MSU Elections 2019: Jeffrey Campana platform critique

Photo by Kyle West

With the campaign slogan “#YourTimeIsNow,” Jeffrey Campana promises that he will address previously overlooked projects and student concerns. However, many of Campana’s platform points lack key details and are already being pursued by the McMaster Students Union.

For example, Campana states that there is a need for the MSU to distribute free menstrual products to washrooms on campus. However, free products are already offered to students through the MSU Student Health Education Centre, the Student Wellness Centre and the Women and Gender Equity Network.

Campana’s plan to add the products to all-gender bathrooms could be beneficial, but it is unclear who would be responsible for stocking the washrooms and how much value the initiative would add.

Campana’s plan to standardize MSU position descriptions and reform hiring practices involves much of MSU vice president (Administration) Kristina Epifano’s existing work.

Epifano is already currently reviewing the job description of part-time managers and other roles across the MSU.

The same issue arises with Campana’s plans to expand The Grind and improve on-campus lighting. MSU vice president (Finance) Scott Robinson has been working with a team since last semester to review the business model of The Grind and look at the possibility for expansion.

MSU president Ikram Farah has also been working with city staff and McMaster facility services to gradually transition on-campus lighting to LED.

Some of Campana’s larger project proposals suffer from a lack of specificity.

For instance, it is doubtful that Campana will be able to add an ice rink to campus, especially by his proposed date of January 2020.

Efforts to build an outdoor community rink in 2008-2009 and 2014-2015 through the Student Life Enhancement Fund failed due to insurance and accessibility issues.

Robinson confirmed that not much has changed regarding those factors since then.

It also remains unclear how Campana will find funding for a project that was estimated to cost at least $100,000 in the past.

Campana’s proposal to create a polling station on campus seems to ignore the difficulty associated with the initiative.

An on-campus polling station was pulled by the city in 2010 and has not come close to being reintroduced since.

Across Campana’s platform points, there is reliance on MSU initiatives that were either unsuccessfully advocated for or are already in the works.

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