Jacob Brodka: The Idealist

Within the course of just a few days, Mac students have come to recognize the floating blue balloon and the #upfromhere and immediately think: Jacob Brodka.

RELATED: Selected questions and answers from our interview with Jacob

Brodka prides himself on being from outside the “MSU bubble,” having gained much of his experience through Transition and Orientation Planning at the Student Success Centre and through the CLAY and HORIZONS conferences.

For being a second-year student, Brodka speaks with a clarity and confidence that would be more characteristic of a seasoned politician. But he still exhibits an approachability and genuine interest in students that is polished but energetic – a reflection of his overall young, eager campaign team.

“I’m interested in creating a new dialogue with people who aren’t traditionally involved with the MSU and with voting. If you do generate that buzz and get people excited about change … you’ve got that many more people that know what the MSU is doing.”

Brodka hopes to harness student interest and bring a wider group of stakeholders together in a Change Forum, where student ideas are nurtured.

Like other candidates, Brodka believes campus capacity is the most pressing student concern. He is forthright in admitting that the MSU has limited sway over University finances, but must use its lobbying power to ensure an adequate amount of learning spaces for the future.

“Someone can’t wake up MSU president and somehow magically create new classroom sizes. This is a lobbying point; this is something that involves the government, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be having the discussions.”

With a ten-point campaign, the actual practicality and feasibility of developing all these wide-ranging initiatives within a one-year term seems dubious.

Innovation, change and creativity are central components of the Brodka campaign, but his limited experience in navigating administrative policy and being part of a consensus-building process may hinder his momentum.

Of all the campaigns, Brodka’s is probably the most concerned with creating buzz and bringing new voters into the fold while maintaining their interests. But in an effort to do that he may lose sight of all the ambitious initiatives he has put forward.