Hu's platform focuses on enhancing student life through new food menus, sports, cultural and other events
Hu did not attend the scheduled photoshoot with the Silhouette's photo assistant ahead of publication.
Jialiang (Kevin) Hu is a third-year Integrated Biomedical Health, Engineering Science and Entrepreneurship student running in the McMaster Students Union presidential race. His platform states that student engagement at McMaster University has recently declined and if elected, he hopes to revitalize student life on campus.
Hu's campaign platform is divided into five sections: athletics, food, culture, advocacy and a miscellaneous section.
Hu's campaign platform is divided into five sections: athletics, food, culture, advocacy and a miscellaneous section.
Athletics
As part of his athletics sections, Hu plans to introduce more sports events on campus supplemented with entertainment before, during and after the games. Hu discusses in his platform an initiative he calls Student Week, where the week leading up to a sports event will consist of on-campus activities including carnivals, food trucks and beer gardens.
Hu proposes to have half-time shows during games, where the McMaster Marching Band and cheerleaders would perform. Furthermore, he proposed a giveaway during half-time and an on-campus party with concert performances.
Food
In his food section, Hu proposes to improve upon three MSU-owned food services: TwelvEighty Bar and Grill, the Grind and Union Market. Hu's primary focus of this proposal is to make changes to TwelvEighty, to make it more accessible and enjoyable for students.
Hu also mentions improving upon advertisements, promotions, entertainment and food through renovations of the spaces, making the space bookable by MSU clubs and having students be able to decide on monthly specials.
In an interview with the Silhouette, Hu shared that one of his goals is to amend menus to be more accommodating to dietary restrictions. Hu also proposes for menus to serve more authentic cultural food.
Hu's platform emphasizes the importance of low price food options to be accessible to students.
Culture
In the culture section of the campaign, Hu proposes a cultural fair initiative to celebrate diversity at McMaster. He explained that the fair would consist of booths, cultural dishes in La Piazza and Centro and performances. Hu states that these could be sponsored by the Alumni Association and Student Success Centre.
Advocacy
Hu further divided the advocacy section of his platform into four main points. The first point being to move Hospitality Services and Housing and Conference Services from the department of finance to the department of student affairs in an effort to redirect the focus of these services away from a profit-based model and encourage greater focus on meeting the needs of students. In the next point under this section, Hu proposes to have the municipal government provide political and financial support for McMaster’s off-campus housing. The third point under this section looks to initiate steps for student activities to be more easily put in place, by proposing by-laws that ease the restrictions on the kinds of events students can host, such as bake sales, and simplify the process to get approval for an event. Hu's last point in his advocacy section is to find a balance between academic and student life.
Miscellaneous
In the final miscellaneous section of his platform, Hu discusses ways to enhance student life, including investing in new technologies and electronics, esport tournaments, anime conventions, obtaining sponsors for clubs and teams and introducing more methods to partake in recreational sports.
Voting for the MSU presidential election takes place from Jan. 23 to Jan. 25 using the Simply Voting platform. More information about the election can be found on the MSU Elections website.
Campaigning for re-election, Popovic's platform focuses on alleviating food and housing insecurity while improving student life on campus
Current McMaster Students Union President Jovan Popovic is running for re-election for this year’s election, with a large and diverse platform covering a range of issues. In his written campaign statement, Popovic expressed his commitment to help alleviate the stress of rising food and housing costs, improve student events and recreational services on campus and advocating for increased transparency, improved transit for commuter students and for changes to McMaster’s policies on the use of generative artificial intelligence.
Alleviate stress of rising living costs
Recognizing that many students are facing the strain of the rising cost of food, Popovic proposes to initiate a program that would serve complimentary soup and bread to students four days a week from noon to 2:00 p.m. throughout the school year.
Popovic states in his platform that the program would be able to serve between 75,000 and 95,000 portions throughout the year. To fund the initiative, Popovic plans to hold a referendum to instate what he believes is a “modest” five dollar increase in student union fees.
To address the rising cost of housing and the greater and greater difficulty students face in finding housing, Popovic has the goal of advocating for and bringing McMaster to commit to halting further increases in the student population. Popovic also has pledged to lobby the federal government to provide Hamilton with financial assistance to build more housing, via the housing accelerator fund.
Improve student events
In light of this past year’s order from the university for students to not attend homecoming parties in neighbourhoods surrounding campus, Popovic has promised to ensure the first university-approved on-campus homecoming event next September — the first since 2019.
