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PRESIDENT WILSON
On the heels of last winter’s controversial
ice rink project, Mac’s new student leader
wants to come to consensus.
Kai Wilson ’14 (West Hartford, Conn.) never took
part in student government in high school, but
he’s now the president of the Macalester College
Student Government (MCSG).
How did the political science major’s interests
take such a turn? It goes back to Wilson’s first year
at Macalester, when he decided to join MCSG “to
understand the workings of the college and find a
way to be a part of it.”
An initial involvement eventually led to his
becoming part of last year’s finance group, where
Wilson was heavily involved in determining—
with student input—how to spend the extra fee
money MCSG found itself with.
A vote determined the most popular project
to be an outdoor ice rink, which ultimately proved
controversial with facilities staff as well as with
some students. Nevertheless, Wilson and other
student leaders saw it through, and the ice
rink opened last February on Shaw Field.
Ironically, Wilson never skated on the rink
he worked so hard to build: It opened the day
he left for a study abroad semester in Turkey.
With any luck he will get to enjoy the results
of the other, smaller projects that MCSG hopes
to complete this year with remaining rollover
funds. Among the possibilities: campus murals,
grills outside the Campus Center, more bicycle
racks, and improved student org websites.
Whatever MCSG accomplishes this year,
Wilson hopes it can first change its “image as
gatekeeper.” He says, “We’re not an extension
of the administration. We try to use our best
judgment and get student input in how funds
are used. It’s all about compromise and consensus
with MCSG.”
Kai Wilson ’14
PHOTOS: DAVID J. TURNER
Sustainable landscaping: Many areas of campus are being converted to
attractive, sustainable landscaping that incorporates more native plant species and
minimizes the use of fertilizers and pesticides. The planting of drought-tolerant
and low-water use plants is reducing the use of potable water in landscaping, while
greater use of pervious pavements is cutting down on storm water runoff.
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