When I started out as the Opinions Editor for The Silhouette this past year, I admittedly didn’t care much about student politics or governance. I was unfamiliar with the policies of the McMaster Students Union and had no idea what happened during Student Representative Assembly meetings.
Nowadays, I regularly watch the SRA livestreams and perform my due diligence to be aware of changes occurring within the MSU. A large part of that is for my job, but I’ve found that staying informed has benefits beyond finding something to write about.
The purpose of the MSU is to “represent you and to help build a better community for all students”. As the governing body of the MSU, SRA members have a responsibility to represent and lobby on behalf of their students.
It’s only fair then that we as students hold these members, and the MSU in general, accountable for their actions. In doing so, we are ensuring that any changes occurring are truly reflective of the needs and desires of students.
There’s many ways for students can hold these organizations accountable. They can attend SRA meetings, speak to their SRA representative, voice their concerns online or even protest for change.
Alternatively, you can do what I do, and write about your concerns for the campus newspaper. Perhaps some of my criticisms have been harsh or slightly misguided. But at the end of the day, I’m proud of the articles that I’ve written and edited for The Silhouette. Even if they have stepped on some toes, I’d like to think they’ve helped incite some positive changes on campus.
Whether these changes are a fully-stocked Union Market or investigations into MSU-recognized clubs, it’s evident that speaking out on issues is important.
Not everything the SRA or MSU has done has been negative. In fact, they have made some great, positive changes that are deserving of praise, or at the very least, of respect.
A few weeks ago, I had plans to write about the SRA’s contradictory playing of the national anthem and delivery of a land acknowledgment at their meetings. To my surprise, I found that they passed a motion to stop playing the national anthem at their meetings altogether. Things like these are positive changes that students should be aware of.
Of course, there is only so much that students can do. Given the record eight students who attended the General Assembly on March 20, it is obvious that the MSU must do a better job at engaging with their student constituents.
But just because the MSU and SRA have much to improve doesn’t mean that students are off the hook for staying informed. Without student input and advocacy efforts, organizations are given too much power and can make decisions that negatively impact us all.
For example, without the efforts of a few brave survivors telling their experiences with sexual assault within the MSU Maroons, it’s unlikely that the service would be doing anything to account for the issue, much less propose developing a long-overdue sexual assault and harassment policy.
I encourage students to get engaged with their university’s politics. It might seem overwhelming, and the information is certainly not easy to navigate, but it’s important work.
Especially in light of the upcoming changes to post-secondary education made by the provincial government, it is in the best interests of all students to be engaged with their union’s activities.
My term at The Silhouette is reaching a close. I’ve learned a lot during my time working for the newspaper but my biggest takeaway is that student politics affects us all, including those outside of the MSU bubble. For our own sake, we ought to keep our student organizations accountable for their actions.
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By: Jenna Getty
As the city ramps up for another election in the coming year, local advocacy groups have begun working together to get more women in governance.
The Elect More Women Conference took place Oct. 21 at Hamilton’s city hall. The conference hopes to see more women in politics and ultimately work to build election teams.
“The most important thing about this conference is to drive home that women are capable, effective leaders with experience to bring to the table and government should reflect the diversity they serve,” said Daniela Giuletti, one of the coordinators of the conference.
The central aim of the conference is to provide women with the confidence to take the next steps, whatever that means for each individual. Whether that means leading a canvassing party, or putting their name forward as a candidate, Giulietti says it doesn’t matter, as long as women feel empowered and supported as they leave the conference.
This is not a question of skill, the skills are obviously there, they are just not being utilized and appreciated in government and politics.
The lack of representation of women in politics is reflected here at McMaster. Of the four positions on the board of directors in the McMaster Students Union, only one is held by a woman, and of the other nine positions on the executive board, only three are filled by women.
