Although we live in Canada, this election will have a huge impact on Canadian students
By: Saad Ahmed, Contributor
In 1969, the late Pierre Trudeau told Richard Nixon, the 37th president of the United States, “Living next to [the United States] is in some ways like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly and even-tempered is the beast, one is affected by every twitch and grunt.”
Now more than ever, this phrase resonates with Canadians — particularly students. With a high-stakes American presidential election around the corner, Canadian students should be concerned about its implications.
Up and down the ticket there are stark differences in political ideologies, governing styles and personalities. Many issues have clear implications for Canadians, as candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden offer some strikingly different policy positions.
With carbon pricing, a progressive Pan-Canadian Framework and billions of dollars invested in green infrastructure, Canada has become a global leader in the fight against climate change. However, because the US produces such a large share of global greenhouse gas emissions, regression in their climate policy could have more of an impact on Canada than Canada’s own climate policies.
With a high-stakes American presidential election around the corner, Canadian students should be concerned about its implications.
Recently, many Canadians in British Columbia felt the harsh effects of the smoke from the Oregon and Washington wildfires — a reminder of the inextricable climate link between Canada and the United States. Trump pledged to expand oil drilling, increase pipelines and decrease environmental regulations. On the other hand, Biden planned to invest heavily in clean energy, rejoin the Paris Agreement, implement green tariffs on countries that fail to cut emissions and even “transition from the oil industry” — a statement from the last debate that was met with plenty of controversy.
Besides personal changes to mitigate climate change, civic engagement and policy support by Canadian students are effective in bringing light to climate consequences, even if these policies aren’t Canadian.
In terms of trade, platforms from both candidates are mostly unfavourable to Canadians. Biden promises to increase “Buy American” policies and continue disputes regarding commodities like softwood lumber. However, he has said that he would consider dropping Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs that Premier Doug Ford notably called a “slap in the face” to Canadians.
Recently, right as Canada was about to unveil plans for retaliation with $3.6 billion in tariffs of its own, Trump walked back the 10 per cent tariff. However, he has indicated that he may “reimpose the tariff” as early as the end of this year. Overall, the Trump plan promises a more aggressive trade policy that includes more tariffs and duties if he wins the upcoming election — a move that is sure to cause continued chaos.
With Ontario as a major supplier of steel and automobiles and Quebec as a key supplier of aluminum, Canada is the largest exporter of both commodities to the US. Thus, Canadian output is affected by these tariffs, having an effect on economic activity, jobs and consumer price inflation. For Canadian students, the economic implications of these trade policies will be felt as they enter the job market — and for years to come — making it all the more important to care about this election.
For Canadian students, the economic implications of these trade policies will be felt as they enter the job market — and for years to come — making it all the more important to care about this election.
Between the two candidates, immigration is one of the more polarizing topics of discussion. If Trump wins, he has pledged to continue restrictive temporary work programs like the recent overhaul of H1-B visas. The H1-B visa allows foreign workers, including Canadians, to work in specialized roles in American companies. Overhauling this visa will cut off Canadians from the American job market, even if they have excellent job qualifications.
Trump’s immigration policies have also resulted in an influx of international students to Canada. From the election of Trump in 2016 to now, the number of study permits issued to international students by Canada jumped up by a whopping 50 per cent. According to Reuters, this is a major economic plus, as foreign students contribute approximately $21 billion annually to Canada’s gross domestic product.
On the other hand, Biden has promised to reverse Trump’s H1-B visa freeze, meaning that the prospect of working in a specialized job in the United States when it is reopened to Canadian students and those looking for work. However, this means that Canada could potentially lose some of the international students and skilled foreign workers it attracted. Though, this also means less competition for Canadian students applying for these competitive positions – something to keep in mind.
For American students studying in Canada, voting is imperative. Given the United States’ role as a global superpower, the policies and decisions that are made by American leaders — such as the travel ban from predominantly Muslim countries — can have devastating international impacts.
While issues such as controlling the current pandemic and cooperating on a COVID-19 vaccine become increasingly discussed in the international world, Americans abroad are getting more involved. Steve Nardi, the chair of Democrats Abroad Canada, stated that membership in Democrats Abroad Canada has grown by 73 per cent since 2016, with 35 per cent of this growth occurring in the seven-month leadup to this election. Canadians that volunteer with this organization help out with digital canvassing — using their social networks to make sure that Americans and dual citizens in their communities vote from abroad.
