C/O MSU Elections
The two candidates in the MSU presidential election clash over different approaches to advocacy
On Jan. 21, McMaster Students Union presidential candidates Simranjeet Singh and Denver Della-Vedova engaged in a two-hour long debate, in which they each responded to several questions pertaining to their platforms and the biggest issues on campus right now.
In his opening statements, Della-Vedova expressed that he wants students to experience a better transition to in-person learning than the one they experienced this year. Additionally, he introduced the three main pillars of his platform: amplifying voices, student stability and keeping momentum.
In Singh’s opening statements, he emphasized that his campaign is inspired by research and he introduced the five themes of his platform: building a more supportive student wellness institution, stronger Hamilton community, environmental sustainability, equitable education and career development.
The candidates then went on to discuss several issues that are important to McMaster students right now. They were asked directly about how their platforms tackled issues such as environmental sustainability, student mental health and student expenses. The candidates were also asked several more general questions about how their platforms and styles of advocacy would benefit the student body.
Regarding environmental sustainability, both Della-Vedova and Singh expressed that McMaster could be doing more for sustainability.
Della-Vedova suggested offering more eco-friendly food packaging on campus and collaborating with student-driven environmental initiatives, stressing the feasibility of these targets.
Singh also supported a reusable container program; however, Singh’s approach to environmental sustainability focused more on implementing auditing initiatives regarding McMaster’s waste management and educating students about sustainable waste management.
Singh and Della-Vedova clashed over the need for waste management audits. Singh stated that, due to COVID-19, much has likely changed since the last audit in 2019 and that a key role of the MSU is to fill gaps in the university’s knowledge. Della-Vedova, on the other hand, argued that data from 2019 is still quite recent and because of temporary changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a new audit may yield less reliable data.
Regarding student mental health, Singh and Della-Vedova were in agreement about the seriousness of this issue and the importance of collaborating with the Student Wellness Centre.
Regarding student mental health, Singh and Della-Vedova were in agreement about the seriousness of this issue and the importance of collaborating with the Student Wellness Centre.
Amarah hasham-Steele, News reporter
Singh stressed his plan to advocate for further expansion of the SWC, expand and effectively market Thrive Week and advocate to expand McMaster’s student health and dental plan.
Della-Vedova proposed introducing telehealth and online booking options to the SWC in order to expand the use of preexisting resources. Della-Vedova also stressed the importance of student security and a positive campus environment for student mental health.
Regarding student expenses, Della-Vedova emphasized his aim to partner with the Food Collective Centre and with local businesses to assist food insecure students. Regarding rent expenses specifically, Della-Vedova discussed the possibility of revitalizing an MSU role dedicated to connecting students with reasonable housing.
Singh, on the other hand, proposed a large-scale audit of student housing and expanding usage of Open Educational Resources to decrease textbook costs.
Della-Vedova and Singh clashed over OER. Della-Vedova argued that financial changes due to OER would likely occur over many years and that more immediate expense issues should take priority. To this, Singh responded that the structures necessary to support OER already exist and that even a small decrease in average textbook costs would impact students significantly.
Overall, it seemed that Singh and Della-Vedova clashed on two major issues: the importance of data collection and the scope of their platform points.
Regarding data collection, Singh repeatedly stressed the research basis of his platform, proposing two major audits regarding environmental sustainability and a study about student housing. When asked whether he was more invested in student advocacy or in enhancing student life, Singh explained that his platform's research focus will enable him to enhance student life through advocacy.
According to Singh, he aims to collect information that’s lacking so that it can be used as the basis for more focused and effective advocacy.
According to Singh, he aims to collect information that’s lacking so that it can be used as the basis for more focused and effective advocacy.
Amarah hasham-Steele, News reporter
Della-Vedova disagreed with Singh on the role of data collection. He responded by stating that the MSU often collects a lot of data that goes unused because new leaders enter the MSU with new ideas every year. Della-Vedova emphasized action over data collection, saying that preexisting and online data are sufficient bases for advocacy.
Della-Vedova emphasized action over data collection, saying that preexisting and online data are sufficient bases for advocacy.