Popovic has stated in his platform that both McMaster University President David Farrar and Hamilton Ward 1 councillor Maureen Wilson have expressed to him strong support for this plan. Plans for the return of homecoming include having food trucks, community vendors, live performers and a late night concert.
Recognizing that McMaster sports teams and the Department of Athletics and Recreation currently face financial constraints, Popovic has stated he intends to assist sports teams and recreational clubs by establishing a new line of funding to assist such groups. In an interview, it was elaborated that this funding would specifically be used to provide venues for team and club events at reduced or no cost.
Further aiming to empower and improve athletics on campus, Popovic has indicated his plans to improve the ability of student athletes and sports teams to make their concerns heard and known. A specific and detailed plan has not been included as to how to achieve this end, but Popovic refers to making use of the Varsity Leadership Committee and forming “new communication channels for athletes” in his platform statement.
Aiming to improve opportunities for social events and outings on campus, Popovic proposes extending the hours of TwelvEighty Bar and Grill to be open until at least 10:00 p.m. Additionally, Popovic envisions TwelvEighty continuing to serve as a restaurant throughout the day, while serving as a bar during the extended late hours.
Furthermore, Popovic proposes the introduction of game day specials at the venue, such as half-price wings, on days when sport games are being played. This initiative, along with having more nights dedicated for hosting club events, looks to increase the attractiveness of TwelvEighty as a social hub for students.
Increase MSU transparency
An apparent lack of transparency and communication between students and the MSU, as well as students' awareness of the MSU, is one critical area in which the current president outlines significant improvement is required. Popovic has proposed a restructuring of the MSU’s media team, while taking inspiration from Brock University Student Union.
The proposed plan to improve communication and student awareness involved creating three student positions to create and post content on the MSU’s media platforms, which would rotate shifts throughout the week. Popovic elaborated in an interview that the idea behind the rotational roles is to improve the quality of content produced by having a more diverse team of student employees that can better achieve the work together and engage with students more frequently.
Advocate for improved transit
To improve transportation for students who commute, Popovic aims to collaborate with Metrolinx to both increase GO bus route frequency and expand routes. Popovic also has stated an intention to work with McMaster Parking Services to devise solutions to improve availability and affordability of parking for students who commute.
Meanwhile, to improve mobility for students nearby and across campus, Popovic endorses holding a referendum to enact a bike pass program to increase the number of bikes on campus and make them more affordable to use.
Change to McMaster's AI policy
Lastly, Popovic has outlined that he believes McMaster’s current stance on and policies regarding the use of generative AI in academic work is too restrictive and vague. He has indicated his intention to advocate for the university to improve clarity in its written AI policies and to argue for the loosening of restrictions on the use of AI by students.
Overall, Popovic's platform is an extensive one that aims to improve student life by addressing food and housing insecurity, and improving transparency, transportation and social and extracurricular experiences on campus.
Voting for the MSU presidential election takes place from Jan. 23 to Jan. 25 using the Simply Voting platform. More information about the election can be found on the MSU Elections website.
On Nov, 12, McMaster’s SRA reviewed and refined a statement addressing “violence in the Middle East” to be put forward by the MSU. The statement was released on MSU Instagram and in full on the MSU website, and addresses student populations directly affected by the Israel-Hamas conflict and organizations the MSU has pledged to make donations
An all-nighter or skipping a meal or a study break here and there to cram in some extra work may seem like a good idea during a busy exam season. However, these habits can have short and long-term consequences for student health, including brain fog, burnout, a weakened immune system and poorer mental health.
Located in downtown Hamilton, Hawk & Sparrow is a vintage, secondhand boutique that has been making varied and unique clothing items available to the community for more than a decade. They’ve gone through a few iterations over the years, but throughout them all founder Sarah Moyal is committed to being accessible and welcoming to all.
The men’s basketball team recorded a win in their home opener to kick of their Ontario University Athletics season. The Marauders won 78-80 against the University of Toronto, with senior players Daniel Graham and Moody Qasim scoring 16 points each. Despite a difficult preseason with losses against several interleague teams, McMaster University is off to a great start to begin their year.
Report outlines cases handled by the office in the previous academic year and provides recommendations to the university for policy changes
After its presentation before the McMaster University Senate on Oct. 18, the Ombuds Office has published their annual report for 2022-2023. The report outlines the cases handled by the office in the past year and the recommendations they have put forward to the university.
Located on the second floor of the McMaster University Students Centre, the Ombuds Office is a resource for graduate and undergraduate students, staff and community members to raise concerns about student-related matters at the university. It exists to identify areas of improvement for policies and procedures at the university from the cases that it handles during its operational year.
