What is the purpose of the Student Government Association? My initial response is rather textbook: To be the voice for the students; to be the body that listens attentively to the needs of students and continuously works to meet those needs.But while this definition is true, it is incomplete. There is another component of SGA, what I believe to be the spirit that drives SGA. And when I think about this component, I also think, “What is the purpose of Saint Louis University?”This component is contained within my ticket’s name, More for Students. Now, some have said that “more” is describing the “unnecessary” and “unobtainable” things we want to provide our students with. This claim is incorrect. In Latin, the word is magis. Magis is what my ticket is all about. And it is what the both Saint Louis University and our Student Government Association are all about. The Jesuit tradition calls us in all matters to seek the greater good, magis. In SGA, student leaders are called to seek the greater good of those that elected them. This includes first, listening; and second, taking action. I encourage everyone to read the preamble of the SGA constitution. It speaks about providing “an open forum for dialogue and a voice for student opinions.” As the leaders in SGA, it is our duty to debate issues, for we are not speaking based on our own volition, but of those we represent. Our preamble also discusses shared governance and the promotion of unity among our student body. Shared governance is neither unnecessary nor unobtainable, and student unity can be achieved if SGA leaders continue to give recognition to their fellow students. What is the purpose of SGA? It is seeking magis for students. Every leader has his/her own way of doing this. However, those who truly understand their job are not those leading to lead. Rather, they are leading to serve. SGA’s constitutional preamble makes this purpose explicit: “uphold the ideals and values of the Jesuit Catholic tradition, especially the ideal of ‘Men and Women for Others.'” Evan Krauss is a junior in the School of Social Work. He is the presidential candidate for More for [email protected]