Amarah hasham-Steele, News reporter
The second major point of clash in this debate was regarding the scope of the ideas put forward and the role of feasibility. When asked which point on Singh’s platform he was most critical of, Della-Vedova stated that although he liked many of Singh’s ideas, he believed many of them to be unfeasible within a year. Della-Vedova was particularly critical of Singh’s plan to transition to more OERs, emphasizing that there are limits on what the MSU can achieve within a year.
When asked which point on Singh’s platform he was most critical of, Della-Vedova stated that although he liked many of Singh’s ideas, he believed many of them to be unfeasible within a year.
Amarah hasham-Steele, News reporter
Singh, on the other hand, criticized Della-Vedova's platform points for simply focusing on increasing supports already in place. For example, as Singh explained, Della-Vedova was advocating for expansion of the compostable container program, whereas Singh was advocating for a widespread reusable container program.
Singh, on the other hand, criticized Della-Vedova's platform points for simply focusing on increasing supports already in place.
Amarah hasham-Steele, News reporter
Further, regarding OER, Singh explained that while he did not expect to see this transition completed within a year, he believed that progress towards more OER would still be worth pursuing.
Voting will take place online from Jan. 25 to Jan. 27. An overview of Della-Vedova's entire platform can be found here and an overview of Singh’s platform can be found here.
C/O Denver Della-Vedova
Getting to know the person behind the platform
Denver Della-Vedova is one of the candidates running to be the McMaster Students Union President for the 2022-2023 academic year. Della-Vedova's platform outlines three main pillars: amplifying diverse voices, prioritizing student stability and keeping momentum.
The Silhouette: What made you run for president and what is it about the role that attracts you?
Denver Della-Vedova: Great question! Aside from the elephant in the room of the obvious past experience [as current MSU President], with which I can say I like it, I think there’s a lot that I’ve realized I can do differently this year. Hindsight is a really handy thing and the second time around I can do a lot of that.
A couple examples would be the SRA support; we tried it this year, but it didn’t work, not the way we envisioned. So, trying to re-envision that and change it so there’s a better way to do it. Same with faculty support.
Another example would be Welcome Week – [I] didn’t really realize that there [were] communication errors there until I was involved in it and went, “Oh, this actually is an issue. We should really try to revitalize this for the coming year and make it clearer for everybody.”
A third reason would be, as much as everyone else, I would love it as an in-person experience. It’s not a guarantee, but I would really like that opportunity. I find my personality is very approachable; I try to be pretty friendly and connect with folks.
So, I’d really just like that opportunity to be with folks in the office, with students, engaged in student events – all of the things that weren’t necessarily possible this year.
The last thing that made me run is – and I think I had some trouble with this because it felt a little weird running again – but I think this is something that everyone who wants to should. I have a lot more that I feel I could give to the MSU, so I wanted to do it again.
What do you think is your strongest asset for the role?
At the risk of sounding conceited here, I’m probably going to say personality. I find I mesh well with most folks. I try to be patient, I’m a pretty good listener – I know I’ve been talking a lot here, but I’m typically pretty good. And I’m also not afraid to go my own way on things. If I don’t necessarily think what is happening is ideal, I’m not afraid to voice that.
So, I think [I am] that mix of being somebody who can work with folks while also being able to [say,] “I think what we’re doing isn’t working.” And identify[ing] that and communicat[ing] that in kind ways to groups and trying to work with them to find solutions is probably my biggest asset to the role because it’s that working with people element that I think is really important to a role like this.
For a complete overview of Della-Vedova's platform, please visit https://www.thesil.ca/msu-elections-2022-denver-della-vedova-platform-overview.
C/O Simranjeet Singh
Getting to know the person behind the platform
Simranjeet Singh is is one of the candidates running to be the McMaster Students Union President for the 2022-2023 academic year. Singh’s platform outlines five main pillars: student wellness, building a stronger community, environmental sustainability, creating more equitable education and career development support.
The Silhouette: What made you run for president? What about this role attracts you?
Simranjeet Singh: In terms of why I wish to be president, I first came to make McMaster in 2017. I was in a program called medical radiation sciences and it was a great opportunity for me to learn about what exists [at McMaster] and how vibrant of a community there is.
