Cortez Moss, Candidate for ASB President

When I sat down to make a decision about running for ASB President, I first consulted my faith. This is a huge responsibility to undertake, but as I thought about why I wanted to be ASB President and what I offered as a Rebel, and as a candidate, I knew that it was a position I could hold with a maximum amount of integrity and passion.

I thought about the experiences I have had at Ole Miss. From being an orientation leader and helping with the 2008 Presidential debate, to being a member of the Pride of the South marching band, the experiences I have had here have been nothing short of amazing. Then, I thought about the University itself, what she stands for, the spirit she embodies, the kinds of individuals she has produced, her accomplishments and her controversies.

After I thought about these things and wondered what I could do to continue the legacy and spirit of Ole Miss as ASB President, I sat down and looked at where we were as an institution, where we hoped to be and what we needed to do to get there. All of these plus my years of tireless work through ASB leads me to where I am now in my candidacy for ASB President.

My goal as ASB President is to rebuild Rebel pride throughout the Ole Miss family and create an environment on our campus in which we are all proud. I want the Associated Student Body, in congruence with Cardinal Club, Student Programming Board and others campus organizations to build upon a community that is already rich in tradition and pride. Instead of focusing on what songs are played at the football game or what our on-field mascot is, I want to focus on reinforcing a strong network of faithful Rebels that consistently come together, even when times are not ideal.

There is more to my platform than just building Rebel pride. Here are just a few issues that are on my platform that have derived from many conversations I have had with students, faculty and Ole Miss Rebels across the way.

Parking: One consistent issue that students, faculty and visitors all have problems. I propose that we implement a policy called “First Ticket Forgiveness.” This policy will allow students to be forgiven one parking ticket per semester.

My commitment to always being the Ole Miss Rebels: I would like to begin by assuring my fellow Rebels that I will fight to ensure that we always remain the Ole Miss Rebels. In a goal of maintaining this name and increasing school spirit, I hope to see fellow Rebels work together to name the student section at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium that would include “Rebel” in its title.

New Student Union and Recreation Center: We need to put pressure on administrators to move swiftly on a plan for these new facilities. We can no longer wait; the living room of our campus is not conducive to the needs of us as students. Administrators can no longer ask us to wait to have more meeting space, better food options and a better place to exercise.

Switching from Webmail to Gmail for campus e-mail: “RebelMail” will give students 7.5 GB of space, the familiar Gmail interface and will maintain their current address. Switching to Gmail will save the University thousands of dollars. The service is offered free to universities. The money we save from switching can be re-allocated to meet other student needs.

Funding Rebel Ride: A means for us to travel to and from the Square safely on weekends. Thanks to the work of some great peers, Stephen Worley and Alex McClelland, we have been able to ride to and from the Square free of charge. Let’s keep that up. It’s time that ASB works to make sure Rebel Ride is fully funded, whether that comes from local sponsors or corporate sponsors.

These are just a few of the issues that I am concerned with for our beloved University. I am always willing to discuss matters with fellow students, faculty and alumni, and would love to hear what you have to say.

As ASB President, I am interested in more than just issues. I want to be a leader for all students, a friend outside of the office and one that students can confide in and trust to continue to build upon the legacies and increase the spirit of being an Ole Miss Rebel.