Providing an impartial voice for conflict resolution, the office oversaw 372 cases from May 1, 2022 to Apr. 30, 2023 and assisted in 338 within its jurisdiction. The other 34 involved inquiries, meaning that they were outside the office’s mandate — not student related — or outside the office’s jurisdiction – not university related.
245 of the cases overseen by the office were brought forward by undergraduate students. 79 per cent of those cases were academic issues and 17 per cent were non-academic, the remaining were outside the duty of the office or were withdrawn.
Grading/evaluation issues comprised 20 per cent of the academic issues raised, the largest category followed by problems relating to course and program management at 16 per cent and petitions, MSAF and appeals at 11 per cent. The most prominent non-academic issue concerned fees and financial at 33 per cent.
Graduate students brought 86 cases to the office, 79 per cent of them being academic and accommodation issues being the most common concern at 15 per cent. Non-academic issues were again topped by fees and financial concerns. Almost half of all inquiries brought to the office by McMaster employees were outside the mandate of the office. Seven cases concerned issues involving a student.
Almost all the cases brought to the Ombuds Office were resolved after providing information and referrals. In 58 per cent of the cases it saw, the Ombuds Office assisted by providing advice through the explanation of policies and procedures, providing an objective look at the issue, recommending the best steps to move forward if an appeal should be launched or simply by analyzing the issues that can be resolved to achieve a fair solution.
However, 82 cases over their reporting year required intervention to find a solution. Nearly half of those necessitated clarification with all involved parties, 34 per cent needing further inquiry and 18 per cent requiring mediation/negotiation to find an acceptable solution.
The other half of the annual report contained observations and recommendations made by the office. These proposed changes concerned McMaster policies and operations that the office thinks could be improved to prevent repeat cases in the future.
The office divided its recommendations into eight sections, each containing specific issues with proposed changes to resolve each at an administrative level. Many were simple changes that can be made while some larger issues warranted a multi-point recommendation from the office to improve the university policy or code that was involved in a case at the office.
The first section covered course management and identified three key areas where changes can be made to course outlines and setup. The office recommended changes to several components of the Undergraduate Course Management Policy.
The Ombuds Office recommends that the grades for all components of a course should be released without students making specific requests, as the case in an unspecified department who said that it is against department policy to release final assessment grades.
They also recommend that midterms scheduled outside of regular class time be displayed on Mosaic before course enrollment. This will give students time to identify timing conflicts before finalizing their course selections.
The other sections in the report covered timeliness, decision making authority, user-friendly policies, student conduct, academic accommodations, academic integrity, and graduate student issues.
A full list of all recommendations can be found in the report available on the Ombud's website.
The Silhouette: Please introduce yourself.
Rijaa Khan: My name is Rijaa, my pronouns are she and her and I'm the [Women and Gender Equity Network] director this year.
What is WGEN?
WGEN is a peer-support service. We cater to women, trans folk, nonbinary folk and people who generally identify outside the gender binary. We also cater to all survivors of sexual and gender based violence, so, to people from all gender identities. We provide a safer space on campus and we're on the second floor of MUSC, room 204. People can come in and just chill. We have a library and many different resources. We run events throughout the year as well, and we have community care groups.
WGEN is a peer-support service. We cater to women, trans folk, nonbinary folk and people who generally identify outside the gender binary. We also cater to all survivors of sexual and gender based violence.
Rijaa Khan, Director, Women and Gender Equity Network
What inspired you to join WGEN?
When I was in first year, it was the year right before the pandemic, [so] everything was in-person and I would come to the space a lot as a service user to read or talk to people. For me, it definitely was a safe space. When you're on campus, you're always running around and it can feel really overwhelming. There wasn't really any space like WGEN on campus that I felt truly comfortable in. Then, because of my love for that, I became involved afterwards. I've been a part of the exec team since then, for the past five years now. Just because of the ways that the service helped me, I was inspired to join and provide that support for other people.
What is your fondest memory from your past five years with WGEN?
It was during the pandemic. We were running a music exchange event where we were sharing our favourite BIPOC artists for our campaign Bodies are Dope. I almost didn't want to go, but I decided, "I’ll turn my camera off and just be there." A lot of people came to the event and I think, like me, they came just to do something. But we ended up going past two hours because everyone became so comfortable talking about music and our favourite artists. I was in the trenches during the pandemic, and I'm sure everyone was, so this memory is so fond to me from this genuine feeling of community that I was reminded still exists.
