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.
While Ahsan is hopeful to improve parts of McMaster's student life, his platform lacks detail, background research and feasibility
Muhammad Ammad Ahsan's platform is comprised of five pillars, each containing general areas of what he would like to address if he were to become the McMaster Students Union president. However, all are lacking specific examples of what he would improve or change to meet the goals he's outlined.
Open-door SRA policy
In the first pillar of Ahsan's platform, he proposed that all student representative assembly meetings should be made accessible and public to all McMaster University students.
When reminded in an interview with the Silhouette that the MSU already operates under this open-door policy, Ahsan acknowledged that he is aware of this; however, he feels there is little to no engagement from students at these assemblies.
He referenced the low voter turnout in the previous year's MSU presidential election, 10.5 per cent, as further proof of the lack of engagement from students. When asked how he intends to increase student engagement, Ahsan was unable to name specific ideas beyond listening to students and attempting to have students understand the importance voting has on their own education and wellbeing.
Holding space for the diversity of opinions on campus
The second pillar of Ahsan's platform discussed diversity, emphasizing that he would introduce initiatives that better acknowledge this aspect of the McMaster community. This pillar ties in with many of the other parts of his platform, though he does not explicitly mention any other specific initiatives solely under this pillar in his written platform.
In his interview with the Silhouette, Ahsan mentioned that one of his initiatives as MSU president would be to implement a men’s only time at the Pulse, either late at night or early in the morning. He shared that this idea came from a lengthy discussion with a student who signed his presidential form.
"He wished to discuss a men-only time at the gym . . . There are some men out there who wish to go to the gym in men-only time, specifically early in the morning, or like really late in the evening. So we similarly discussed time slots where the gym was less busy, so that can be altered and given those few that wish to go at that time," said Ahsan.
He wished to discuss a men-only time at the gym . . . There are some men out there who wish to go to the gym in men-only time, specifically early in the morning, or like really late in the evening.
Muhammad Ammad Ahsan, MSU presidential candidate
Ahsan recognized that implementing this initiative would require approval from other members of the MSU, but he was confident it would be feasible. When asked if he consulted with any athletics staff, Ahsan said no.
Introducing eco-friendly initiatives
The third pillar of Ahsan's platform acknowledged the severity of the climate crisis and stated that he wants to work with the university to address this issue. In his interview with the Silhouette, Ahsan confirmed that he did not consult with current or previous MSU staff members or the McMaster administration and he went on to explain that the eco-friendly policies he wanted to introduce would have the ability to enact group change, but he did not explicitly state any type of policy he would propose.
Inviting industry partners to host workshops on campus
Pillars four and five or Ahsan's campaign proposes inviting industrial partners to come in and teach students in a hands-on format. Ahsan shared that this idea is based on feedback he received from both undergraduate and graduate students in support this initiative. Ahsan admitted that he has not reached out to any industrial stakeholders about the feasibility of coming to campus to begin this though.
Ahsan has not reached out to any McMaster administration services or groups on campus already focueds on these types of education, such as the Student Success Centre. He did however acknowledge that administration is very important in the implementation of this idea as they are the bridge between the connections of industry and academia.
Ahsan shared that his platform was based on student voices, stating that he has had many discussions with student representatives. Specifically, he mentioned in his interview with the Silhouette that when receiving signatures for his nomination form, he engaged in meaningful conversations and promised to campaign on these students' behalf.
"The people that I got those 16 signatures from, my pitch to them was if you sign this nomination form, then I would be directly in contact with you and I'll be directly campaigning on your behalf in my name," said Ahsan.
The people that I got those 16 signatures from, my pitch to them was if you sign this nomination form, then I would be directly in contact with you and I'll be directly campaigning on your behalf in my name.
Muhammad Ammad Ahsan, MSU presidential candidate
When asked if he could provide the names or emails of students he reached out to, he admitted that he did not have as in-depth conversations with all 16 students.
Overall, Ahsan presents himself as a candidate who is eager and determined to empower student voices but ultimately falls short due to the lack of consultation with both MSU staff and McMaster administration and the lack of clear examples of how he would achieve his platform goals should he become president.
Overall, Ahsan presents himself as a candidate who is eager and determined to empower student voices but ultimately falls short due to the lack of consultation with both MSU staff and McMaster administration and the lack of clear examples of how he would achieve his platform goals should he become president.
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.
Ahsan's platform focuses on holding space for the diversity of opinions on campus, environmental concerns and the transition from university into the workforce
There are five major areas of focus to McMaster Students Union presidential candidate Muhammad Ammad Ahsan's campaign platform including increasing opportunities for students to raise concerns to the Student Representative Assembly; creating more space for the diversity of opinions held by students on campus; reducing the university’s carbon footprint while also increasing McMaster University's impact on the world and supporting students in advancing through their education and into the workforce.
Increasing opportunities to raise concerns with the SRA
On his first point regarding improving the ability of students to raise their concerns with MSU decision makers, Ahsan proposes an open-door policy for SRA meetings, creating an opportunity for students to speak directly with them. Ahsan believes transparency between the MSU and students is important and that the concerns and ideas of every student should be heard.
Holding space for the diversity of opinions on campus
Ahsan also believes there is strength in diversity and he is committed to having dissenting student voices included in conversations around campus. He believes accounting for the range of opinions of students will lead to the MSU making policies that are more considerate of the diverse interests of the student body.
In an interview with the Silhouette, Ahsan also mentioned one of his initiatives as MSU president would be to implement a men's only time at the Pulse, either late at night or early in the morning. after a conversation with a student who signed his nomination form.
Addressing environmental concerns
Regarding the issue of the climate crisis, Ahsan includes as part of his platform the goal of reducing the carbon footprint of McMaster. He intends to achieve this end by working with the university and students to implement eco-friendly practices on campus. He also plans to implement various information and awareness campaigns.
Increasing McMaster's impact
With the aim of improving McMaster’s impact on the world, Ahsan is looking to create greater incentive for industrial companies to conduct workshops with students.
Supporting transition into workforce
Finally, Ahsan’s platform outlines his hopes to provide students with more certainty in their prospects for success post-graduation by implementing the aforementioned workshops. He also proposes further changes be made to academic curricula to better prepare students to enter the workforce.
Ahsan’s platform does not include references to consultations with any individuals external to his campaign team.
Ahsan’s platform does not include references to consultations with any individuals external to his campaign team.
Ahsan concluded his campaign platform statement, with a note that after consulting with his campaign team on his platform points, they were given to the generative artificial intelligence software ChatGPT to produce his official written platform.
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.