To get more involved, students at McMaster can strengthen their knowledge of U.S. politics and history by enrolling in classes like POLSCI 3I03: Topics in American Politics, HISTORY 4JJ3: U.S. Foreign Relations, HISTORY 2RR3: U.S. History Since the Civil War and HISTORY 2IS3: Scandal and Intrigue in American Political and Social History.
Joining politically-affiliated organizations on campus like Democrats Abroad can offer students a chance to meet and discuss issues with others that share their views and help with voter outreach. Clubs and local political organization chapters also engage in activities to get out the vote for each election cycle. With the number of Americans living in Canada, voter outreach efforts can genuinely make the numerical difference for victory in close down-ballot races.
With the number of Americans living in Canada, voter outreach efforts can genuinely make the numerical difference for victory in close down-ballot races.
Fewer than 80,000 voters in three swing states decided the U.S. election in 2016 and it is becoming increasingly apparent that this election will again come down to only tens of thousands of votes. Outside the United States, Canada has the most Americans eligible to vote — 620,000 — which is more eligible voters than in Vermont, North Dakota, Alaska, Wyoming or the District of Columbia. However, data from the 2016 election indicated that only about five per cent of these 620,000 voters in Canada exercised their civic duty.
The implications of the American election extend far beyond domestic issues. As the leaders of tomorrow in a neighbouring country, Canadian students should do their part in staying informed regarding policy in the United States. Undoubtedly, much of it will affect us in the long run.
This article has been edited as of Feb. 11, 2019
A previously published version of this article misquoted Ikram Farah. The quote has since been updated.
Students are often at a standoff with the MSU president. A commonly held belief is that the President cannot get things done, while presidents themselves often feel that they are misunderstood by the student body. Looking back at former presidents, we can see the difficult realities of their jobs. However, each MSU president has many opportunities to enact change, and it is their responsibility to work within their limitations.
It’s hard to keep all the eggs in one basket
“When someone is running for president they are running on 12-15 platform points, but that is not your only priority, you are a CEO, you are a manager of the whole institution,” said Ikram Farah, former MSU president for the 2018-2019 school year.
Every MSU president has and will continue to struggle with balancing priorities. Consulting past presidents and critically examining a previous year’s struggles is meant to help incoming presidents plan for the year ahead. New president-elects are given the opportunity to do this during their training period under the current MSU president, which lasts from February to April of each year.
Even with this transition process, neither Marando, Farah nor Monaco-Barnes were prepared for how much time would be taken up by priorities unrelated to their platform points.
“I didn’t realize how much of my time would be taken up with chairing various meetings, SRA, clubs, committees, events, and other things that you don’t really see the president do until you are in the role yourself,” said Marando.
During the transition period, outgoing presidents still have their own responsibilities and incoming presidents have their academics. It is unclear exactly how many hours are spent orienting.
“[After March] you’re out, and the new person’s in, and it’s up to them and their team to carry on their objectives but also carry on ongoing projects to full term,” said Justin Monaco-Barnes, former MSU president for the 2016-2017 school year.
Limitations of the transition period may negatively impact a president’s future ability to establish continuity, balance priorities and prepare for unpredictability. Farah faced the impact of the Ontario Student Assistance Program cuts and the Student Choice Initiative. Responding to these events took up much of her team’s time.
“You don’t know what you don’t know,” said Farah.
Continuity is key
Longevity, according to Monaco-Barnes, can be an issue with a one-year term. A president must continue previous presidents’ work while attending to their own platform points and responsibilities. Marando, Farah and Monaco-Barnes highlighted the added pressure that comes from students wanting tangible results.
“. . . A lot of people probably don’t know I sit on groups that improve the university IT plan, or work on mental health support in classrooms. People don’t see all the time and energy that goes into working with our full-time staff and supporting business operations of the MSU. I think that if there isn’t a big promotion of something, people think nothing is happening. In reality things may span over a years — such as our new student space expansion — requiring a lot more resources than one might think,” said Marando.
The student space expansion came from Monaco-Barnes’ platform, whose Pulse expansion plans eventually evolved to include a new student center, the Student Activity Building.
“And then here we are, two years later, and it’s being built which is pretty cool,” said Monaco-Barnes.
Monaco-Barnes took an unpaid leave of absence to run two student-wide referenda and help secure funding for the expansion plans. During the second referendum, Ryan McDonald, the VP (Finance) at the time, also took an unpaid leave.