I was in the trenches during the pandemic, and I'm sure everyone was, so this memory is so fond to me from this genuine feeling of community that I was reminded still exists.
Rijaa Khan, Director, Women and Gender Equity Network
I really appreciate that. I think the community aspect is really hard to come by even with life in person.
I think it's one of the biggest difficulties in running a service but it's one of the most important things. It can be really hard to make friends. When I was in first year, even though it was in-person, I struggled because I was in this huge program and you rarely see the same people every day. So, the only avenue to make friends for me was through services like WGEN, which is something I hear to this day from other people too.
What do you want others to know about WGEN?
For WGEN, people know us only through the purple room or from our events. One thing I try to emphasize is that we’re involved in a lot of the events they’re talking about. We have three campaigns every year: Transforming Mac in November, where we run the Trans Day of Remembrance vigil with the [Pride Collective Centre] and the [Queer and Trans Colour Club]; Bodies are Dope in February, which is a campaign centered around bodies, body neutrality, racialized bodies; and Making Waves, towards the end of the year, which is very workshop-focused. I've heard that these sorts of things aren’t available for people across campus, but I want to emphasize that they’re here.
What would you say to someone who is uncertain about visiting WGEN?
One user told me she circled the space for two weeks before stepping in. That was so relatable because it's something that I did in my first year. But, as soon as I stepped in, it was so welcoming and comfortable that I couldn't figure out why I was scared in the first place. I was someone who I was always scared of going to events too. We’re mindful to create events where, if you don’t want to socialize or talk to people, you can still come and do something together, like watch a movie or make art. Even if you're feeling anxious or shy, you can just be present and get to know everyone. It is really scary, and I want to validate those fears – I had those anxieties too – but it can potentially be one of the best memories that you have in your undergrad. Taking that leap was the best thing I could have done for myself. So, give yourself and the people in the space a chance to get to know you. From that, you can see how much you like it and whether you want to keep coming back.
Food Collective Centre will collect non-perishable items to assist those facing food insecurity in the McMaster community
The McMaster Students Union Food Collective Centre is a student-run service located in the basement of the refectory building and they provide on-campus support to students, alumni, staff and Hamilton community partners throughout the academic year to help them meet their nutritional needs.
This Halloween, the FCC is hosting their annual Trick or Eat food drive. They will be accepting donations of non-perishable and health and hygiene items from Oct. 23 to Nov. 3 at various locations both on and off campus.
They will be accepting donations of non-perishable and health and hygiene items from Oct. 23 to Nov. 3 at various locations both on and off campus.
The Trick or Eat campaign aims to help students lacking adequate access to food by stocking up the food bank for the colder months. As the costs of living rise and vulnerable groups are increasingly impacted by food insecurity, the FCC hopes to retain a stock sufficient to help those in need.
This year the campaign will have on campus donation boxes located in the Michael DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery, the Peter George Centre for Living and Learning and the John Hodgins Engineering Building on campus.
Off campus donation boxes will also be set up at Williams Cafe, the Grain and Grit Beer Co. and the Fairweather Brewing Company.
Food donations that are needed this year include canned goods such as canned meat, soups, canned fruits vegetables; spreads and condiments; tea, juice and instant coffee; dry and canned pastas, cereals, rice and oatmeal and granola bars. Hygiene and health products must be sealed and can be donated alongside food donations in FCC donation boxes.
Food donations that are needed this year include canned goods such as canned meat, soups, canned fruits vegetables; spreads and condiments; tea, juice and instant coffee; dry and canned pastas, cereals, rice and oatmeal and granola bars. Hygiene and health products must be sealed and can be donated alongside food donations in FCC donation boxes.
The FCC opened their food bank for the current academic term on Oct. 23 and they are are offering walk in access to their pantry during operating hours. For those in need, non-perishable food and hygiene products are also available for pick-up Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the basement of the refectory building.
For more information on the Trick or Eat food drive and the FCC, visit their socials and their MSU service page.
From athletics and recreation fees to organization fees, the university lacks transparency when it comes to where your money is going
Each year, McMaster University and the McMaster Student Union collect over $1,400 in mandatory supplementary fees from each of their full-time undergraduate students. As tuition and supplementary fees were just due on September 25 this year, students, once again, enter a period of heightened financial stress after paying off significant balances to avoid late fees and interest charges.
However, finding detailed information on your student fees isn’t as easy as it should be.
