In the race for MSU presidency, McMaster socialite Piper Plavins hopes to improve student advocacy, resource awareness and implement practical reform
McMaster Students Union 2025 presidential candidate Piper Plavins' platform is focused on three major pillars: improving the everyday experience of students, improving the student voice through advocacy and increased student involvement in campus politics, and improving the services of the MSU.
Enhancing Access and Awareness of Student Resources and Services
Recognizing the importance of student involvement and believing it important to address a lack of student awareness surrounding extracurricular opportunities and MSU services, Plavins proposes to create and implement an event called "MSU Week" to promote the services and events offered by the establishment.
The week would consist of five days of activities designed to highlight the various services, clubs and resources available through the MSU. Each day will focus on a specific theme. Plavins proposes that the first day would be a job fair for students to learn about MSU job opportunities, with the other days dedicated to MSU services and initiatives, student advocacy opportunities, financial management and the various support and resources available to students.
Plavin also wants to improve campus events and further utilize campus resources to improve campus life and student experience. These include ideas such as comedy nights and maintaining a commitment to Homecoming.
Her platform also proposes an expansion of the Holiday Market expansion, with the intention of having an artificial skating rink at the market and a focus on student-run small businesses and "a diverse range of cultural vendors."
Plavins' final point of her first platform pillar is to build a sense of community in the Student Representative Assembly. Plavins proposes an SRA exclusive retreat to encourage a more collaborative form of student governance. She believes an SRA with a stronger sense of community will foster a more positive atmosphere and greater cooperation within the assembly and the MSU.
Improving Student Advocacy
Plavins' platform proposes a restructuring of club policy aimed at enabling students to create "higher-level clubs" and encouraging student-run clubs to become more self-sufficient by implementing training to find sponsors.
Her platform also voices support for current McMaster MSU President Jovan Popovic’s Soup and Bread Initiative. In addition, she has indicated the program should offer different traditional options from various backgrounds to make the program more inclusive.
Her platform on food insecurity proposes an increase in the Food Collective Centre budget by $5,000. The FCC is the MSU's student-run food security resource, committed to alleviating food insecurity among students.
Advocating for accessibility is another component of her advocacy promises. Her platform includes advocating for classrooms to be made to be more accessible to all students. She suggests this would minimize the need for individual accommodations and foster a more inclusive learning environment for everyone.
Plavins' platform also advocates for continued support from the MSU regarding housing. She claims she recognizes the work of the MSU on this issue, but says in her platform she thinks the MSU needs to provide further support for students finding housing.
Operational Excellence of the MSU
Plavins claims the Lot M bus schedule is unreliable, so she proposes to collaborate with Parking Services to establish a consistent and reliable bus schedule. For those commuting to campus and in need of parking, Plavins proposes a more affordable parking pass option with a proposed student "flex pass" so that students can pay for a set number of hours to park in different locations. She indicates these platform points are aimed at improving life for commuter students.
The platform also suggests that the design and image of TwelvEighty Bar & Grill should be changed to reflect what she says is The Grind's more casual atmosphere.
In the final aspect of her platform, Plavins proposes a new program pairing 2SLGBTQIA+ first-year students with upper-year mentors. She proposes this would be run through the Pride Community Centre. It would aim to address unique challenges faced by 2SLGBTQIA+ students, such as issues in transitioning to university and feeling less connected to school and experiencing discrimination.
Overall, Piper Plavins' platform focuses on enhancing student life through increasing the MSU's advocacy efforts, student advocacy, along with proposals to expand and support student clubs and certain MSU services.
Marking a decade of service, Mac's Money Centre continues to support students in navigating the complexities of financial literacy and education costs
Mac’s Money Centre is marking 10 years of service to McMaster University students, providing tailored financial literacy programs and support. From tax support and online learning tools to credit management and debt reduction strategies, the centre has evolved into a vital resource hub addressing the unique financial challenges students face.
The centre's early efforts focused on assisting international students through small-scale tax workshops and individual support. Terry Bennett, one of Mac’s Money Centre's coaches, spoke of how the initiative grew in response to a pressing need identified by the McMaster Students Union and the university community. “This program started from a need that the MSU and students articulated,” said Bennett.
Gina Robinson, CPA, Financial Educator and Money Coach, spoke about how the centre has since evolved to assist students in more broadly navigating financial matters. “Students really wanted everything in one place—how to pay tuition, access scholarships and budget effectively,” said Robinson.
Today, the centre serves as a centralized hub for financial literacy resources, helping students navigate the complexities of budgeting, OSAP loans, investing and more. “Managing money isn’t just about spreadsheets . . . It’s about understanding your goals and values. If budgets aren’t tied to what matters to you, they’re hard to stick to,” said Bennett.
