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Marcel elected to head MSUSA
 Media Credit: Christine Johnson/Editor Yorgun Marcel has been named the MSUSA State Chair � the first SCSU student to hold the position in over 10 years.
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For the first time in over a decade, an SCSU student has been named MSUSA State Chair and student government couldn't be happier for him.
"I think it is very well deserved," said Shahjehan Ganny, student government president. "Yorgun (Marcel) is very dedicated and he will do a great job for all of the students of Minnesota."
Marcel, a graduate student born in Ivory Coast, West Africa, came to SCSU in 2001 to continue his studies in international communications. His undergraduate experience at California State University, Dominguez Hills, as student body president and his involvement with California State Student Association made him a prime candidate for his positions on student government as the constitutional review committee chair and the MSUSA cultural diversity representative.
Minnesota State University Students Association, or MSUSA, is an independent, non-profit corporation that is funded and operated by students. MSUSA serves the seven state universities in Bemidji, Mankato, Marshall (Southwest), Minneapolis/St. Paul (Metropolitan), Moorhead, SCSU and Winona. MSUSA's board of directors is composed of the student body presidents from the seven universities, and is overseen by the vice and state chair. Many students from each university run for the state chair, and at SCSU it was Ganny who encouraged Marcel to run.
"I've known Yorgun to be very student oriented, open minded and receptive and has a true compassion for student advocacy," Ganny said. "His past experience makes him extremely qualified to help Minnesota students receive better a voice and better representation in the capital and the rest of the nation."
Marcel accepted the nomination and the rigorous screening process that followed.
"Anyone who was interested could run," MSUSA associate director of communications Shannah Moore said. "Through a long voting process, the board of directors chose next year's leadership positions."
Candidates like Marcel were asked questions by the board of directors and depending on the number of votes they received, they may decide to continue running or drop out.
"You couldn't be disqualified," Marcel said. "Eventually though, if people did not get enough votes, they would just remove themselves from the race. Basically your job is to sell yourself until the winner is decided or everyone else has taken themselves out of the race."
Marcel's new position as state chair begins in July and comes with much responsibility.
"As the chair, I will act on behalf of all of the seven universities in Minnesota," Marcel said. "I will be the primary contact with legislators and I will do my best to carry on the tasks the board entrusts me with."
According to Moore, Marcel will be acting as the CEO and primary spokesperson for the organization.
"He will have to testify for MnSCU, be the primary spokesperson for the board's trustees and act as the main representative for students and their activities," Moore said.
The position, one not held by an SCSU student in over 10 years, means much to Marcel, but also to the university.
"Because of the school's size, and in the past the lack of enthusiasm and involvement in MSUSA, a kind of warped perception was created of how we see ourselves in the seven-school system," Marcel said. "We have been recently showing that not all students are uninvolved and we want to work with our sister campuses."
Kristen J. Kubisiak can be reached at: [email protected]
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