While the MSU provides an accessible breakdown of the specific fees they manage, there is limited information available on how those funds are used by the MSU. For instance, to better understand how the organization fee, which costs students over $150, is used, you’d have to rummage through lengthy financial documents that are largely inaccessible to the average student. Not to mention, the list of fees on the MSU website is inaccurate and outdated based on the fee breakdown students can find on Mosaic or the Office of the Registrar’s website.
In comparison to the MSU’s less-than-satisfactory efforts towards transparency, though, the university lags even further behind. For McMaster-specific fees, there is little to no information available on how student funds are managed.
In comparison to the MSU’s less-than-satisfactory efforts towards transparency, though, the university lags even further behind. For McMaster-specific fees, there is little to no information available on how student funds are managed.
Take, for example, the administrative services fee which can cost up to $43 and is designated for transcripts, letters, tax form and certificate fees. Beyond that brief description in the title of the fee there are no further details on how the funds generated by this fee are used by the administrative team. What makes the unclarity of the fees even more frustrating is the fact that students are still required to pay $3 for an official e-transcript or $30 for an official paper transcript with express shipping.
This administrative service fee is just one example from that never-ending list of fees slipped onto your balance with tuition costs.
For many students and their families, the set of student fees they are required to pay can represent a significant financial burden, especially given the current economic climate.
As students at McMaster, we deserve to know exactly how our money is being spent. Creating a sense of transparency around student fees would not only improve attitudes towards fees, because students can better understand the value of their fees, but it also holds the university accountable to their budgeting, ensuring every student’s hard-earned penny is well spent.
As students and consumers at McMaster, we deserve to know exactly how our money is being spent. Creating a sense of transparency around student fees would not only improve attitudes towards fees, because students can better understand the value of their fees, but it also holds the university accountable to their budgeting, ensuring every student’s hard-earned penny is well spent.
For example, students are charged $260 for an expense labelled as the Athletics & Recreation Sports Complex Building fee. Beyond the title of the fee, there are no further details provided on where these costs are going and how they would benefit students. Without accessible information on these vaguely defined fees, students are left in the dark, unsatisfied with the dozens of unreasonable additional costs their forced to pay.
As inflation continues to take a toll on students, the burden of student fees is undeniable. Both the university and MSU need to prioritize transparency and work to build a more accessible and equitable system of student fees that better supports students and their needs.
Courts funded by the Student Life Enhancement Fund will be available for student use in the fall
On Aug. 7, the McMaster Students Union announced McMaster University agreed to refurbish two outdoor volleyball courts for the upcoming year. Previously part of a project under the Student Life Enhancement Fund, the courts at the Oval, located near the David Braley Athletic Centre and the Ivor Wynne Centre, will be open to students later in the fall.
In partnership with McMaster Student Affairs, the MSU has historically used the SLEF fund to support the development of student proposals for projects that enhance student life and community. Reviewed by the Student Services Committee, these proposals must meet specific criteria for approval, including being student driven, innovative and considerate of environmental impact.
Recent examples of projects backed by the SLEF include the Mac Community Kitchen, napping pods in the McMaster University Student Centre and the MacAccess Resource Library.
The courts’ revival was proposed by MSU president, Jovan Popovic, in Student Representative Assembly reports on Jun. 18 and Jun. 20. In the Jun. 20 report Popovic referenced a sign posting for the outdoor volleyball courts in Parking Lot H. The space had been originally outlined as a temporary parking lot for the construction of the Peter George Living and Learning Centre.
The courts’ revival was proposed by MSU president, Jovan Popovic, in Student Representative Assembly reports on Jun. 18 and Jun. 20.
Despite the building’s completion in 2019, the parking lot has since remained with the construction gear still present on the site. In a remote SRA meeting on Jun. 25, Popovic stated that approximately $20,000 of money collected from undergraduate student service fees was being wasted with the uncleared gear.
About a month and a half later, the MSU followed up with an Instagram video announcing that the university had agreed to revive the courts in time for the upcoming fall semester at no additional charges to students. A key focus of the project’s restoration was centred around the development of opportunities to promote recreation and student life across campus.
“Ultimately [the courts are] a big contributor towards student life because it’s providing students with the ability to come back [to campus] for reasons aside from academics,” said Popovic.
“Ultimately [the courts are] a big contributor towards student life because it’s providing students with the ability to come back [to campus] for reasons aside from academics,” said Popovic.
