley is currently an MSA Senator and once served as Chief of Staff, while Kooi said she’s a member of multiple student organizations, including the Mizzou Tour Team and Summer Welcome.
One of their top priorities on the campaign trail is extending operating hours at dining halls and other student areas. The ticket also hopes to increase student involvement in MSA– low turnout in the Spring 2011 elections leaves the MSA Senate with 21 vacant seats this semester. But Billingsley said there’s more to the organization than that.
“We have to realize that MSA is not just senate,” Billingsley said. “It is legislative and executive [organizations too].”
