Teddy Saull builds platform around community

Teddy Saull longs for the day that all McMaster students participate in the community that he has come to know and love.

“I’m running for MSU President because community matters to me” he said. “The MSU is a thing we’re aware of, but not necessarily engaged in… it’s a challenge I think we can overcome.”

Coming into the race with little MSU experience but a passionate idealism, Saull says that his experience living in residence for three years and working for Residence Life has taught him about the importance of community his platform looks to create.

“I wanted to build a platform that was very tangible” he said.

Saull has some big ideas but hasn’t constructed exact roadmaps about how to reach all of them.

Saull hopes to lobby with local politicians and the municipal police force to work toward better lighting in student neighborhoods and red security poles like those found on campus.

Another big idea is to freeze the MSU fee where it currently is. Full-time undergraduates pay $122.61 to the MSU each year. Saull wants to ensure that the fee doesn’t rise.

“We’re good where we’re at,” he said, “We can start to give back a little bit.”

Questions have been raised as to how a candidate with such little background in the MSU could lead the operation of the organization. Saull’s campaign attempts to respond to these questions by focusing on the lessons he has learned through his work as a residence community advisor and IntroPsych TA.

Saull also acknowledges that several of his platform ideas are similar to those of Jacob Brodka. He believes that this fact shows that MSU experience does not always mean different ideas.

Both he and Brodka are looking to expand Frost Week and introduce a cost-friendly peer tutoring service, while three candidates (Brodka, Saull, Wolwowicz) are introducing a program that would allow students to decide on what projects to fund and develop.

Saull’s may be the most well-thought out variation of the idea. He plans to call for student submissions, with a $100,000 budget from the Student Life Enhancement Fund, which will then be reviewed by a selection committee and the student body.

“I’ve set it up in a sustainable way that could be repeated,” he said.

Though Saull’s ideas will likely connect with students, his similarities to Brodka and lack of MSU experience may be a turnoff to voters.

Campaign catchphrase: Make it matter
Year/Program: Fourth-year psychology, neuroscience and behaviour
Who he would vote for: Jacob Brodka
Most ambitious platform point: Off-campus security
Point he’s critical of: Brodka's freedom credit. He wouldn’t want to encourage the creation of a de facto “bird course.”