According to Giulietti, the lack of female representation in any level of government boils down to risk. Women risk a lot when running in politics, socially, professionally and emotionally. With this in mind, the idea supports the fact that while minorities are often underrepresented in politics, they are often heading community work and other initiatives behind the scenes. This is not a question of skill, the skills are obviously there, they are just not being utilized and appreciated in government and politics.
There are, however, opportunities for women at McMaster to get involved with Hamilton politics. Opting to participate in volunteer opportunities that offer important skill development, sitting in on Council Night at City Hall, speaking with student government, speaking with campaign offices or even getting involved with a campaign if you have customer service experience. These opportunities are available to anyone, you just need to know where to look for them.
The lack of representation of women in politics is reflected here at McMaster. Of the four positions on the board of directors in the McMaster Students Union, only one is held by a woman, and of the other nine positions on the executive board, only three are filled by women.
Guiletti argues lack of representation isn’t just the responsibility of women. To work towards fixing the issue, it must be tackled by the community, not just left to women to fix for themselves. Giulietti recommends student governments taking a look at their own campaign, and reevaluating whether or not it’s accessible to those who are usually underrepresented, as well as working to invite more women and diversity to their teams.
Karen Bird, a political science professor at McMaster, has previously stated that voters are not biased against women running for positions, and instead the issue being that women are not given the chance to run. Bird recommends that electoral parties shoulder-tap women to run.
Canada, Hamilton and McMaster has a ways to go before we have equal representation in politics, and women still have barriers to overcome.
“We have incredibly capable women in office, and thankfully so many supportive men allies. We also have men who think it’s okay to call women in sciences ‘Climate Barbie’,” Giulietti said. “So the most incredible barrier to me, is that despite all of our gains, we still have this crap to contend with.”
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On July 16, the Board of Directors and the Student Representative Assembly met as part of their regular schedule In this particular meeting, each member of the Board of Directors, consisting of the president and the vice-presidents of the McMaster Students Union, and representatives from each of the major faculties discussed their yearlong plans moving forward into the academic year.
Each of these plans includes a description, benefits, difficulties, long-term implications, the process and the partners needed to accomplish each goal. There is also a rough timeline included for each based on what each person or caucus would like to achieve in each term.
For Chukky Ibe, the MSU president, the emphasis on Wi-Fi from his campaign has become one piece of larger objectives such as a planned tech week and “Optimizing Student Technology.” The plan notes that they are working with University Tech Services on a campus-wide audit to identify spaces that could benefit from internet expansion.
Many of the other goals are things that have been fairly consistent efforts through the last number of years. Opening up the MSU and increasing communication, accessibility on campus, reducing campus waste and affordable textbooks are all part of this. Some objectives such as “Good Food Delivery,” and “Graduate Transition” have not been as common in previous years.
It is also worth noting that his plan does not include the “Master Summary” that the vice-presidents include in their plans with a month-by-month breakdown and checklist. His open letter, “Trust Your Dopeness,” takes the place of a foreword note.
Preethi Anbalagan, vice-president (Administration), has already focused on training and transitioning part-time managers and the associate vice-presidents, and has a plan tailored to Welcome Week programming and support moving forward.
Ryan Deshpande, vice-president (Education), mentions the advocacy still needed on topics such as the McMaster’s Sexual Violence Prevention and Response policy approved in January, and continued efforts towards topics like health, academic success and transit.
Daniel D’Souza, vice-president (Finance), continues the timeline towards the opening of the 1280 café and the additional aspects of that, e.g., online ordering and revamped club nights, and reviews of different aspects of campus such as part-time staff, rep suits and the accessibility of the MSU childcare center.
For more information about each of these plans, visit the SRA Documents page available on the MSU website.
Objectives:
Board of Directors:
Chukky Ibe, president:
Preethi Anbalagan, vice-president (Administration):
Ryan Deshpande, vice-president (Education):
Daniel D’Souza, vice-president (Finance):
Faculties:
Arts and Science:
Business:
Engineering:
Health Sciences:
Humanities:
Nursing:
Science:
Social Sciences:
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