[I] initially actually was not that involved in student leadership. It was actually only in my third year that I was elected to the SRA but, from that point, I was able to gain a huge amount of knowledge about what opportunities exist for advocacy as well as what gaps exist . . . and what changes can be [implemented].
[In 2021], I kind of was thinking about what more can be done, how can I implement the knowledge that I've learned moving forward and I thought that the president position would be a great place to do that advocacy. Through my experience in the MSU as well as just being a student and other experiences, I've gained an understanding of what gaps exist and then I was able to do consultations to better learn of how I would fill those gaps.
That's why I chose to run for president, because I feel like it is the best opportunity for me to deliver the support students need and I think this is important as well because some of these gaps are things that I would have loved to have had in my first year.
If, for example, I had more affordable housing, if I had less expensive textbooks, if I had greater access to career development supports, I know that I would use those to further myself as much as I could and I think it's important that the future students also have that opportunity.
So I thought that I had pretty good ideas, I think and a way to implement them and the president position is, I think my best way of doing that, which is why I chose to run.
What do you feel is your strongest asset for this role?
So I think of myself as a pretty conscientious person, so that kind of encompasses the thoroughness and my dedication to my work.
I have been someone who has been quite dedicated to the MSU for that reason because I have a clear interest in ensuring that students are more supported with the resources they need and [it’s] something that I generally find enjoyable as well. I like to be in these discussions, I like to understand how I can solve the problem that is in front of me and then work with the relevant partners to have a plan in place to actually solve that problem.
[A]s a part of conscientiousness as well, that involves going to do the correct consultations and working with community to understand what their needs actually are and how I can utilize my position to solve those needs.
So I do think that in my past, through the things I’ve been accomplishing, the SRA and academically, I do think that that at least provide some sort of basis to kind of prove that I am a conscientious person.
[I] will apply that conscientiousness through my role through my dedication to my work and during external consultation with the university, with certain groups to better understand how I can best serve their needs and then actually apply that moving forward.
For a complete overview of Singh’s platform, please visit https://www.thesil.ca/msu-elections-2022-simranjeet-singh-campaign-overview.
Sil Time Capsule is a new series that will continue to bring forward student voices
As we near the end of 2020, now is a good time to reflect, especially given how much has changed this past year. 2020 has been a rough year for everyone, but with its difficulties come opportunities for learning and changing, both within all of us as individuals and within our society.
The COVID-19 pandemic remains the event that will define 2020 for years to come. The pandemic and its regulations have caused tensions, a shift across the board in education and different sectors to a virtual environment and rises in mental health issues due to isolation and other issues faced by many.
This pandemic has brought forth many challenges, particularly for students struggling to make the best of their youth amid a world of isolation and online classrooms. However, it has also highlighted pre-existing issues within our society, such as serious health disparities as a result of socioeconomic status. All in all, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has forever changed our world and how we experience it as individuals and as students.
Next, there was the shooting of George Floyd and the rallying cry against anti-Black racism in North America and across the world. The Black Lives Matter movement, an existing movement against police brutality and anti-Black racism, shifted into the limelight, offering all a chance to reflect on their role in anti-Black racism.
The effects of this were far-reaching, with systemic racism being highlighted across our nation at an institutional and individual level. Beyond discussions on anti-Black racism, there was also a rise in the discourse regarding anti-Indigenous racism. The Land Back protests are a prime example of the important role activism played this year in sparking dialogue on inequities in our society. As students and as a student newspaper, it is essential these events are brought forth and discussed adequately.
Finally, there was the 2020 United States federal election. Although American politics can sometimes feel distant, this election caused — and will cause for the next four years — a shift in global politics and marked the end of an era in the United States and North America with Donald Trump as the President of the United States.
Additionally, given the close ties between Canada and the US, the repercussions and changes that will accompany the election and its results will be felt here more than in other countries.
It is important to note the election, along with all other monumental aspects of 2020 mentioned thus far, was accompanied by a multitude of other important global events. These must — and will — be discussed in great detail in the coming issues at the Silhouette through both this series as well as through our Summer of Activism series in the News section.