While the Student Activity and Pulse expansion are underway, future MSU presidents must see them through. Not all projects will survive this process.
At the end of Monaco-Barnes’s term, plastic water bottles were replaced with boxed water in Union Market. Union Market reverted back to plastic water bottles the following year.
“I don’t know how you control that. You hope that the continuity pieces that remain in the MSU leadership wise, you hope they will continue your original messages and ideas, but once you’re gone you can’t really control those things,” added Monaco-Barnes.
If this is a known problem, incoming and outgoing presidents should prevent it from happening as much as possible. Starting from scratch, as Monaco-Barnes noted, is a waste of time.
Who do you want in the room?
As Farah said, it can be easy to forget the significant impact that an MSU President can have in advocating for students. Advocacy could result in change that students may not link back to MSU, as such changes happen over the long-term.
“We need people with ideas and strategic vision. That’s where the Pulse expansion or student activity building becomes impactful. But we don’t always need that large action. Advocating for policies that enhance student life are incredibly important too; however, policy takes time though,” said Farah.
A president will have several opportunities to advocate for students. But it is not easy to get the job done. Monaco-Barnes said that higher-ups can wait out a president that they disagree with. There is also an intimidation factor at play, as the MSU president will interact with older and more experienced counterparts.
“It’d be very easy for a president to go in and do a lacklustre job if they are not motivated,” said Monaco-Barnes.
MSU presidents will make mistakes and struggle with their jobs. Their role is difficult to fully appreciate from an outside perspective. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t point out their mistakes and challenge them to work around limitations. If we do not hold them accountable, then we may see less work being done. Is being MSU president hard? Yes. Does that mean that they cannot accomplish anything? Absolutely not.
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On the night of Jan. 30, 2020, Giancarlo Da-Ré was in the basement of Togo Salmon Hall with a few members of his core campaign team when he learned that he was the new president-elect of the McMaster Students Union. As per tradition, the news was delivered to him by the current MSU president Josh Marando via phone call.
The ranked voting system requires over 50 per cent of the votes to elect a candidate. With 4810 students voting and 666 students abstaining, the threshold this year sat at 2073 votes. Da-Ré received 2504 votes, 431 votes over this requirement and approximately 52 per cent of the total votes that were cast.
The 2020 elections also saw a new low for the voter turnout, with only 19.1 per cent of eligible McMaster students voting this year. This marked a sharp decline from last year, especially when compared to 2014 to 2017, when voter turnout did not once dip below 40 per cent. This downward trend began in 2018, when voter turnout dropped to 28.8 per cent, and continued to 2019, when it dropped even further to 26.8 per cent.
“I was disappointed to see that the voter turnout this year had dropped again. I think this was the product of a few different factors, one of which being the low number of candidates, which would contribute to overall promotion of the election across our community of voting members,” said Da-Ré.
“I was disappointed to see that the voter turnout this year had dropped again. I think this was the product of a few different factors, one of which being the low number of candidates, which would contribute to overall promotion of the election across our community of voting members,” said Da-Ré.
Since all candidates are given five business days to contest any results and to appeal any fines, Da-Ré’s new position is still unofficial. Nevertheless, he is continuing conversations related to his platform, which highlighted accessibility, climate action and student experience.
One critique of Da-Ré’s platform is that while he claims that it was informed by 100 consultations, there were several key groups that he had not contacted by the time the campaign period began. Now, Da-Ré asserts that he has set up consultations with Maccess and the Academic Sustainability Programs Office in order to work towards accessibility and sustainability.
He also voices his desire to consult with people whose perspectives might differ from his own.
“If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from the campaign period, it is that there are many groups on campus trying to tackle different parts of the same puzzle, and that there is a lot of work I have to do to better understand those different pieces,” he says.
“If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from the campaign period, it is that there are many groups on campus trying to tackle different parts of the same puzzle, and that there is a lot of work I have to do to better understand those different pieces,” he says.
While he does not elaborate on any specific details, Da-Ré states that his consultations have helped him understand how offices and departments within McMaster interact with each other. He states that he has gained a sense of the work that has been done recently in this community, and, by extension, an idea of the work that still needs to be done.
With this in mind, Da-Ré wants to remind students at McMaster that they are foundational to the university’s community.
“Students are incredibly passionate and hard-working, and while some changes won’t be seen overnight, they have more power than they think in influencing change within our community,” he says.
