Presidential candidate Jialiang (Kevin) Hu was disqualified from the 2024 election for ten campaign violations, but was reinstated following his appeal hearing on Feb. 8

The McMaster Students Union presidential election came to a close on Jan. 25 and Jovan Popovic was announced as the winning candidate with 3620 votes. In this announcement from MSU Elections, candidate Jialiang (Kevin) Hu was noted as being disqualified from the running as a result of seven standard violations and three severe violations, which totalled in fines greater than half of the election budget.

A comprehensive list of Hu's violations and an official statement are available on the MSU Elections website.

"Due to the amount of fines exceeding half the spending limit, Jialiang (Kevin) Hu has been automatically disqualified under 7.12," reads a quote from MSU Elections on their website.

Rule 7.12 of the MSU presidential election rules states, "the Elections Committee shall automatically disqualify a candidate if they have accumulated fines exceeding half of the spending limit, accumulated seven severe and/or 14 standard violations, or if it finds that a candidate has deliberately sabotaged another candidate’s campaign."

Hu's violations included, but were not limited to, misrepresentation of campaign expense sheet, campaigning in group chats, forcing individuals to vote and contracting a vendor outside of the Underground printing service.

In an interview with the Silhouette on Feb. 10, Hu expressed his distaste with the elections protocol for making his disqualification public without undergoing the hearing first.

"It's an unofficial result at that moment. They still post it on Instagram, on their official Instagram. It is made public. The result being made public without going through a proper trial, without going through full investigation, without hearing the side of the candidates. . . you can see why it is very unjust," said Hu.

It's an unofficial result at that moment. They still post it on Instagram, on their official Instagram. It is made public. The result being made public without going through a proper trial, without going through full investigation, without hearing the side of the candidates. . . you can see why it is very unjust.

Jialiang (Kevin) Hu, presidential candidate, McMaster Students Union

Upon being notified of his disqualification, Hu decided to appeal all of his violations. The appeal hearing took place on Thursday, Feb. 8 and resulted in two of Hu's violations being overturned. The two violations that were overturned were violations 4.2, forcing individuals to vote, and 7.11.4, misrepresentation of expense sheet.

His disqualification was then retracted and his voting ballot opened and counted. An update was posted on the MSU elections Instagram with Hu's results included, but the result of the election did not change with the addition of Hu's ballot and Popovic will continue to serve as MSU president in 2024/2025 term.

When asked about his 4.2 violation by forcing individuals to vote, Hu responded that this claim was entirely unfounded and the evidence provided for this claim was unsubstantiated.

"In the meeting minutes provided, certain members of the committee said that they also witnessed this act [of forcing an individual to vote], but they don't provide any testimony. . .This is also a conflict of interest because you cannot be the witness, the jury, the judge and the executioner. This is like North Korea style trial," said Hu.

Despite Hu expressing his satisfaction with the hearing outcome on his Instagram story, with the caption, "justice has won at last", Hu also said in the interview that he felt all of his violations were unfounded and not based in adequate evidence.

"Those [violations] were the only two overturned, but I did provide concrete evidence regarding other ones. I don't understand why the committee didn't overturn these other violations. I'm slightly disappointed," said Hu.

Those [violations] were the only two overturned, but I did provide concrete evidence regarding other ones. I don't understand why the committee didn't overturn these other violations. I'm slightly disappointed.

Jialiang (Kevin) Hu, presidential candidate, McMaster Students Union

When asked about his violation for contracting vendors outside of the Underground, Hu stated that although he did utilize a third party service to print his lawn signs, he had received explicit permission from the Chief Returning Officer to campaign with lawn signs.

"So you're you are allowing me to use lawn signs, but the Underground doesn't make them, so where should I make them?" said Hu.

Hu currently serves as one of the engineering representatives in the Student Representative Assembly. When asked he was if he was planning on applying to other MSU roles in the future, Hu stated that he has considered running for a vice-president position, however he also added that he had concerns about the current practices within the MSU.

"I'm hesitant after what happened this time. . .personal bias and pettiness could get in the way of clear judgment for some people. We are all students who do not have a good understanding of the justice system and how elections are supposed to be run, how appeal process and the whole system is supposed to run," said Hu.

