Central Michigan Life’s editorial board met with presidential candidate Chuck Mahone and his running mate Mariah Urueta last week to discuss their platform. We met with vice president candidate Maggie Blackmer on Sunday, although presidential candidate Marie Reimers was able to attend the meeting due to personal matters. Our endorsement, which was not unanimous, is based largely on the results of these discussions with the candidates.

Student Government Association is the mouthpiece for the student body.

As SGA elections begin this week, we believe it’s important to endorse a presidential candidate with strong leadership abilities and an emphasis on the power of the student voice.

Presidential candidate Chuck Mahone and running mate Mariah Urueta represent renewed leadership that is required for the organization to continue serving its role on campus.

Their six-rung election platform encompasses the voice of the student body.

Mahone said he and his running mate spoke to more than 1,000 students to formulate a plan for their ticket. Their goals for next year are based off actual student input. Perhaps most importantly, their goals are realistic.

Under the leadership of Marie Reimers, we noticed a pattern of overpromise and under-deliverance. Although her platform has students in mind, we are skeptical of her administration’s ability to bring plans to fruition.

When campaigning for election last year, among other expectations, Reimers advocated plans to instill a bike-sharing program, extend residential restaurant hours, open a women’s advocacy center, increase scholarships and financial aid, and for CMU to discontinue it’s investments in fossil fuels.

While Reimers’ administration saw limited success, we were disappointed to find that the majority of the items listed on her platform never made their way to reality.

More important than the goals themselves is the ability to achieve them.

While Reimers’ has been an advocate for student rights – particularly within the LGBTQ community – her goals are not as widely impactful as those of her opponent.

First on Mahone’s platform is a call for increased student tax assistance. Like the writing center, he plans to involve accounting students to assist those who need help filing their taxes. It’s something all students – not just a few – can benefit from.

Reimers’ continual push for reform to the Campus Programming Fund has been in vain. SGA has no real power in changing CMU’s budgetary process, only advocacy.

Alternatively, Mahone and Urueta have placed an emphasis on reforming the way the student budget allocation committee doles out cash to registered student organizations.

Funds cannot be allocated unless a registered student organization can pay upfront and seek reimbursement from the SBAC afterwards. Under new leadership, Mahone hopes to restructure how these funds can be allocated.

Finally, Mahone’s platform calls for partnerships with local businesses. By recognizing that the CMU community extends beyond campus, he displays a broader understanding of our university.

Through their plan to reach out to local businesses, Mahone and Urueta hope to offer students better deals on products and services as well as provide businesses with a larger customer base.

Fostering relationships with local businesses is important to any governmental organization. For SGA, it shows a step in a positive and unexplored new direction.

Having served a position in nearly every facet of student government, Mahone has the experience necessary to lead our students in a positive and well-informed direction.

Ambitious, but achievable goals always outweigh unobtainable ambitions. Mahone offers an innovative and well-represented goal structure for next year and shows promise of being able to deliver on his platform’s goals.

Mahone and Urueta have both gained useful experience as leaders in the residence halls, proving their association with student life on campus and their ability to lead.

Ultimately, both Mahone and Urueta’s willingness to seek input from the student body paired with their commitment for realistic change make them the best candidates for this year's election.

Voting begins Monday and continues through Friday. We encourage all students to make an impact on the outcome of the election. Log in to the Central Michigan University OrgSync site and cast your vote for this year’s SGA elections.