Presidentials past

Presidentials are an exciting (and exhausting) time for a lot of students on campus, including the staff at The Silhouette. As writers and editors, our first instinct will often be to find and fairly assess merits and shortcomings in the candidates’ platforms. You will notice this in our print and online coverage over the next week. While we want to hold student politicians accountable, it’s important to recognize the great things that come out of presidential elections.

Some of the biggest changes to the MSU and the University have come from presidential campaigns. Mac Farmstand was introduced by Mary Koziol. Fall break and the Peer Support Line were introduced by Siobhan Stewart. David Campbell advocated for our full-year bus pass. Last year, the controversial Light Up The Night end-of-year celebration, being held again this April, was the brainchild of Teddy Saull. And this year, talking about tuition in Ontario has been a priority for the MSU more than ever before because of Ehima Osazuwa’s campaign promise.

However, ideas that change the way our student government functions and what it prioritizes aren’t limited to those of winning candidates.

Every year, candidates bring forward what may seem like a never-ending list of ideas. Although many might seem infeasible, impractical and sometimes stale, they speak to the needs of the McMaster community.

A survey of the last three years of Silhouette coverage highlights some specific issues.

In 2013, Dan Fahey (would recommend looking up the coverage for this year — it’s quite entertaining), pushed for radical reform in the MSU, including more open vice presidential elections and a focus on marginalized groups. As an exchange student, he saw something MSU insiders couldn’t. Even if not entirely because of his campaign, these issues have struck a chord with many students since, especially considering the VP election referendum this year. In his first presidential run that same year, Jacob Brodka introduced the idea of a Freedom Credit (taking a course out of your discipline on a pass/fail basis). Although Brodka never won, and the Freedom Credit hasn’t been given a chance, it continues to appear in presidential platforms, showing that it’s still something many students want.

In the 2014 presidential election, some big campaign points included Israa Ali’s Spirituality Centre and Jyssika Russell’s Emergency Fund. The need for an interfaith space is still an issue to this day, even though temporary solutions (such as a small room in the basement of Thode) have been implemented. Additionally, an MSU emergency fund was implemented this past year in the form of a $500 bursary for students in financial need.

Institutional and financial transparency has also been a recurring theme in presidential elections, from Tristan Paul’s 2015 run to Rory Yendt’s 2013 campaign. In recent years, transparency has undeniably improved between the MSU and the student body, a sign that our student government is listening to the members that cast their vote in support of these candidates.

Ultimately, presidentials are another opportunity for the student government to listen to its student body by taking each point from accessibility to sustainability to financial strain as seriously as if the candidate that’s bringing it forward won the election. And even though some platforms might seem outlandish, full of holes (that The Silhouette will definitely continue to point out in the days to come) or outright ridiculous, it’s important to remember that every candidate is bringing forward a unique perspective on what a better university experience means to them.

Every year, candidates bring forward what may seem like a never-ending list of ideas. Although many might seem infeasible, impractical and sometimes stale, they speak to the needs of the McMaster community.