The Silhouette - MSU candidates Q&A

This article available at http://www.thesil.ca, along with an opinion piece by each of the candidates.

The issues:

1) How do you plan to benefit the MSU membership with the current surplus of funds?
2) If elected, would you commit to stepping down from your position if 80 per cent of your campaign platform goals are not completed by January 2008?
3)How do you plan to eradicate student apathy towards students politics on campus?
4)What is your stance on making vice-president positions elected rather than nominated by the SRA as they are now?
5) With a major project like the GO Bus Station under way, what are your plans for student parking?
6) How do you feel about the fresh MSU leadership rather than having the president come from the SRA or vice-president positions?


Tyler Andrews
1. A continual surplus of funds is something the MSU should not be striving for. A student union should be serving the needs of the students first and worrying about surpluses later. If the MSU is continually achieving a surplus then I think that lowering student fees is necessary.

2. I think that implementation of policy goals is the most important thing for candidates. Some run on ideas that are all too often forgotten once the ballots are counted and the election is over. The problem with stepping down is some things take more than 8 months to complete.

3. MAKE THE STUDENT COUNT. For too long students have been uninterested in politics because it was boring. As President I would work to make the MSU a relevant organization to students. Serious changes need to occur such as the incorporation of student ideas and work into everything we do.

4. I support students electing their Vice-Presidents fully. I am the candidate who is trying to put YOU back in the MSU and this can only be done through a full and open democratic process… Not through an SRA rubber stamp.

5. I am against any increase in student parking spaces because I feel having more students driving to school is detrimental to any greening of campus. What I support is increased bus service to McMaster and incentives to encourage students to carpool instead of drive themselves.

6. MSU vice presidents have the chance to make a difference during their time and should leave the presidency open for students who have not yet had a chance to act in government. For those that are interested in government it gives them a chance to make student life better.


EMERY FINKLESTEIN1. I plan to hire MSU Bunnies. Not rabbits, bunnies, as in Playboy. The objectification of women works for the beer companies, why can't it work for us. Another avenue of spending, is to invest it. The interest would be used to fund new services, additional surplus would be invested as well.

2. No, 80% of 3 is essentially 3. instead of stepping down, I will create a scandal so enraging that very few students can help but get involved with the process to recall me. Which has the same end effect, but also achieves the difficult goal of eliminating student apathy.

3. Make the key MSU members more visible during the year. During frosh week every one is out and about, but with the exception of the out door office hours we never see these people on MSU business. We should be periodically visiting key classes for all degrees to remind them what the MSU is there for.

4. I would rather the VP's not be nominated by the SRA. I'm not quite sure why. It's what feels right.

5. Raise the price of a parking pass for single driver cars. Establish limits on how often a pass holder can be under capacity and still take advantage of the cheaper carpool rate, passes would also be transferable. Unfortunately the infrastructure for this kind of system doesn't exist. Alas, I can dream.

6. I'd be a hypocrite if I said I prefer the president to come from the SRA, VP positions come from the SRA any way, so I don't see much of a difference.


Drew Mitchell
1. The surplus of funds is going to be used for the upcoming occupancy costs of the student centre, either in 2009 of 2010.

2. No, I would not step down. From year to year it is impossible to predict what issues will arise. It is up to the SRA to monitor the President, and the student body to take action if they feel the President is not fulfilling his/her duties.

3. This is a major problem on campus, but I can honestly say I can not think of other ways of addressing this issue, then what is already being done. Such as MSU Who days, Clubsfest, high visibility and promotion though welcome week, etc.

4. Due to student apathy on campus electing the vice-president positions from the student body would not benefit the MSU. The SRA is a more educated body on student politics than the student body as a whole, and are able to make good decisions to the benefit of the MSU.

5. Students should not be paying a levy to fund an underground parking facility which they will never have the opportunity to use. This is currently the biggest issue with student parking on campus.

6.Fresh student leadership is good, but when they don’t have much internal understanding of the MSU, it will be difficult to accomplish as much as they want because there will be much more time spent on transition into the position. Having previous MSU experience is essential to this position.


