The Silhouette - The world of the MSU President according to Tommy Piribauer

TOMMY PIRIBAUER
FORMER MSU PRESIDENT

Do you care that MSU presidentials are taking place right now? With an average voter turnout of roughly 3000 students, presidential elections, and by extension the position itself, has become less important in the minds of the average undergraduate student.

Candidates come out with their campaign promises, catch phrases (ones that tend to put the MSU with U or You), suggest they’re going to bring back accountability and transparency, campaign ideas that mirror years past, and bring vastly different abilities to lead, advocate, and champion causes.

The Silhouette drafted a list of questions for the candidates to answer. These questions were one-sided at best and biased and self-serving at worst. Take the question “If you are 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?

If I were to re-run, I would say that 1) not all campaign promises can be measured equally in terms of their importance or their ability to be completed in 8-months, and 2) campaign promises are not completed one after another. Rather, the summer is for the groundwork, the fall for consultation, and the spring for proper implementation.

The following is background information I think is important for students to judge the candidates’ responses to each of the questions.

The MSU has benefited from surplus funding due to rising enrollment (without a matching increase in MSU spending), increased Union Market revenue, and a decrease in full-time staff wages. The membership should make a philosophical decision as to whether all money contributed in a given year should be spent on student services that year or the next, or whether it is reasonable to save for future years. Bursary contribution has been a popular suggestion. Keep in mind, however, that you need to contribute to a fund to start a bursary, and only the interest can be given out each year. Thus, a $200,000 surplus invested in bursaries would likely only generate $10,000 in bursaries per year at best. Student jobs are perhaps a more immediate and more beneficial option to student financial need.

Some MSU services are in a deficit, not because they are poorly run, but because of other factors. In the case of Quarters, the MSU is still paying off considerable amortization on the amount that was spent to build and furnish the space in the Student Centre. It also makes decisions (such as having a particular event) that are less profitable than a bar night, but that better serves the broad student demographic.
Student parking is always on the radar as a hot topic. With the campus unable to expand much more, precedence should be placed on academic buildings when it comes last remaining land. A parking garage has been suggested, but would cost in excess of $30,000-$50,000 per spot to construct. Imagine how much would have to be charged per year to make up that cost plus the interest to finance it, in addition to the question of whether it’s the best use of space.

The idea that “I have been in the MSU, and therefore have much less of a learning curve” has been carbon copied on every campaign run by a Vice-President (admittedly mine included). MSU experience is valuable, but not essential, and certainly not required. The MSU has thirty full-time staff to help the President-elect adapt to their new position. A strong leader with a good understanding of student issues and a proven record of getting the job done is the important part of the resume. The rest can be filled in along the way.

The MSU President is placed in meetings with University Administration, Board of Governors, department managers and community groups, most often as one of only a few student representatives. The President is always at the disadvantage of not knowing past precedence or decisions made to date. The MSU President needs to be able to stand up to pressure, be clear in vocalizing the student opinion, research topics being discussed, and question information and evidence that is put forth. A president that buckles under the pressure or is unprepared will not serve students well.

The MSU President needs to communicate with you. Resources and mediums are in place or can be available to get any message across. Your MSU President needs to have a plan of communication and the willingness to seek out new methods in order to reach students on matters of importance.

The MSU President needs to be able to solicit student opinion. It does no good for the MSU President to advocate a position, if it is not truly the position of the majority of students. New methods for feedback generation and consultation need to be devised to ensure that your student government is representing your interests.

The MSU can easily survive without an MSU President for a year. Electing a president who can simply attend meetings, put out fires and maintain the status quo is no better than electing no one at all. The difference that a President makes is evident in the ideas they bring, the way they lead and motivate others, the positive changes they initiate, and the degree to which student input has been received and implemented. Electing a strong leader will have a lasting impact on your student experience.