Despite well researched and expansive, Popovic's platform does not properly account for the needs of students with dietary restrictions
Jovan Popovic's campaign platform is an extensive one which aims to alleviate food and housing insecurity faced by students, improve the MSU's engagement with students, and improve the experience of commuter students. However, it falls short with its insufficient consideration for students that follow unique diets and it lacks environmentally-mindedness in aiming to make driving more accessible for more students.
Popovic is the current MSU President and is running for re-election. His 2023/2024 campaign discussed enhancing entertainment at sports events, bringing back on-campus homecoming and enhancing student engagement for commuter students. During his presidency, Popovic was able to address some of his campaign points, including increasing MSU clubs budget and improving the Welcome Week experience.
Soup and bread initiatve
Popovic’s proposed soup and bread initiative cannot be faulted for the purity of its intention. Students are undeniably suffering under the strain of rising food costs and one free meal a day, could without a doubt, greatly assist students and reduce financial-related anxiety.
However, Popovic’s campaign platform fails to include mention of how the program would accommodate the diverse student body it would aim to serve. Whether it be for health, religious, or ethical reasons, students possess a diverse array of dietary restrictions, with some not eating all or certain meats, dairy, as well as other specific ingredients. Popovic’s campaign could have demonstrated more care for certain groups of students which do not consume meat and/or diary by considering, in advance, the nutritional adequacy of the vegetarian soup options to be provided.
In an interview with the Silhouette, when Popovic was pressed on this question, he answered that himself and McMaster Students Union Kitchen Manager, Wesley Chaplin, have a vision of having two options of soup, with one being vegetarian, each day. Popovic did not make specific mentions of what the vegetarian option would be and if he had taken into consideration what the vegetarian options should be in order for them to be just as nutritionally fulfilling as the regular option.
In an interview with the Silhouette, when Popovic was pressed on this question, he answered that himself and McMaster Students Union Kitchen Manager, Wesley Chaplin, have a vision of having two options of soup, with one being vegetarian, each day. Popovic did not make specific mentions of what the vegetarian option would be and if he had taken into consideration what the vegetarian options should be in order for them to be just as nutritionally fulfilling as the regular option.
It should be considered that many conventional and cheap plant-based options, such as purely vegetable based soups in this case, may not possess the same level of protein, vitamins and minerals as would the regular option, depending on the ingredients used. Popovic’s proposed soup and bread initiative could be improved by consulting with experts in plant-based cooking and nutrition, as well as vegetarian and vegan students who are better informed on what foods and ingredients are healthiest and most nutritious to consume.
Improving MSU transparency
On the point of improving the MSU’s social media and engagement with the student body, Popovic’s proposal to instate three student social media positions may very well improve the quality and frequency of content produced and posted. However, as admitted by Popovic in an interview, current engagement with students on social media platforms is quite unsatisfactory, as indicated by social media impressions such as likes, comments and views. If students presently do not engage with the MSU’s social media, improving its content will not regain and grow its audience.
Popovic’s aim to improve engagement and student awareness of the MSU and its projects and initiatives is by all means a great one, but his platform does not articulate how his current plan would regain the attention of students. Popovic should consider improving his plan to improve student awareness of the MSU by also engaging in more in-person engagement initiatives, as well as other avenues of interacting with students that beyond social media.
Improved transportation for commuter students
Regarding transportation for commuter students, half of his campaign promises are environmentally and sustainably sound. Expanding transit routes and their frequency is exactly what commuter students need and deserve. One could even expect that expanded routes would make commuting more attractive to more students, perhaps leading to more students opting to live at home and reducing the severity of the student housing crisis. However, Popovic's position on parking services for students are ill-informed in the context of sustainable civil development as well as the current financial situation of many students.
Regarding transportation for commuter students, half of his campaign promises are environmentally and sustainably sound. Expanding transit routes and their frequency is exactly what commuter students need and deserve. . .However, Popovic's position on parking services for students are ill-informed in the context of sustainable civil development as well as the current financial situation of many students.