Hu concluded his interview by sharing some closing sentiments about the MSU electoral process being flawed.

"[MSU] elections are more like high school elections. It's more about how many friends you have, how many people will like you, rather than if your policy will actually benefit the student population. Despite being in university, it is still like high school. Favouritism still overwhelms rationality," said Hu.

With Hu's appeal hearing coming to a close, the 2024 presidential election results are now official and Popovic will begin his second term on May 1.

This year's MSU presidential debate covered on-campus events, McMaster's AI policies and rising food insecurity in students

On Jan. 23, all four McMaster Students Union presidential candidates engaged in the annual all-candidates debate. The debate was moderated and all questions delivered by the MSU speaker.

Candidates were provided 90 seconds to answer each question and 30 seconds for rebuttal. After delivering opening statements, the candidates were asked how they will work to improve student engagement in their role in the MSU.

Candidate Luca Bernardini discussed his MSU app initaitve, candidate Kevin Hu discussed plans for new on-campus events, candidate Muhammad Ammad Ahsan proposed holding a regular public open office to increase student awareness and engagement, and candidate and current president Jovan Popovic discussed on-campus homecoming and prioritizing MSU clubs and services.

In response to other candidate's comments about current low student engagement, Popovic stated in rebuttal that student attendance to MSU events is being underestimated. In rebuttal, Bernardini disgareed with Popovic's sentiments to increase the quantity of events offered to students and instead work on improving promotion.

Candidates were asked if they feel the current average MSU club budget of $500 is fair.

Popovic stated that he believes clubs are severely underfunded and wishes to increase the budget, while Ahsan and Hu discussed potential for clubs to gain sponsorship or fundraise on their own. Bernardini stated that he believes before discussing funding the MSU must first focus on offering support to clubs.

When asked about current McMaster AI policy, Popovic discussed his advocacy work as a generative AI taskforce member and stated that policies being proposed by the university are too restrictive and put students at risk.

Hu, Ahsan and Bernardini echoed this sentiment in varying capacities, stating that the university should accept AI in the classroom and develop a method for students and professors to work synergistically with the technology.

Candidates were next asked to highlight key components of their own platform. Ahsan discussed his initiative to bridge the university with industrial partners and industrial standards, which will provide opportunity for students to learn hands-on industry skills.

Hu discussed his on-campus food and affordability initiative, stating that hospitality services have a monopoly on on-campus food, adding that current campus food "sucks" and getting more students to come to TwelvEighty bar and grill will force hospitality services to lower prices.

Popovic discussed his own food affordability initiative which would provide free soup and bread to students on-campus in exchange for a $5 increase in student fees. Bernardini again discussed his MSU app initiative, which will consolidate all relevant MSU information and will launch Sept. 2024, if he is elected.

When asked to discuss which points of another candidate's platform they are most critical of, both Bernardini and Popovic addressed Ahsan's platform as a whole, stating that it is vague, unclear and lacks consultations with the appropriate stakeholders.

Hu stated that all platforms have been impressive to him, however he has general financial feasibility concerns for the plans of others.

Ahsan first addressed Popovic's proposed on-campus homecoming initiative, stating "it isn't enough, you got to also make it bigger and better". Ahsan then offered an idea for Bernardini's app. Bernardini thanked Ahsan during his answer period.

Candidates were asked to comment on how they will engage with the Ontario provincial government and deal with student advocacy matters. Bernardini discussed mental health advocacy and proposed creating a peer support service.

Popovic discussed the university tuition cap instated by the provincial government and promised to continue advocating for the maintenance of this policy. Hu generally discussed the high cost of living for students. Ahsan discussed taking a student-centred approach to advocacy and pushed for student voter turnout.

In rebuttal, Bernardini corrected Ahsan in his statement that 22,000 students are in the MSU, stating there are actually 27,000. Ahsan subsequently thanked Bernardini for this correction.

Topics brought up in debate not discussed in this article include the Nuisance Party Bylaw, on-campus safety, increasing additional costs to post-secondary education and Greek life.

For more information, visit the livestreamed MSU presidential debate on the MSU elections Facebook.