Regarding what his first plans would be when he takes office, Da-Ré says, “It’s hard to say what my first plans will be a few months from now, but I look forward to getting up to speed on current initiatives and projects so that I can hit the ground running in May.”
For now, Da-Ré looks forward to the election results becoming official and to starting the transition process with Josh Marando.
He welcomes anyone interested in consulting to send an email to [email protected].
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Only 19.1 per cent of McMaster students voted in the 2020 McMaster Student Union’s Presidential election, the lowest voter turnout for an MSU Presidential election since 2009. In total, 4810 students cast their ballots. The 2020 Hamilton Street Railway referendum that took place concurrently saw 5,763 students cast their votes, equivalent to a voter turnout of 22.9 per cent.
On Jan. 30, the MSU Elections Department ratified and released the results of the MSU residential election and HSR referendum.
President-elect Giancarlo Da-Ré won the 2020 MSU Presidential election with 2,504 votes, a 1,529 vote surplus over the second place candidate, Jackson Tarlin.
Tarlin, the election’s runner-up, garnered 975 votes.
666 students abstained, and Krystina Koc received the lowest number of votes at 665.
Da-Ré will officially take office on May 1, 2019.
Voter turnout this year was the lowest it has been in a while, following a steady decline since 2018. Engagement fell from 41.6 per cent in 2017 to 28.1 per cent in 2018. In the following year, this steep drop appeared to level off, with a 1.2 per cent drop between 2018 and 2019. However, this year, the steep decline returned yet again, with turnout dropping by 7.7 per cent.
In the past five years, the lower the voter turnout, the greater the proportion of votes that went to the candidate who won.
In the past five years, the lower the voter turnout, the greater the proportion of votes that went to the candidate who won.
The MSU elections department investigated the sharp decline in voter turnout that occurred between 2017 and 2018. They concluded that it was likely because a large number of students opted out of receiving emails from SimplyVoting, McMaster’s online voting system. Offering students the choice to opt out is in line with Canada’s anti-spam legislation.
According to chief returning officer Peter Belesiotis, the elections department also emails students independently, regardless of whether they opt out of receiving emails from SimplyVoting.
“This has ensured that we reach all students with the relevant information, even those who may have opted-out from SimplyVoting emails. These email efforts are in addition to the print media, social media, video production and SMS messaging used to inform students of the election,” stated Belesiotis in an email.
Despite these measures, voter turnout was even lower this year, falling 9 points below 2018 levels.
Voter apathy and lack of trust in the student union may have played a role in this decline. A Silhouette article from 2018 speculated that candidates’ campaign strategies play a large role in voter turnout, citing class talks, student engagement and debate performance as potential factors in determining voter turnout.
Abstentions this year were also significantly higher than they have been in recent years. Between 2016 and 2018, abstentions remained below 7.3 per cent. Last year, they rose to 9.2 per cent, and this year they jumped to 13.8 per cent.
Voters abstain for a variety of reasons. Students may choose abstention as a vote of no confidence, because they feel that none of the candidates are qualified. Alternatively, an abstention could mean that the voter cannot decide between multiple candidates, or they feel that they do not have enough information to make an educated vote.
The majority of students voted to continue the existing bus pass agreement between McMaster University, the MSU and the Hamilton Street Railway. The option for a 12 month bus pass with expanded service on Route 51-University received 2338 votes after the first round of the MSU’s ranked election system.
The second most popular option, an 8-month bus pass from September to April with no expanded Route-51 service, received 1901 votes.
The option for no bus pass received only 494 votes and was eliminated after the first round of the ranked election system.
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Trisha Gregorio interviews MSU Presidential Candidate Giancarlo Dé-Re. Watch the video for some hot wings and hot takes:
[Video Description: Trisha Gregorio sits down with MSU Presidential Candidate Giancarlo Dé-Re at Twelve Eighty for an interview. Trisha asked Giancarlo four questions as they ate wings of increasing heat and spice intensity]
Andrew Mrozowski interviews MSU Presidential Candidate Krystina Koc. Watch the video for some hot wings and hot takes:
[Video Description: Andrew Mrozowski sits down with MSU Presidential Candidate Krystina Koc at Twelve Eighty for an interview. Andrew asked Krystina four questions as they ate wings of increasing heat and spice intensity]
With the slogan “Earth Toned Prezidante for a Toned Earth,” Jackson Tarlin presents a four pillar platform full of unorthodox proposals that aim to improve student life and enhance campus. Where Tarlin may score a ten in humour, he scores a zero in feasibility.
