An Interview with Michael and Meghan, by Logan Stack
Elections 2018-2019
Meghan Couture and Michael Murphy emphasize the term “stable and sound leadership.” To support this term, they point to their experience. For Michael, that means being a high school co-president who kept all his promises. “There wasn’t one idea that we left untouched,” he says. “Previously, I was re-elected class president every year because I followed through on my promises and people liked that.” He acknowledges that he is not well-known at Marianopolis, but he says that he will return to his experience and to his vision to convince students that he is worthy of their trust. He also points to his running mate, Meghan, a popular figure at Marianopolis. As the current coordinator of Charities and Volunteering, she highlights that her outgoing personality is an asset. “It makes me more approachable,” she says.
While their platform will be unveiled throughout the week, keeping their promises is important to them: for example, they spoke to Congress members to check feasibility, met with the associate academic dean, and sent letters to local residents regarding increasing parking spaces for students, where they found significant interest. As Michael explains, “We wouldn’t be running if we wouldn’t be able to implement our platform.” Furthermore, they pledge to publish monthly reports on the MSU’s facebook page to inform students of where every penny is being spent — “I guess every nickel now,” Michael clarifies with a laugh.
Furthermore, they make a unique promise to students: if elected, they will not be club executives, and would encourage other members of Congress to do the same. Meghan explains that this is so that students know that they are focusing on their roles, and so that Congress is not perceived as biased. However, Meghan does point to her experience with the Debate Society and Model UN as a formative experience that allowed her to bring different perspectives to the table to find common ground. Indeed, this will be helpful, as while they acknowledge that their personal political views differ, they are adamant that they are united in their mission. Michael explains, “There is no I in being a leader. If elected, we would have a team oriented dynamic to ensure every single person on Congress feels valued and feels like their work is being valued.” At different points in the conversation, they stress the importance of not letting students down, and seem to understand the responsibility that they would have in maintaining students’ trust, if elected.
While Michael was not on Congress this year, Meghan believes that this provides them with views from both inside and outside that will complement each other. “Jia and Ramiz did a fantastic job,” she says. She explains that they will focus on targeted new policies and on continuing the projects that were left unfinished by the current Congress. While she recognizes that many of her competitors are her friends, Meghan believes that that makes the campaign easier, as she knows that every candidate is qualified. At the end of the week, it will be up to students to decide who is most qualified, and that decision carries a significant amount of weight. As Michael concludes, “We know how important it is to make good on your promises and not to let people down, students who put their absolute confidence in you through their vote.”