Driving is expensive, especially for students who are typically young in age and hence are required to pay higher insurance rates than older individuals. With the cost of vehicles, gas, and insurance in mind, utilizing transit is almost always cheaper than driving, especially for students.
Popovic stated in his campaign that data from Metrolinx indicates that 10 percent of McMaster students utilize the GO bus, which amounts to about 3,700 students. Meanwhile, Popovic also states that 1,800 parking transponders have been distributed with an additional 1,000 students waitlisted. Hence, the ability and/or preference for commuter students to take transit as opposed to driving is demonstrated. Additionally, increasing the number of people that utilize public transportation is an impactful way to reduce carbon emissions. By the same token, increasing the number of cars making distant commutes achieves the opposite.
For both environmental reasons and considering for how few students driving is financially feasible, Popovic should not make a part of his platform the intention to further expand the already high volume of parking at McMaster. Popovic would be better to focus his efforts to improve the lives of commuter students by lobbying for expanded routes and increased frequencies of buses.
Overall, with the exception of his aim to make driving to campus more accessible for students, Popovic's campaign promises reflect and align with the important struggles that students presently face. However, Popovic could have improved his campaign by putting more thought into the details of both his proposed soup and bread program and his plan to better engage students with the MSU.
Overall, with the exception of his aim to make driving to campus more accessible for students, Popovic's campaign promises reflect and align with the important struggles that students presently face. However, Popovic could have improved his campaign by putting more thought into the details of both his proposed soup and bread program and his plan to better engage students with the MSU.
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.
Bernardini's campaign succeeds in addressing a wide scope of student issues, but some platform points are reminiscent of current MSU initiatives and would benefit from further research
While McMaster Students Union presidential candidate Luca Bernardini’s platform succeeds in addressing a wide range of student issues and proposes innovative technological additions to student life, some platform points are reminiscent of current MSU initiatives and would benefit from further research. Additionally, many of Bernardini's claims are not proven to be reflective of the student body, while others are not differentiable from his fellow candidates.
TwelvEighty Renovations
Throughout his platform, Bernardini justifies the importance of an issue with his own opinion. An example of this is in his descriptions of TwelvEighty Bar and Grill and his justifications for it requiring renovation. Bernardini stated that students do not realize that TwelvEighty offers quality food items due to its “bleak” and “lacking” atmosphere.
Bernardini went on to state that TwelvEighty serves considerably higher quality dishes than any other place on campus “except for the Phoenix”. The metric Bernardini is using to decide these claims is unclear.
When asked to elaborate in an interview with the Silhouette, Bernardini did not mention performing any student-wide surveys or outreach initiatives to gauge the consensus of the student body on these claims. Bernardini also did not offer statistics of TwelvEighty sales or student interaction; however, he did state that the general claim that TwelvEighty is one of the least profitable MSU services can be corroborated by several of his consultations, including current MSU president and fellow 2024 presidential candidate, Jovan Popovic.
The Silhouette reached out to Popovic to confirm this statement. He replied that pre-pandemic, TwelvEighty was recorded as losing money in the MSU budget records; however, Popovic did not confirm the current financial state of TwelvEighty.
It should be noted that TwelvEighty has seen significant turnover with management in recent years, making it difficult to cast large blanket statements on the state of the service. It would have benefited Bernardini’s platform to have confirmed that his personal opinions are indeed echoed by the general student body.
Some of Bernardini’s platform points, including TwelvEighty renovations and the return of on-campus homecoming are reminiscent of initiatives by current MSU President Popovic. When asked about this, Bernardini shared that some of his ideas were sparked by consultations with Popovic and he was unaware that he would be running for re-election.
“A lot of the times that [Popovic and I] were discussing TwelvEighty, he brought it up to me and was like "Whoever is the president needs to do this,". . .Obviously, not knowing that he was going to run, we may have some overlap in ideas, but this was something we discussed together," said Bernardini.
A lot of the times that [Popovic and I] were discussing TwelvEighty, he brought it up to me and was like "Whoever is the president needs to do this,". . .Obviously, not knowing that he was going to run, we may have some overlap in ideas, but this was something we discussed together.
