Election season is a trying one. Listening to the opinion of candidates you’re not sure of brings about feelings of the unknown. Students all want the same thing – the most beneficial education heading into a four-year institution. This year’s election cycle presented various concerned students looking to make a difference as student body president or vice president. Many of the concerns started to blur once the questions had settled in the conscious of the students. The mood of the candidate forum had an unsettling sense of the unknown. That unknown feeling began to dissipate once the questions were asked and the candidates opened up.

One candidate in particular stood out. Brody Stejskal, the Naperville native, exuded a level of confidence needed for the position and was sure of his direction as potential student body president.

Stejskal’s mannerisms were indicative of someone who felt the moment wasn’t too bright for him. The impressive resume spoke volumes to the level of commitment he places to organizational impact within communities. His work with the SLC’s Pulsera project as a volunteer represents the commitment needed out of student representation.  The SLC’s impact was a focus he made clear, in that it needed to be improved in terms of the longevity of its utilization. The SLC should be impacting students beyond the first three weeks of the semester. Stejskal has since echoed this sentiment in his recent blurb for the College of DuPage candidate website. “There has been a lot of what “I” want to do, but the real president job is about what ‘you’ want.” Stejskal posted to his questionnaire on the COD page. He, as president, should look to create an outreach throughout the semester. This publication in previous issues has talked about the strenuous nature of college and how many students feel as they are put to the wayside.

One way to implement these ideas would be to have communal activities to create inclusion amongst the COD constituents. Not only that but Stejskal, as well as our staff, agree that the club involvement at the school could create a greater sense of community. Using campus central as an avenue for clubs to recruit more involvement would be a way for students to entrench their pride in a school that has historically been viewed as a stop gap to larger goals. I can attest to the fact that this school can provide so much more if you just look.

Stejskal’s organizational involvement prior to and outside of COD is an impressive mark for voters to look to when trying to make a voting decision. It was especially impressive his five year commitment with the boy scouts and the values in leadership that particular organization instills. He makes a valid point when saying this voting season isn’t about the candidates but rather the concerns of the students. Stejskal is the person to create that platform for students and should be our student body president this coming week. Be sure to vote this Wednesday and Thursday.