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As a student newspaper, it is important we discuss global events and how they affect us and the McMaster student community. Global events affect everyone in one way or another. COVID-19 is a global health issue but has left deep impacts on the lives of students. It highlighted important issues in our society such as the extent to which income and privilege dictate your level of health and protection. Students are not isolated nor removed from these realities.
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It is also important to discuss the many global events of 2020 as a student newspaper because these are in many ways mirrored by realities in our own community. For example, just as systemic racism and police brutality shifted to the limelight of national political discourse in the United States, realities at McMaster such as the anti-Black racism culture in the university’s athletics department were highlighted in a recent report.
As a student newspaper, we are responsible for informing our peers, discussing these issues and how they have affected our students. As global citizens, we are responsible for raising awareness of global issues, events and inequities.
More than just being mirrored in our community, these events have also had a profound influence on our very sense of community.
More than just being mirrored in our community, these events have also had a profound influence on our very sense of community. Often exceptional and unprecedented events encourage stronger connections and drive communities closer together.
However, the nature of the pandemic has resulted in the opposite, with many students feeling disconnected and unsupported in these difficult times. As a student newspaper, it is important that we not only inform our peers and raise awareness about global events and issues but also that we do our part to maintain community and facilitate the connection between students.
Furthermore, this kind of coverage and engagement with global events is something that many, if not most, students are interested and invested in. During the Black Lives Matter protests at the beginning of June, the Silhouette posted a short message in solidarity, but we were challenged by our community to do more. Over the last few months, we have been working to deliver on those promises that were made and are continuing to look for ways in which we can improve.
Across all sections this past semester we have worked to ensure that we address and acknowledge these issues and events and their influence on our community. This article in particular serves as the introduction to a new series. Titled Sil Time Capsule, this series is an opportunity to reflect on this past year and draw attention to the ways in which it has affected our community as well as the wider world.
2020 has been an eventful and unprecedented year and as a student newspaper, we have a responsibility to acknowledge these events, inform our peers and raise awareness about them. We also have a responsibility to address the ways in which they have affected and influenced not only the wider world but also our own community. This time capsule series is one way by which we are working to do justice to the events and issues of this year and their influence on the communities big and small of which we are a part.
Being pretty doesn’t hurt.
Neither does being charismatic. Colourful posters, viral videos, strong debates – all that’s going to help, too.
But, for the most part, a candidate’s success in this year’s McMaster Students Union presidential election will have been determined long before campaigning starts on Sunday.
And that’s a damn shame. Because among all the election season hoopla, what’s often overlooked is the most important part of the ordeal: the platforms.
Campaign promises are mysteries to voters until websites go up at noon on Sunday. After that, students will have 12 days to sift through them for a little value and realism.
But whatever their opinion, it’s not enough for a student voter to get to know you, or even like you, in the campaign period. They need to share an identity with you from the start. Be it through a faculty, a society, a social group or some other segment of campus life, a win for you has to be a win for them, too, and if you haven’t built those kinds of relationships already with whatever time you’ve had at Mac, it’s too late.
That might seem reasonable enough. Why should a week and a half of class talks and button giveaways trump years of social capital?
The problem is that once your supporters think they’ve put their man or woman in office, they stop paying attention. While you’re transitioning in April and taking over in May, they’ll be writing exams and heading off to summer jobs.
The day-to-day work of an MSU president then becomes remarkably private. I don’t mean to say that it’s concealed or isolated; it just happens at boardroom desks instead of podiums.
The Vice-President (Finance) looks after the books. The Vice-President (Education) takes care of research and advocacy. The Vice-President (Administration) deals with human resources.
And with whatever time the President can find between meetings, he or she will work on projects. Be it a peer support line, better hours for libraries or eateries, a new email system, a farm stand or (dare I say it?) a fall break, it’s the promises made in January that will make for a meaningful term in office.
All the stuff that seemed important to voters becomes far less significant. Will the President be a charming leader? It could help, but MSU staff will take direction from them regardless. Will they listen to students? They should, but students are too busy with their personal lives to have much to say anyway.
If voters want to elect their friends, that’s fine. But if they want to elect a good president, platform matters most.