Luca Bernardini, MSU presidential candidate
Technological Feasibility
Bernardini’s most significant proposal is the implementation of a new MSU app. The app will perform many functions, one of which is utilizing artificial intelligence to create personalized feeds based on student profiles.
Bernardini consulted with several individuals on the feasibility of the MSU app, including MSU General Manager John McGowan and MSU Marketing and Communications Director Michael Wooder. Bernardini promises in his platform that if elected, the app will be ready by September 2024.
Bernardini was asked in his interview about who he consulted with that had knowledge of programming, AI and the technological side of app development. Bernardini confirmed that a colleague of his is well versed in this field and they have worked together in the past. He was unable to provide details of this individual, including their credentials or their last name.
“He’s a developer I worked with in the past, because I co-founded a software to provide mental health support for student athletes back in high school . . .this individual was the one who developed it for us, we paid him, so he’s someone I can trust . . . I don’t have his last name,” said Bernardini.
He’s a developer I worked with in the past, because I co-founded a software to provide mental health support for student athletes back in high school . . .this individual was the one who developed it for us, we paid him, so he’s someone I can trust . . . I don’t have his last name.
Luca Bernardini, MSU presidential candidate
Bernardini also made it clear that he won't be bringing his colleague in to develop the app. He instead will hand the responsibility over to the MSU's IT team; however, he did not have the capacity to consult with them directly.
EDIIA Review
Bernardini frequently referenced his experience as the President of the McMaster Science Society to support the feasibility of his proposed MSU initiatives. For example, Bernardini proposed an equity, diversity, inclusion, Indigeneity and accessibility review in the MSU. Bernardini referenced a similar initiative he carried out in the MSS that was met with success.
Bernardini was asked in an interview if he consulted with representatives from marginalized or minority communities to better understand current EDIIA practices in the MSU. He spoke at length about his initiatives and the consultations with marginalized communities that he performed during his MSS presidency, but did not comment on any specific research done for his current MSU campaign.
When Bernardini was asked if he spoke with MSU Diversity + Equity Network, the Pride Community Centre, Maccess or any other individual or service that would be able to comment on the current state of EDIIA practices within the MSU, Bernardini stated "I didn't get a chance to chat with someone from there."
Overall, Bernardini's campaign spans a broad scope of student issues and introduces novel technological solutions. A lack of research into student perspective and repetition of past MSU initiatives weakens the validity of his platform points.
Overall, Bernardini's campaign spans a broad scope of student issues and introduces novel technological solutions. A lack of research into student perspective and repetition of past MSU initiatives weakens the validity of his platform points.
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.
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.
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.
C/O Undergraduates of Canadian Research-Intensive Universities
After a statement of apology, the Undergraduates of Canadian Research-Intensive Universities promises to develop new policies and procedures
cw: Mention of sexual violence
On Feb. 19, the Undergraduates of Canadian Research-Intensive Universities released an apology for engaging with Member of Parliament Kevin Vuong.
For those who don’t know, UCRU is a union of different university student groups across Canada who come together to advocate for better undergraduate university education. The McMaster Students Union is one of UCRU’s members.
Every year, UCRU carries out a federal lobby week to meet with a number of MPs and have discussions about student issues. These lobby weeks allow UCRU to present concerns to the federal government and seek support from the MPs.
This year, UCRU’s lobby week took place in the last week of January. On Jan. 25, UCRU met with MP Kevin Vuong.
Vuong serves as the MP for the Spadina—Fort York constituency and originally ran as a Liberal candidate in the 2021 federal election. When news broke that Vuong was charged with a sexual assault in 2019, that had since been withdrawn, the Liberal party disavowed Vuong. As a result, Vuong now sits in the House of Commons without any party affiliation.
Vuong’s election was not well received and many have condemned associations with Vuong.
Following the lobby week, on Feb. 18, UCRU posted an Instagram story containing Vuong.
UCRU has now apologized for engaging with Vuong and said they will cease engagement with Vuong.
Denver Della-Vedova, current President of the MSU and chair of UCRU, said that UCRU unfortunately did not have any vetting procedures in place this year.