Tarlin’s plan to divide McMaster’s campus into five zones, with each zone corresponding to different levels of permitted expression, is a violation of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The harms largely outweigh any possible benefit, and it would be impossible for Tarlin to overcome legal obstacles to achieve his first platform point.
Another one of Tarlin’s proposals to improve student life is to publicly shame unsatisfactory water fountains. Unfortunately for Tarlin, however, water fountains do not have feelings. His suggestion to publicly shame water fountains will not result in water fountains learning to “toe the line — or else”. Merriam Webster defines water fountains as machines and devices, structures that have one function and can neither change nor adapt. These structures cannot make their water warmer, increase their own water pressure or change their taste, which Tarlin highlights as problems that need fixing. In addition, Facility Services have already installed signs above most water fountains on campus with a phone number that students may call if they encounter problems.
As part of his plan to enhance clubs and services, Tarlin aims to hire enough staff for The Silhouette to release issues daily. He plans to secure funding for this by raising the tuition of a select 20 students by thousands of dollars each. It is unclear how Tarlin would select these lucky few. Furthermore, Tarlin neglected to consult The Silhouette about the feasibility of this proposal.
As the old saying goes, solar panels don’t grow on trees. While McMaster would benefit from an energy retrofit, purchasing and installing solar panels would require large investments from the university. Although solar energy may become cheaper in the future, Tarlin has shown neither research nor consultation to back up his plan to install solar panels on trees around campus. Furthermore, Tarlin does not consider the ecological damage that may result from putting solar panels on trees. This is particularly surprising given that Tarlin has an entire platform point dedicated to protecting animal species on campus.
If there was one action point that could sum up Tarlin’s whole platform, it would be his plan to fund and build a stationary campus monorail in the roughly three metre passageway between MUSC and Mills. The magnitude of this cost is not even worth investigating. Other than functioning as a high-tech tunnel, the monorail would provide no benefit to students.
Climate change and affordability are two themes that could be important for students. While Tarlin names these issues, he neglects to provide actionable steps towards addressing them.
From random ideas, such as taking down a tree near Togo Salmon Hall, to training McMaster geese to be more violent, Tarlin has a lot going on in his platform. Unfortunately, none of it is useful.
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With the slogan “Here to stay,” Giancarlo Da-Ré’s overarching themes are sustainability and accessibility. While he states that 100 consultations informed his platform, some key ones are missing. Da-Ré does not explain how many of his points will be achieved.
Da-Ré did not outline a specific strategy to ban the sale of plastic water bottles on campus. He also does not acknowledge that a similar initiative was attempted previously. In 2017, Justin Monaco-Barnes, the MSU President at the time, implemented a ban on plastic water bottle sales at Union Market. UM then reversed the ban after Monaco-Barnes’s term as President, citing a slump in sales. Da-Ré has not contacted Monaco-Barnes about this issue. Overall, Da-Ré does not explain why he will succeed in implementing a ban when it has failed in the past.
While other Canadian universities have phased out water bottle sales, Da-Ré does not specify tangible steps towards achieving this initiative at McMaster. According to his platform, he plans to work with the Sustainability Council and the University to facilitate the ban. However, he does not clarify what this partnership will entail, or how he plans to pressure the university to implement the change.
Da-Ré’s aims to reduce the cost of select hot beverages at Union Market from $1.40 to $1.00 on the first Monday of each month, provided that students bring reusable mugs. While this could help incentivize environmentally friendly habits, Da-Ré failed to consult Union Market Manager Lilia Olejarz about its feasibility.
“If any presidential candidates have points about Union Market in their platform, I would encourage people to take them with a grain of salt . . . It’s relatively common for presidential candidates to make promises or have platform points about the Union Market, [but] sometimes they’re not properly educated on how Union Market is run and what is feasible,” said Olejarz.
Additionally, Da-Ré’s plan for The Grind to offer reusable ‘For Here’ mugs is already being carried out. Richard Haja, the food and beverage manager for The Grind, verified that mugs have already been ordered for this purpose and that they will be used in the future. Haja also confirmed that Da-Ré did not consult him on the feasibility of reusable mug discounts.
