The Northern Star Editorial Board sat down with the three candidates for Student Association president Sunday night – Jarvis Purnell, Luis Zaragoza and Aaron Funfsinn – to go over their platforms. After speaking with them, the Star endorses Jarvis Purnell for SA president.

“Experience is the best teacher,” Purnell said. And he has it. He is prepared for the position and has the support within the SA to get things accomplished. He knows how the SA operates after serving on the SA for two years as a senator, treasurer and director of Student Life.

We also suggest Luis Zaragoza as his chief of staff. Zaragoza would provide the role of an outside voice, one that is a watchdog for accountability within the administration. His new perspective would prevent stagnation and apathy among SA members, whose views might have grown stale from having been around for too long.

Purnell said he would not hire individuals close to him and would lead by example to get staff members in the office. Zaragoza has the least experience in student government, but he contended that his inexperience was an advantage. Zaragoza, as chief of staff, is most likely to shake up the current status quo.

Zaragoza served in Iraq as a specialist and said the experience offered him time in a leadership position. His main platform is to hold SA members accountable. As president, he insisted he’d treat the executive positions like real jobs where people are fired and replaced by those eager to take the position, should the situation arise where an inidvidual is apathetic or complacent about his or her work.

Aaron Funfsinn calls himself an outsider and an independent candidate. He was the only opposition candidate in last spring’s SA executive election.

His main goal is to collaborate with current SA members to make changes, and follow through on current SA projects such as the GPS system. He also said he would like to set an example for accountability, but does not seem to represent the student body or appear able to rally the senate to his policies.

Though we endorse Purnell and encourage others to vote for him, the Star encourages all NIU students to take the time to vote Tuesday and Wednesday.

Think about it. All you have to do is pencil in a bubble.