However, UCRU has now begun developing policies and procedures to make sure that something like this doesn’t happen again.
“We are committed to ensuring we have a better vetting process and have some steps that we can take in advance to ensure that we are not supporting any individuals that are unscrupulous,” said Della-Vedova.
C/O Denver Della-Vedova
Meet Denver Della-Vedova, one of the candidates running to become MSU president
Denver Della-Vedova is running for re-election as the McMaster Students Union president. After graduating as a life sciences student in 2021, Della-Vedova was acclaimed to the position of MSU president for the 2021-2022 year.
His platform features three main pillars, which collectively highlight a total of fourteen major points that he hopes to address in the role of MSU president. These three pillars are amplifying diverse voices, prioritizing student stability and keeping momentum.
Amplifying Voices
Della-Vedova wishes to continue the MSU’s relationship with the Undergraduates of Canadian Research-Intensive Universities. In his platform, Della-Vedova states that this group has played a key role in lobbying the federal government for students’ interests and he proposes a $1 fee to ensure that the MSU maintains their member status. Della-Vedova also commits to advocating for Indigenous students and undergraduate research funding.
His second goal is environmental sustainability. More specifically, he hopes to expand the reusable container program and to consider more eco-friendly non-reusable container options.
His third goal is to increase student advocacy engagement, which he hopes to do by providing students with an MSU Avenue 2 Learn tab, which he says should be available by summer. Additionally, he hopes to utilize the communications department to reach more students.
His fourth goal is faculty society support. He hopes to better connect Student Representative Assembly caucuses with their respective faculties. Further, he intends to investigate the possibility of pooling resources across the MSU and faculty societies for collaborative events.
Finally, he hopes to increase the university’s accountability and engagement, potentially by creating an accessible Instagram page for McMaster’s important updates or by creating a Linktree containing reliable McMaster news and information sources.
Student Stability
Under the umbrella of student stability, Della-Vedova hopes to address housing instability by raising awareness about where to access housing resources, continuing legal clinics from this year and updating the off-campus housing website.
Della-Vedova is prioritizing financial stability in his platform. He plans to continue sharing and optimally allocating resources, to push the goals of the OUSA Responding to COVID-19 policy paper and to make jobs more accessible to students.
His third stability-related goal is mental health; he aims to make current Student Wellness Centre services available more frequently, focus on telehealth and online booking, engage students in positive social events and follow the recommendations of the OUSA Student Health and Wellness paper.
Finally, Della-Vedova aims to focus on food security. Specifically, he intends to work with the Food Collective Centre to get support from local businesses, looking at potentially expanding the gift card program or buying food in bulk to distribute to students in need. He also intends to make campus food options more allergy friendly.
Keeping Momentum
Under the umbrella of keeping momentum, Della-Vedova explains the projects that he would like to continue from this year into next year, as well as logical next steps from projects completed this year.
Firstly, Della-Vedova wants to improve Welcome Week by implementing a better fee system involving cash advances to faculties, surveying first-year students about the effectiveness of the events and providing better organizational support.
Della-Vedova's second goal under this umbrella is the prioritization of first-year students. He hopes to better share MSU services through the Archway program and community advisor floor meetings. He hopes to give presentations about the MSU to students in residence.
His third goal is to improve delivery of online classes. He plans to do this by generating a set of guidelines to ensure the consistency of online course delivery in areas such as types of software, quality of lectures and availability of recordings.
His fourth goal related to keeping momentum is to increase internal support and student government engagement. He aims to accomplish this through the previously mentioned MSU A2L page and by increasing communications between the Board of Directors and the SRA. Further, he plans to circulate the “Who’s Who in the MSU” document more widely and to lengthen board terms by two weeks to allow for more training time.
Finally, Della-Vedova aims to improve Student Accessibility Services. He draws attention to the accessibility barrier of requiring a diagnosis from within the last five years and he proposes offering incentives to notetakers so that more students volunteer for this job and are compensated for their work.
To learn more about Della-Vedova's platform, visit his Instagram page @denverformsu2022.
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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