As part of his plan to enhance student life, Da-Ré plans to update all MSU Operating Policies and other MSU Workplace Documents. While he accurately points out that operating policies and other documents are in urgent need of updating, AVP Internal Governance Graeme Noble has already kickstarted the process of updating MSU Operating Policies and Bylaws within the next five years. With a plan already in place, it is unclear what role Da-Ré would play in this process.
There is evidence that Da-Ré did his due diligence while researching some of his platform points. For example, he accurately states that McMaster will accumulate up to $100,000 in daily fines if the MSU website is not AODA-compliant by January 2021. However, vice president (Finance) Alexandrea Johnston recently released a report claiming that the website will likely be completed by the end of her term. Furthermore, the role of the MSU President in the transition to an AODA-compliant website is not clear, as this year the project was spearheaded by the VP (finance), not the MSU president.
Da-Ré’s claims that the McMaster University Student Centre is physically inaccessible. According to MUSC Director Lori Diamond, the building was AODA compliant in 2002, at the time that it was built. However, Diamond admits that there is still room to improve the building’s accessibility. She also states that there has not been a full-scale audit of MUSC since it was built.
While Da-Ré did not consult Maccess to inform his platform, Maccess Coordinator Brittany Allan is supportive of a full-scale environmental audit of MUSC.
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With the slogan “Time to Be Heard,” Krystina Koc focuses on advocacy and student life enhancement. While her platform is broad-reaching in scope, it lacks specificity and relies on existing McMaster Students Union plans.
For example, as a part of her advocacy pillar, Koc plans to make the MSU’s internal processes, such as conflict management and MSU service reviews, more efficient. By her own admission, this would be a continuation of current MSU President Josh Marando’s work. Regardless, Koc does not lay out a strategy for how she would build on Marando’s work or add to it.
Koc’s proposals to improve transparency have potential, but they fall short due to a lack of detail. She proposes publishing bi-annual reports with updates on work being done by the MSU. The Board of directors currently uses several communication strategies, which include office hours, the President’s Page in The Silhouette and updates during SRA meetings. Koc also did not clarify exactly what the bi-annual reports would contain, nor did she explain how their content would differ from other reports that the board releases.
Another one of Koc’s goals is to improve student safety. She plans to achieve this by increasing lighting in student neighbourhoods, facilitating safety measures with landlords and creating video modules with instructions intended to help students manage potentially unsafe situations. Her platform does not clarify how consultations with landlords would help improve student safety, nor does it outline exactly what safety measures she would strive to implement through consultation with landlords. Furthermore, this platform point does not account for health and safety concerns in student housing that arise due to neglectful landlords, who may be unwilling to engage in this type of consultation.
Marando’s municipal affairs team has conducted an off-campus lighting survey and, recently, conducted a lighting audit with Ward 1 City Councillor Maureen Wilson. It is unclear how Koc would use Marando’s initiatives to inform her proposal.
Koc also wants to re-open discussions on McMaster’s Department of Athletics and Recreation’s tank top ban at the Pulse. However, the policy is already being reviewed by the department’s Fitness Coordinator Lee-Ann Wilson and other senior management staff, in response to a student who put forward an inquiry earlier in the academic year. It is unclear how Koc’s platform point would factor into these existing discussions.
All four of Koc’s platform points regarding student life enhancement also lack specificity and consultation.
Koc aims to review all McMaster clubs in order to discern those that have been inactive for six months or have overlapping purposes. Regulating clubs based on inactivity would involve a change in the MSU Clubs Operating policy. Section 8.1.15 states that clubs need to hold only one general meeting per year, in addition to completing other responsibilities, to maintain their MSU clubs status.
Furthermore, Koc’s plan to combine clubs that have the same mission and values is already reflected the Clubs Operating Policy. Section 4.4 of the policy states that, if multiple clubs are found to have the same purpose, the Clubs Administrator will try to find different niches for them, or otherwise merge or disband the clubs. Unless Koc plans to update the Operating Policy to refine the criteria for duplicate clubs, this platform point is redundant. Furthermore, Clubs Administrator Aditi Sharma, who is responsible for ratifying and monitoring clubs, stated that she was not formally consulted about this platform point.
To enhance services within student life, Koc focuses on the Union Market. Koc claims that Union Market’s shelves are often left empty as shipments needed to refill them come in too late. According to Union Market Manager Lilia Olejarz, this is untrue.
“I wouldn't say we have a delay in restocking . . . a risk with when you’re dealing with fresh food is if you place a really large order, there’s the potential you will have some food waste. We’re trying to best serve the community by making sure our products are high quality but also making sure we’re not contributing to food waste on campus,” said Olejarz.