So please, candidates, get your platform right.
Don’t pitch stuff that will affect the University coffers. The MSU won’t be scaling back tuition fees any time soon.
Mind your tone. Voters don’t want to feel like they’re being enlisted for a fight; students, staff and University administrators want to feel good about your ideas. Siobhan Stewart’s “Something For You” campaign beat out Chris Erl’s stance against high food prices and Alex Ramirez’s “revolution” in 2012. The year before, Matt Dillon-Leitch’s promise to fund our ideas won over Matt Wright’s push for fiscal conservatism.
Do some research. Hint: picking a project that the University is already looking into makes it more feasible.
And, finally, be honest and down-to-earth about it. You don’t need to inspire people. They don’t want to be your admirers; they want to be your friends.
And couldn’t we all use a friend who can get us some time off around fall mid-terms?
Some notable Democrats include power couples Jay Z and Beyoncé and Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, who have raised millions for Obama’s campaign. Fashionable Obama supporters include Sarah Jessica Parker, co-designer of a “Viva Obama” shirt for the Runway to Win website, and Katy Perry, who has been rocking a ballot-inspired mini-dress with none other than Pres. Obama himself checked off. One of my personal favourites, Snoop Dogg/Lion posted his reasons for voting for Obama on Instagram, which included, “He mad cool yo” and “He wears a durag like me.” Even Kelly Clarkson is singing to the tune of “My Life Would Suck Without… Obama.” Lindsay Lohan has been flip-flopping in her support but technically isn’t even registered to vote. Political commentator Ann Coulter, proved that being PC isn’t her thing when she referred to Obama as a “retard” in a tweet following the final presidential debate. Donald Trump got in on the cringe-worthy action by requesting that Obama release his college records and passport information in exchange for a $5 million charitable donation. His video appeal is almost as questionable as Clint Eastwood’s bizarre ‘invisible Obama’ speech at the August Republican convention. My conclusion: maybe Romney should pay some of his celebrity supporters to keep their mouths (and Twitter accounts) shut.
Theresa Tingey
David Campbell
Arts & Science IV
David Campbell doesn’t think the MSU is without its problems, but as far as he’s concerned, that’s not a reason to be discouraged.
That’s because, according to Campbell, the organization is in a “fantastic spot” to grow relationships, improve services and do more to benefit its members.
“I’m really optimistic where the organization is right now … We need to ask how we, in the great position we are in, can help,” says Campbell, whose platform focuses on practical applications of the MSU’s resources in three areas: education, student life and sustainability.
Campbell doesn’t deny that there are internal problems that need fixing, but emphasizes that there are many things the administration can get done in a year, so long as it focuses is on providing tangible benefits to students.
“The SRA is not in good shape. It is not operating correctly,” he says, but adds, “I don’t think it should be our focus or the focus of the presidential elections.”
His platform includes mid-semester course evaluations, improved access to clubs and the reduction of waste on campus through composting.
Ultimately, Campbell says the MSU’s ability to provide students with tangible benefits trumps any existing internal organizational problems, and that the MSU president shouldn’t be preoccupied with things that prevent results from being given to students.
Chris Erl
History & Political Science IV
“There are a hell of a lot of problems inside the MSU,” says Chris Erl, and perhaps he should know. A former news editor at the Sil and current Humanities rep on the SRA, Erl has seen the MSU from multiple angles, something he says has opened his eyes to various problems.
With a typical 25 per cent presidential voter turnout, internal conflict on the SRA and a Board of Directors that Erl says “is undemocratically elected,” the fourth-year History & Political Science student is advocating to transform the MSU into a different kind of body.
Erl is no stranger to advocacy. He spearheaded the MSU’s ‘We Need LRT’ movement – something he’s picked up in his campaign platform by supporting better bus service from the HSR – and an ad hoc SRA committee on democratic reform for the assembly. His platform also lists big issues like Anti-Opression Policy and Fair Trade certification as priorities.
But before he takes a stand on external issues, Erl says it’s time for someone to assess and transform union’s internal needs, something he says has been badly neglected.