Hu proposes many different ideas to enhance student life around campus but he falls short on the specific details relevant to carrying out his ideas

McMaster Students Union presidential candidate Jialiang (Kevin) Hu's campaign proposes ways to enhance student life and engagement. However, Hu did not account for the financial feasibility of these ideas and he did not consult with the services he directly referenced in his campaign about their ability to participate in his initiatives.

McMaster Students Union presidential candidate Jialiang (Kevin) Hu's campaign proposes ways to enhance student life and engagement. However, Hu did not account for the financial feasibility of these ideas and he did not consult with the services he directly referenced in his campaign about their ability to participate in his initiatives.

Hosting events before, during and after McMaster sports games

One of Hu's primary platforms proposes hosting events leading up to, during and after McMaster University sports games. Hu mentioned serving alcoholic beverages on-campus before the games and hosting a beer garden.

When asked about the feasibility and if this was permissible by current university standards, Hu shared that he consulted with McMaster Hospitality Services and he was informed that with proper staff training, alcohol could be served to students.

The Silhouette reached out to Chris Roberts, director of hospitality services, who shared that although Hu's idea for serving alcohol was discussed, the specific mention of the beer garden as stated on his campaign website was not. 

Improvements to MSU food services

In his written platform, Hu discusses improvements to MSU food services. His goal is to amend menus to be more accommodating to dietary restrictions and for menus to serve more authentic cultural food. He also emphasized the importance of low price food options to be accessible to students.

However, Hu does not mention how he will lower food prices while still ensuring adequate pay for MSU food and beverage staff. Hu also does not discuss in his platform whether staff training for his cultural food menu implementation will be paid or unpaid.

In an interview with the Silhouette, Hu explained lowering menu prices would result in greater sales, which should maintain profit for the service. He did not present any research corroborating the likelihood of this outcome nor did he provide a contingency plan if sales do not increase.

In an interview with the Silhouette, Hu explained lowering menu prices would result in greater sales, which should maintain profit for the service. He did not present any research corroborating the likelihood of this outcome nor did he provide a contingency plan if sales do not increase.

Cultural fair

Hu noted in his written platform that he plans to host a cultural fair, which would involve cultural performances and food. Hu shared that La Piazza and Centro would serve cultural dishes and host some of the fair. Hu explained that this idea was suggested on the basis that La Piazza and Centro currently have a number of cultural dishes, with specific restaurants designed to serve them on a rotating basis.

Ultimately, there is a question of feasibility as the space cannot be rented by any other group on campus, including the MSU. This aspect of the event would only be feasible through collaboration with Hospitality Services. Additionally, despite Hu's focus elsewhere in his platform on promoting MSU owned food services, he doesn't seem interested in utilizing these spaces for the cultural fair.

Reorganizing university departments

In the advocacy section of his platform, he proposed moving both McMaster Hospitality Services and Housing and Conferences Services under the department of Student Affairs. Hu explained the reason for this change is in an attempt to save money for his food affordability initiative.

"That is quite a big issue because now [Hospitality Services] are treated by the university as a profit-generating unit. Meaning that the priority is no longer to serve good, healthy, and affordable food to our students. It's more to generate profits for the university," said Hu.

That is quite a big issue because now [Hospitality Services] are treated by the university as a profit-generating unit. Meaning that the priority is no longer to serve good, healthy, and affordable food to our students. It's more to generate profits for the university.

Jialiang (Kevin) Hu, MSU presidential candidate

However, in his interview with the Silhouette, Hu shared that he was unsure if the university would indeed be willing to relocate entire departments, rather specific sections. It is also worth nothing that the MSU is a separately incorporated entity from McMaster University and as such, an MSU President doesn't have the power to restructure the university. The President's portfolio does include lobbying the university to make changes; however, they cannot make the change themselves.

Further, in an email to the Silhouette, Roberts also reaffirmedae45 that such a large department transition is not in the hands of the MSU president.

“We discussed that Hospitality previously reported to student affairs and then shifted to financial affairs back in 2014. There is no plan for the university to move it back to student affairs. This would not be a decision for an MSU President to make. Kevin can raise the question with the university administration, but it is a decision that would not be made easily or one that would ever be done quickly,” said Roberts, in his email to the Silhouette.

