Dittberner, Askew elected to MSCSA positions
Members of the MCTC student senate in Washington, D.C. with Minn. congressman Keith Ellison (middle) last semester. Dittberner, the senate vice president is seen third from the left.
Two MCTC students were elected to positions within the Minnesota State College Student Association (MSCSA), the lobby group for two-year and technical colleges in Minnesota, during its spring general assembly in Brainerd.
While the positions that Dittberner and Askew carry within MSCSA provide no direct or specific benefit to MCTC, according to Dittberner their new roles mean that “we [MCTC] develop strong leaders and provide that to MSCSA.”
Geoff Dittberner, interim MCTC Student Senate President, and James Askew, member of Student Senate and former Student Senate president were elected to the positions of Vice President and Public Relations Coordinator, respectively.
As Vice President for MSCSA, Dittberner will work with lobbyists and facilitate review committees responsible for developing MSCSA’s platform on issues. Dittberner explained in an e-mail that he looks forward to working with Askew within the MSCSA and that said “It was James [Askew] who initiated my involvement in both MSCSA and MCTC Senate, and I owe him alot for that.”
As Public Relations Coordinator for MSCSA, Askew will take charge of marketing and communications for the organization.
Dittberner went on to explain in the e-mail that this is a very important year for MSCSA with issues ahead of the organization like a potential 8 billion dollar defecit on top of “already staggering hikes in tuition” and that he is excited to “be a part of the team that will send a clear message to the Legislature and MnSCU (Minnesota State Colleges and Universities) that students cannot continue to shoulder the weight of the cuts.”
Dittberner plans to get students to the polls in November to vote, and to hold those elected officials accountable with an “assertive legislative agenda and the creation of a new long term campaign.”
