With the McMaster Students Union presidential election just around the corner, here are the important dates, details and deadlines you need to know

All McMaster Students Union members, which include all undergraduate McMaster University students enrolled in 18 units or more, are eligible to nominate themselves to run as a presidential candidate in the student union's election. Any student wishing to run for MSU president submit the nomination form before the end of the nomination period on Jan. 12. 

Along with their nomination form, presidential candidates must also submit a campaign team form with the names of all students on their campaign team before the end of the nomination period. 

The campaigning period begins officially on Jan. 14 and runs until Jan. 25. Candidates and their campaign teams may only engage in campaigning activities once this period has begun and must ensure they abide by all other campaigning policies.

During the campaign period, the MSU elections department will be running a meet and greet with all presidential candidates on Jan. 17 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in TwelvEighty. There will also be a debate between the presidential candidates be held on Jan. 23 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the McMaster University Student Centre atrium. 

Throughout the campaigning period, the Silhouette will be providing in depth coverage on all candidates and their platforms. 

The voting period will run for the three final days of the campaigning period from Jan. 23 to 25. During this time, all MSU members are eligible to vote through the SimplyVoting platform, which will be made available to all students via email prior to Jan. 23. 

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.

From Obama’s numerous campaign endorsements by pop icons to Romney’s laughably out-of-pitch rendition of “America the Beautiful,” music has played a star role in this presidential election. Unfortunately for politics, (but fortunately for everyone else), some efforts have failed quite humorously.

Obama's administration seems to value music as a way to make money, while Romney’s campaign instead seems to use music for an emotional connection with the American people. However, luckily for Obama, he seems to have racked up the grand majority of artists’ votes anyway - specifically the ones with the most dispensable cash.

Jay Z and Beyoncé, who have a collective worth of 775 million, are not only avid supporters of the President, but also have campaigned quite rigorously to gain him donations through their $40,000 a plate New York fundraiser back in September. Obama has also managed to gain the support of other big names in music, including Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and Lady Gaga.

Mitt Romney’s campaign has instead focused on proving that his platform will represent a change for the nation. A notorious example was when Romney’s running mate Paul Ryan tried to convince voters that he believed in smaller government because he had Rage Against the Machine on his iPod. It seemed this statement didn’t distract anyone from Ryan’s true political intentions, especially the band itself. In an angry reply to Ryan, lead guitarist Tom Morello expressed in Rolling Stone magazine how Ryan’s “guiding vision of shifting revenue more radically to the one per cent is antithetical to the message of Rage.”

The contrast between each campaign’s success is perhaps most striking in the array of artists who’ve endorsed each candidate. Obama has gained the support of a wide range of artists, both young and old, from a variety of different genres. Mitt Romney has instead garnered the support of a collection of elderly white gentlemen with whom his unprogressive ideologies resonate. Any outliers in this formula unsurprisingly display a meager level of intelligence or lack an understanding of politics. For instance, Scott Strapp, the front man of the ‘90s rock band Creed, said he supports Romney because, “My heart and soul would really like someone like Reagan or FDR to come back and give us a New Deal.” Apparently Stapp is a little unfamiliar with history, being that it was only FDR who created a New Deal and not Reagan.

When it comes to getting votes, music plays less of a role than rational discussion about the economy, but its use is undeniably successful in evoking an emotional response in voters, which can prove integral to a campaign’s success.

At least the use of music during campaigning has offered a good deal of laughs, and in the election process we’ve seen in the past few months, who could want any more than that?

Spencer Semianiw

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.