When discussing how he plans to finance his proposed initiatives, including a gaming station with expensive equipment, Hu shared in his interview with the Silhouette that whatever does not fall within the MSU or university budget will be funded by sponsorships. Hu explained that other universities are sponsored by companies such as Dell or Apple to make these initiatives feasible. However, Hu fails to offer contingency plans for what would happen if such sponsorships were not secured. It is also worth noting that in 2021, the student representative assembly passed a motion that included the MSU continuing to refrain purchasing from Dell, among other companies, as part of equitable purchasing initiative.

Overall, Kevin Hu’s platform attempts to enrich student life through creative community events. Many of these ideas though have been proven infeasible and his platform would have benefited from further research, discussion with current MSU and McMaster staff as well as discussion of a more secure means of funding.

Voting for the MSU presidential election takes place from Jan. 23 to Jan. 25 using the Simply Voting platform. More information about the election can be found on the MSU Elections website.

Hu's platform focuses on enhancing student life through new food menus, sports, cultural and other events

Hu did not attend the scheduled photoshoot with the Silhouette's photo assistant ahead of publication.

Jialiang (Kevin) Hu is a third-year Integrated Biomedical Health, Engineering Science and Entrepreneurship student running in the McMaster Students Union presidential race. His platform states that student engagement at McMaster University has recently declined and if elected, he hopes to revitalize student life on campus.

Hu's campaign platform is divided into five sections: athletics, food, culture, advocacy and a miscellaneous section. 

Hu's campaign platform is divided into five sections: athletics, food, culture, advocacy and a miscellaneous section.

Athletics

As part of his athletics sections, Hu plans to introduce more sports events on campus supplemented with entertainment before, during and after the games. Hu discusses in his platform an initiative he calls Student Week, where the week leading up to a sports event will consist of on-campus activities including carnivals, food trucks and beer gardens.

Hu proposes to have half-time shows during games, where the McMaster Marching Band and cheerleaders would perform. Furthermore, he proposed a giveaway during half-time and an on-campus party with concert performances.

Food

In his food section, Hu proposes to improve upon three MSU-owned food services: TwelvEighty Bar and Grill, the Grind and Union Market. Hu's primary focus of this proposal is to make changes to TwelvEighty, to make it more accessible and enjoyable for students.

Hu also mentions improving upon advertisements, promotions, entertainment and food through renovations of the spaces, making the space bookable by MSU clubs and having students be able to decide on monthly specials. 

In an interview with the Silhouette, Hu shared that one of his goals is to amend menus to be more accommodating to dietary restrictions. Hu also proposes for menus to serve more authentic cultural food.

Hu's platform emphasizes the importance of low price food options to be accessible to students.

Culture

In the culture section of the campaign, Hu proposes a cultural fair initiative to celebrate diversity at McMaster. He explained that the fair would consist of booths, cultural dishes in La Piazza and Centro and performances. Hu states that these could be sponsored by the Alumni Association and Student Success Centre.

Advocacy

Hu further divided the advocacy section of his platform into four main points. The first point being to move Hospitality Services and Housing and Conference Services from the department of finance to the department of student affairs in an effort to redirect the focus of these services away from a profit-based model and encourage greater focus on meeting the needs of students. In the next point under this section, Hu proposes to have the municipal government provide political and financial support for McMaster’s off-campus housing. The third point under this section looks to initiate steps for student activities to be more easily put in place, by proposing by-laws that ease the restrictions on the kinds of events students can host, such as bake sales, and simplify the process to get approval for an event. Hu's last point in his advocacy section is to find a balance between academic and student life.

Miscellaneous

In the final miscellaneous section of his platform, Hu discusses ways to enhance student life, including investing in new technologies and electronics, esport tournaments, anime conventions, obtaining sponsors for clubs and teams and introducing more methods to partake in recreational sports.

Voting for the MSU presidential election takes place from Jan. 23 to Jan. 25 using the Simply Voting platform. More information about the election can be found on the MSU Elections website.

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