Jax Cavalheiro
1. I would focus on the needs of students. This includes everything from academics, athletics, social events and everything in between. Amidst all of these needs, it is essential that student health becomes a priority. Diverting surplus funds towards hand sanitizers will take away one more worry by ensuring a healthy campus.

2. First of all, I am only promising things that are realistically attainable with proper budgeting and organization. If the student population at large felt that I had not surpassed their expectations, I would call a general assembly and listen to the voices of students, who trusted me with their vote.

3. In establishing a question board and a Presidential blog on the MSU website, I will make it a priority to break down the barrier between those who make the decisions and those who are affected by them, thus offering a sense of equality between leader and student, and reducing students’ feelings of political ambivalence.

4. In establishing a political system whereby V-P positions are elected would allow a greater number of students to be considered for such positions, thus increasing the potential for great student leadership on campus.

5. Increasing the number of shuttle buses on-campus is imperative in attempting to improve Mac’s current student parking dilemma. Other suggestions would be proposing a parking garage in zones 6 and 7 so that the current lottery-only system would be abolished and students’ priority would be focused on getting to class, rather than on finding a parking spot.

6. The combination of bringing both previous MSU experience and new ideas separate from the MSU allows for a multi-dimensional leader to emerge. With this in mind, this new leader would be able to achieve a student-government that is as well-rounded as its students.


Ryan Moran
1. The actual figure of the surplus has been exaggerated. The MSU must exercise some fiscal conservatism to ensure the continuation of the surplus for the future of the Union, specifically for the next 20 years when MSU will have to brace for massive space rent costs in the MUSC.

2, The most important platform items and aspects of the job are addressing structural, long term problems that, unlike MSU President, do not have a stop date, eg. Community relations, diverse campus, education quality. Progress in, and devotion to such issues are the signs of good leadership, not superficial completion dates.

3. This question has no immediate answer, as it is generally a cultural trend across Canada. The best thing would be to examine what has worked and what hasn’t, and enact successful programs from other schools at Mac. Generally, experimentation is key, and working with students to creatively collaborate on solutions.

4, Vice Presidents are elected by the SRA, not appointed/nominated. They’re open for all students to go out for. These positions are largely internally focused in the MSU, their recall motions are easier to enact than other, broadly elected positions. They’re actually held more accountable than most elected positions at Mac.

5. Encourage more alternative forms of transportation to alleviate the huge demand for parking spaces and environmental concerns. Support commuting initiatives such as those offered by GO transit, and increase relevance of other initiatives such as car-pooling, and recreational/physical forms of transportation, eg. biking, blading, walking.

6. It is still all student perspective and all perspectives are fresh. The President position is open to all students who may want to enter their candidacy, and whether students previously took the initiative to advocate for their faculties on the SRA or not shouldn’t make a difference. Many decisions made in the MSU must go through the SRA and then sent to the committees on which many of the same SRA members sit: what are you feelings on making committee seats not open specifically to SRA members?


Badar Aman Malik
1. Part of the surplus should be used to create more student jobs while the rest of it should be invested in order to ensure financial sustainability.

2. I would commit to stepping down if 100 percent of my short term goals have not been achieved by next January. However, long term goals may not be achieved until the end of my term as President.

3. I believe awareness is the answer to this question. When students are actually given reason to believe that their input is valuable, they will participate. I will use all the resources at hand including the Silhouette, CFMU and posters to create awareness around campus.

4. I don’t think that that would be the right approach. It’s hard enough to hold people accountable as it is. I believe the pressure to perform is much greater when the power to fire you is in the hands of a few dozen people compared to the scenario where 500 signatures are required.

5. Although I don’t have extensive knowledge on the subject, I would encourage looking into the feasibility of the construction of a parking garage. However, looking at the university’s dwindling budget, I doubt that it would be possible.

6. I believe that is exactly what a majority of students at McMaster are looking for. Recycling of power within the MSU has made the organization stale. The students are looking for new, dynamic leadership that would shake things up for the better.