Jovan Popovic, president, McMaster Students Union
In his report on Jun. 18, Popovic explained that his two goals with the volleyball court revival were the recovery of the wasted student life money and the construction of new replacement facilities for those that were taken away from students.
“What this project was about was recovering what was lost. Hopefully this acts as a gateway for greater things, but ultimately this was the easiest and fastest way to get something done and to get it done in a timely manner,” said Popovic.
“What this project was about was recovering what was lost. Hopefully this acts as a gateway for greater things, but ultimately this was the easiest and fastest way to get something done and to get it done in a timely manner,”
Jovan Popovic, president, McMaster Students Union
Popovic also indicated that he would be advocating for a new tennis and basketball court to be built on the Oval. Other potential additions to this space could include green garden spaces and communal areas for both off-campus and residential students.
McMaster students will continue paying for the HSR Bus Pass, Solar Car and Engineers Without Borders following referenda results
This MSU election season, students not only voted for their 2023-2024 president-elect, but they also voted in three referenda about whether to continue paying for the Hamilton Street Railway bus pass, McMaster University Solar Car and Engineers Without Borders.
In the HSR bus pass referendum, 77.1 per cent voted to continue paying for a 12-month unlimited ride HSR bus pass until the 2025-2026 school year. Approximately 10.5 per cent of the student population voted, bringing it barely above the 10 per cent threshold for referendum results to be counted.
Students paid $232.94 in the 2022-2023 school year for the unlimited bus pass. Next year’s fee will total $241.79, due to transportation price increases as a part of Hamilton’s city council 10-year strategic plan.
Students paid $232.94 in the 2022-2023 school year for the unlimited bus pass. Next year’s fee will total $241.79, due to transportation price increases as a part of Hamilton’s city council 10-year strategic plan.
In order for a referendum to be acknowledged, at least 10 per cent of the student body must vote. Both the McMaster Solar Car and Engineers Without Borders referenda failed to meet this threshold. Therefore, the previous fees will be kept as a fee on students’ tuition.
Annually, McMaster Solar Car and Engineers Without Borders cost each student $1.11 and $0.41 respectively.
Annually, McMaster Solar Car and Engineers Without Borders cost each student $1.11 and S0.41 respectively.
The results from these referenda have not changed the fees to McMaster students, with the exception of a $8.85 price increase in the HSR bus pass due to rising costs of transportation in the 2023-2024 school year.
In his campaign Thorne aims to make substantial changes to the operations of McMaster, including with regards to infrastructure, healthcare and the environment
Zachary Thorne is a sixth-year computer engineering and society student running for McMaster Students Union President.
Thorne’s platform covers a wide variety of issues, which he has organized into 10 major categories: infrastructure, economy, healthcare, environment, communications, education, transportation, legacy, national security and morale boosters.
Thorne’s plans for infrastructure involve constructing more bridges around campus, turning TwelveEighty Bar and Grill into a bowling alley and installing more indoor waterfalls.
One key infrastructure idea that resurfaces throughout Thorne’s platform is his Doors Initiative. In order to address hallway congestion and entryway traffic, Thorne plans to replace every existing door on campus with a revolving door and, further, to triple the number of doors on campus. In his platform, Thorne also stated that this would help McMaster University to become the first university campus with more doors than wheels.
Thorne’s economic plans involve introducing Willy Dog hotdogs to every restaurant on campus and solving inflation. With regards to healthcare, his platform proposes asking students to take their shoes off before entering buildings and being permitted to cook their own food on campus, to prevent students from ingesting undercooked food. Environmentally, some of Thorne’s priorities are solving climate change and introducing new snow day protocol.
Thorne has several communications ideas, such as addressing students over a PA system in daily morning announcements, so that students feel connected to the MSU. Regarding education, Thorne has one key idea, which is to change the MSAF into an unlimited “LSAF”, allowing students to take an “L” on assignments.
Thorne also advocates for changes to transportation on campus, such as changing the shuttle bus route to make it longer and more scenic. With regards to the legacy section of his platform, Thorne argues that William McMaster should not be the only person with a statue and he advocated for statues of every McMaster student across campus.
In the national security section of his platform, Thorne provides a detailed plan for improving the security of two-factor authentication, including a voice recognition test and a chess match against the computer for access to login details. Finally, the morale booster section of his platform advocates for universal coffee cards on campus and MSU-mandated screenings of televised events on the MUSC television.
More information about Thorne’s platform can be found on his website.
Voting for the MSU presidential election takes place from Jan. 24 to Jan. 26 using the Simply Voting platform and more information about the election can be found on the MSU elections website.