“We have no legitimacy in the eyes of someone like Brian McHattie, our city councilor, if we don’t fix the problems inside the MSU first,” says Erl, who added that an MSU president can’t serve their mandate unless they – and the rest of the organization – are responsive to students.
“If things don’t change, we risk losing our legitimacy and relevance in the eyes of students.”
Mukhtar Galan
Civil Engineering & Society V
Don’t let that wide smile and laid-back demeanor mislead you: Mukhtar Galan is as serious as it gets when it comes to striving to serve the MSU as President.
Characterizing himself as “happy-go-lucky,” Galan is nothing short of positive in his campaign, most of which in centred on tackling the abysmal state of McMaster’s technology systems. Whether it’s MUGSI and SOLAR’s outdated services or Internet access throughout the campus, Galan has captured his campaign in four simple words: “Where is the WiFi?”
“After talking to students about their concerns, I was always floored with the same concern: the technology is not up to appropriate standards for a world-class institution,” says Galan.
This is but one aspect of his campaign. As a fifth-year Civil Engineering student who has served on the McMaster Engineering Society, the Engineering Student Societies Council of Ontario and, most recently, as a caucus member for Engineering in the SRA, he is focusing on a variety of concerns.
Among the most notable is a more relevant and frequent GO Transit schedule, as well as a restructuring of the MSU’s services. Ultimately, these three platform points are an attempt to “bring back relevance to the MSU.”
Galan’s platform is perhaps not as comprehensive as his opponents’ – something he says is actually by design.
“It’s great to have overarching concerns. But in order to ensure such broad goals such sustainability, we need to get to the root of everything. We need specifics. That’s what I’m offering. A technical, practical and, most importantly, specific plan.”
Alex Ramirez
Labour Studies & Political Science V
For Alex Ramirez, the MSU presidency is more a means than an end.
His decision to run, he admits, was “fairly last-minute.” In fact, it wasn’t until the holiday break in December. But involvement in the political sphere is nothing new to him. “I do think I carry a persona of being a very outspoken and critical person on campus,” he says.
In addition to his activism at McMaster and a stint with the SRA, Ramirez has done a lot of work in the Hamilton community. He hopes to use his position atop the MSU to get students out into Hamilton, making change for the better.
“It’s not going to be the administration or the professors; it’s going to be the students. It has to be the students, and the students are represented by the MSU. That’s why I really want to use the MSU as an agent to be something huge, to be something that can be a salvation for the city.”
But before he takes on Hamilton, Ramirez recognizes that the MSU will need to undergo serious reform.
“I don’t think that the existing structures are legitimate,” he says, particularly given low voter turnout. By opening up channels for student involvement, he plans to change the president’s role “from being one that represents and makes decisions for students to one that facilitates student interests.”
Step one in that pursuit: a major shift in campus culture. “My platform is settling for nothing less than a complete transformation of the MSU.”
Siobhan Stewart
Anthropology IV
In the next two weeks, be sure to check underneath your seat, because there might just be “something for you.” Be it through with class talk gimmicks or conversations in the student centre, that’s how Siobhan Stewart is presenting her platform.
A fourth-year anthropology student, Stewart is no stranger to the MSU scene. She has served as MSU Diversity Services Director, co-chaired the Global Citizenship Conference and represented Social Sciences as an SRA representative, in addition to maintaining extensive connections within the University and Hamilton communities.
Such experiences have certainly molded her and her aspirations for presidency. “My diverse experiences have added particular goals in my campaign, all of which focus on the student body.”
This is no more apparent than in Stewart’s affable personality and campaign slogan, “Something for you.”
“In a week and a half, it’s hard to personalize a campaign. But ‘something for you’ signifies what I’m all about. I want to enhance the student experience as whole,” she says.
Her platform, as it’s displayed on her website, draws from the old, the new, the borrowed and something exclusively “for you, the students.” Among the many campaign initiatives, Stewart is advocating for Bridges to become a study space, a peer support line, green roofs and, most notably, an extended fall break.
“I touch on a lot of issues people can connect to in some shape or form.”
To that end, Stewart has “the desire to connect and to show people what is valuable to them is valuable to me, and therefore, the MSU.”