She added that financial pressures remain one of the top stressors for students, alongside academic and career concerns. Rising tuition, housing costs and inflation have left many students struggling. “We’re seeing more students saying, "I don’t think I can finish my degree because I can’t afford it",” said Bennett.
Matthew Olejarz, a third-year health sciences student, spoke about why they think the services provided by the centre are important for students. “Financial literacy is a skill that most people are semi-aware of, but they don’t fully understand . . . It’s not something taught in school, so being able to guide students is important,” said Olejarz.
Financial literacy is a skill that most people are semi-aware of, but they don’t fully understand . . . It’s not something taught in school, so being able to guide students is important.
Matthew Olejarz, third-year health sciences student
McMaster University
One of the centre’s most impactful initiatives is its involvement in the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, a partnership with the Canada Revenue Agency. The program trains McMaster students to assist low-income residents in Hamilton with tax preparation.
Andrijana Olaizola, director of finance and administration for student affairs, spoke about how the program trains McMaster students to assist low-income residents in Hamilton with tax preparation. “We’ve grown from 10 volunteers to over 125, completing more than 2,000 tax returns annually,” said Olaizola.
Professor Miroslav Lovric, who teaches mathematics and statistics in the Faculty of Science, described how he has collaborated with the centre in its efforts to bring financial literacy into the classroom. “Gina and Terry started appearing as guest instructors in my course, where they would talk about practicalities like taxes,” said Lovric.
Lovric noted that many of his students later became volunteers for the centre’s program.
As the centre enters its second decade and economic pressures mount, its leaders aim to increase awareness through events and expanded services. Robinson emphasized that sustaining and expanding the centre’s services will require ongoing funding and institutional commitment. “Even though we’re busy, many students still don’t know about us," said Robinson.
Reflecting on the past decade, the staff expressed pride in the centre’s accomplishments. “We call this milestone a decade of progress, partnerships. and prosperity,” said Robinson.
Bennett echoed that students increasingly recognize the value of the centre’s programming. “They realize the value of what they’re learning and that’s incredibly gratifying,” said Bennett.
They realize the value of what they're learning and that's incredibly gratifying.
Terry Bennett
Mac's Money Centre, Coach
For more information about Mac’s Money Centre or to access its services, students can visit their website.
This article was not produced by the Silhouette.
Presented by McMaster Student Success Centre
By: Karen Rosenberg, PhD, Academic Skills Program Coordinator (Graduate Writing Specialist)
The start of a new term is a great time to reset and reflect on your learning strategies. Ask yourself, how effective are they, and what impact do they have on your overall well-being?
When I was an undergrad and I got stressed out by my workload, I’d retreat. I’d study by myself until I felt caught up or ran out of steam. I got the job done, but my isolation strategy was more painful (and lonely!) than it needed to be. When I was in graduate school and studied about how people learn, I realized that I had missed out on one of the great opportunities of university life: learning alongside others.
When I was in graduate school and studied about how people learn, I realized that I had missed out on one of the great opportunities of university life: learning alongside others.
Karen Rosenberg, Academic Skills Program Coordinator (Graduate Writing Specialist), McMaster Student Success Centre
Research shows that participating in communities of learning can enhance student learning and help students overcome challenges (Matthews et al., 2012). As a university student, you’re already part of communities of learning, whether you realize it or not. Classes, study groups, workshops and clubs are all environments where you get to learn alongside others and support one another’s success.
Here are some ways that you can make the most of communities of learning this term.
Take an inventory. What communities are you already in?
Consider the benefits and limitations of each one. In a large lecture class, for example, you may find that you’re learning a lot of new material, but you may not feel comfortable getting answers to all of your questions.
Reflect. How can you get the most out of your communities of learning?
One of the major shifts from secondary to post-secondary education is that you have a lot more control over (and responsibility for!) your learning. Ask yourself what you can do to get the most out of each community of learning. Keep in mind that one of the best ways to engage is to support the other learners in your communities.
Check out some new learning opportunities beyond the classroom.
As you figure out what January Reset means for you, consider joining some new communities of learning. Take some risks and try new things!
Talk to your friends and classmates. Attend workshops based on your goals for the term. Make connections at on-campus events that could lead to new study groups and other activities outside the classroom.
Check out the January Reset page on the Student Success Centre website for more ways to get involved: bit.ly/january-reset
Matthews, R. S., Smith, B. L., & MacGregor, J. (2012). The evolution of learning communities: A retrospective. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2012(132), 99–111.
