Siobhan Stewart: Ready for leadership

Kacper Niburski

Assistant News Editor

After a grueling two weeks of campaigning and a balloting period that had the makings of a political cliffhanger, Siobhan Stewart is nothing short of appreciative of all that has happened.

“It is a privilege. I feel honoured to be given the opportunity,” she said. Considering the close margin of the presidential elections results, in which 33.4 per cent of the MSU’s eligible voters casted a ballot, “privilege” may be an understatement.

Winning the MSU elections by no more than 47 votes ahead of the second-place David Campbell, the results were an embodiment of the year’s strong field of candidates. In fact, when campaigning had started two weeks prior to Stewart’s win, it felt as though the title could go to any one of the five candidates.

Stewart initially felt very much the same. Even on the night of the ballot count, she was unabatedly jittery while attempting to absorb herself in a game of Settlers of Catan. “Usually I am focused and competitive but I wasn’t able to concentrate.” She added with a laugh that “I guess I had something going on.”

Then, the call came. In tears she answered the phone, assuming the worst. On the other line, however, was the current MSU President, Matthew Dillon-Leitch, congratulating her on a successful campaign. At that point, Stewart was no longer crying from anxiety; she was crying from excitement.

“The first person I called was my mom. She woke up my dad. They both were very proud. To be honest, though, I think I was crying more than she was,” she said.

After a night of endless phone calls and celebration, she awoke the next morning as the soon-to-be MSU President.

“It’s hard to put the feeling into words. When I woke up, I just told myself, ‘I’m going to be the MSU President.’  I guess if I had to sum it up, I’d say it was a feeling of appreciation that I’ve been given an opportunity unlike any other.”

As to why this “opportunity” was bestowed to her over the other four candidates, Stewart was hesitant to reply. “I am not sure why the students voted as they did.” Perhaps the win was due to a dedicated campaign team. Perhaps it was a result of extensive promotions. Whatever the reason, Stewart stressed, “I can only be humble.”

Plans to begin the initiatives outlined in her platform stretch far beyond the campaign trail. As Stewart transitions into her one-year term as MSU President, which starts on May 1, she will be meeting with various members of the current administration.

“I want to do my best to keep the positivity by staying true to the MSU and all it stands to represent,” she said.

To do this, she plans to first implement the key sustainability promise of her campaign platform: green roofs. She has currently set up meetings with Kate Whalen, the Manager of Sustainability, to discuss the most successful plan of action.

“It’s no longer an idea,” Stewart stressed. “It’s now about how we act towards it.”

Yet Stewart hinted that her presidential initiatives will not be restricted to her own campaign points. Among the many other things, Stewart lauded Mukhtar Galan’s WiFi passion, David Campbell’s stress busters, Alex Ramirez’s expansion into the community and Chris Erl’s HSR-related mandate.

“The beauty of the election is I don’t know who voted for me, but I am interested as to why people voted for someone over someone else. As the MSU President, I need to look at every platform and try to incorporate the standout points to resonate with all students.”

“It takes a certain amount of bravery to put your name on the ballot,” she continued. “All of the candidates exemplified this, just in different ways. In the end, we all agreed we wanted to make the student experience better.”

She joked, “Why can’t there be five MSU presidents?”

Though this won’t be a reality, the MSU President must work extensively with three Vice Presidents. Unlike the President, whose mandate is somewhat open to interpretation, the Vice Presidents have three respective roles in finance, administration and education.

“I am looking for VP’s that are different than myself,” she said. Comparing the MSU Board of Directors to a puzzle, Stewart stressed that the pieces must come together to form the picture. She is looking for people who see things, “in a unique perspective apart from my own, but when put together, they share the same vision.”

It is this vision, powered by the idea that there can be something for every student, despite the differences in opinions, despite the area of studies and despite the social scene, that makes Stewart excited. “It’s going to be a good year,” she said.