Koc did not consult the Union Market Manager to inform her platform point. In fact, her plan to advocate for Union Market to accept student cards may lead to more expensive products.
“It’s definitely possible to get meal plan accepted in Union Market but that might mean we have to increase our prices,” said Olejarz.
Despite dedicating entire platform points to food security and mental health services, Koc consulted neither Food Collective Centre nor Maccess, the MSU services that oversee these respective areas. A lack of consultation casts into question the feasibility of many of Koc’s platform points.
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Giancarlo Da-Ré is a Level V chemical biology student at McMaster.
Da-Ré has held several positions within the McMaster Students Union, including Creating Leadership Amongst Youth part-time manager, Spark sessions coordinator and Horizons leadership developer. He is currently the residence orientation advisor for the Peter George Centre for Living and Learning.
Da-Ré’s platform highlights three areas that serve as umbrellas for 14 actionable points: accessibility, climate action and student experience.
Accessibility
To address accessibility concerns at McMaster, Da-Ré proposes six points.
The first point proposes a new MSU website that is both easier to navigate and in line with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
His second point aims to increase the number of McMaster courses that use Echo360, a system that records lecture audio and visuals and stores them online for students to access. The MacPherson institute is one of the partners that Da-Ré would work with to fulfill this initiative.
Da-Ré’s third point calls for an environmental audit of the McMaster University Student Centre. His platform states that the building is currently physically inaccessible and that an audit could be used by future years to inform MUSC improvements.
Citing mental health difficulties as one of the largest concerns for students, Da-Ré’s fourth point plans to advocate for additional Student Wellness Centre counsellors. He would also raise awareness of the Student Assistance Plan, a free online platform that offers psychological counselling to McMaster students among other services.
Da-Ré also aims to address financial barriers to being a Welcome Week Representative by introducing a voluntary “Welcome Week Rep Suit rental program”. Currently, rep suits cost approximately $60, with additional costs for extra decorating supplies. Through this program, Welcome Week Representatives could pay a deposit for a rep suit, which would be reimbursed upon the return of a clean rep suit.
Along with advocating for Ontario Student Assistance Program, Da-Ré plans to simplify McMaster’s scholarship and grant application process by transitioning to a fully online system. This would include collaborating with the Financial Aid office to provide workshops and advice on students’ applications.
Climate Action
Da-Ré’s platform has four points based on climate action.
He plans to collaborate with the McMaster Sustainability Council to work on phasing out the sale of plastic water bottles on campus. He cites 14 other Canadian universities that have banned the sale of plastic water bottles on their campuses.
Da-Ré would introduce a self-serve cleaning station for reusable mugs at The Grind. He would also increase storage space “for-here” mugs, plates and cutlery. The Grind currently uses single-use counterparts, which Da-Ré calls costly and unsustainable.
With his third point, Da-Ré plans to reduce cross-contamination of waste products by developing consistent waste signage and increasing the number of green bins on campus. He claims that cross-contamination of waste streams is one of the largest problems for Facility Services and increases waste sent to landfills.
Da-Ré’s fourth point aims to reduce the use of single-use coffee cups on campus. He suggests a program that would allow students to buy select hot beverages at The Grind or Union Market for $1 on the first Monday of every month, provided they bring a reusable mug.
Student Experience
Da-Ré dedicates five points in his platform to improving the student experience at McMaster.
The first of these points aims to support international students by increasing communication between MSU cultural clubs and the Student Success Centre. Da-Ré also plans to introduce an international student support and resource committee.
Da-Ré aims to create a teaching module about consent culture that outlines services, policies and supports on campus related to sexual violence. He would make this new consent culture module mandatory for all Welcome Week Representatives.
Da-Ré plans to update all MSU Operating Policies and MSU Workplace Documents on his new MSU website to ensure that none of them are outdated.
He also aims to release a survey in Summer 2020 to gauge how students would like to interact with the MSU’s Board of Directors. The BoD currently uses the “President’s Page” in The Silhouette to address the student population; Da-Ré claims that this is not regular enough. He would include more frequent captioned video updates on social media and have the BoD hold “office hours”.
Da-Ré intends to follow the recommendations of third-party consultants hired by the current BoD to create a long-term financial plan for the MSU.
More information can be found on his website gc-2020.com.
