Haman Man: The Dreamer

The name Haman Man probably doesn’t ring a bell for most McMaster students. While most of the other candidates have aggressive poster campaigns and a perpetual campaign headquarters in MUSC, Man has so far flown under the radar. But in this year’s presidential election, the mild-mannered fourth-year student should not be underestimated.

RELATED: Selected questions and answers from our interview with Haman

Man’s campaign, as little advertised as it may be, focuses on the pillars of accountability, accessibility, engagement, and inter-university initiatives. The reasoning behind the pillars is reflective of his own personal commitment to change, which he has tried to pursue in his own way through his years at Mac.

“One of the factors in my decision [to run] was the fact I had been trying to make a couple changes at McMaster, and the avenues I took to get those changes weren’t really fruitful,” he explained.

His decision to run was recent – he submitted his nomination form in mid-January – but he hopes to embrace the opportunity to promote his causes. Along with accessibility issues, which encompass issues including access to SOLAR at peak registration hours, Man plans to start an anti-calendar, a course calendar with student reviews, and he hopes to promote student engagement in provincial and federal government.

While Man’s range of personal interests is broad, it doesn’t translate well into a platform; he has a few major points, but the scope of his plans is unclear. And without the social media and campus presence of his competitors, widespread support for Man’s campaign is unrealistic.

Man also envisions a different future for the MSU, one that emphasizes the union’s role in advocacy. His goals are consistently more long-term; in talking to the Silhouette, he spoke often of “paving the road” for future developments and improvements. But as optimistic as his dreams may be, Man has so far been unable to compete on the same level as some of the other candidates.