The VP Internal is responsible for communication between SSMU and students and sends out the SSMU listserv. Responsibilities also include the Old McGill Yearbook and various events, including the 4Floors Halloween party, Frosh events, and Faculty Olympics.
Maya Koparkar
Koparkar is currently the SSMU Internal Logistics Coordinating and a member of the Students Society Programming Network (SSPN), as well as having been Molson Hall VP Internal, and an events coordinator for HerCampus. She describes herself as having a “passion for making the McGill experience enjoyable and accessible for all students.” She speaks intermediate French.
Koparkar’s main commitments are improving representation of first year students living off-campus, citing their historical lack of engagement in SSMU activities; part of this includes continuing to work with First Year Council (FYC). She is hoping for regular check-ins and to support events planned by and for first year students. She also wants to focus more on smaller events, while continuing to work on large events such as 4Floors and Faculty Olympics, stating that a more varied events portfolio would “[present] an opportunity for even more of the student body to be included.” Inclusivity is also a large part of her platform, as she mentions “accessibility accommodations [and] event conduct guidelines.” She also hopes for more integration of the SSPN in SSMU and the McGill student body at large.
Maya believes that SSMU executives must represent their constituents, saying that executives “are elected representatives,” and decisions must “reflect the wishes of the student body.” She points to consultation between executives as necessary, rather than personal beliefs. When asked about how SSMU handled the allegations against David Aird, she said that there “should have been a more hard-line stance.”
Endorsement: YES, with reservations
Koparkar seems to be inclined towards pursuing first-year engagement and frosh-related activities with equity in mind; she believes that first-year is a space in which to shed political apathy and become more engaged. She also acknowledges the political nature of SSMU discussions and affairs. While her values are sufficient, her platform echoes her predecessors significantly, and thus there is a degree of innovation lacking in her plans. As a result, we endorse Koparkar for the position of VP Internal, but with reservations.