Chloe Muñoz

Experience:

During the debate, Muñoz cited experience on the Inter-Residence Council (IRC). In her pensketch, she says that being an international student has given her experience in adapting to new environments.

Platform:

Muñoz’s policies include ratifying the Policy Against Genocide in Palestine, fighting tuition hikes, ensuring the quality of student services, and holding bi-semesterly mixers to meet with members of the McGill community. In her pensketch, she specifically named access to mental health services such as the Peer Support Centre, keepmesafe, and Nightline as a priority. She hopes to hire professionals to work with student services in addition to student employees to improve the quality of services provided and to help maintain consistency through student employee turnover. Finally, she will continue to work on current VP Student Life Nadia Dakdouki’s project of creating a guide to provide comprehensive financial guidelines for club executives.

Avin Ahmadi

Experience:

Ahmadi has experience on several residence councils: the IRC as well as the Community Equity and Engagement Committee (CEEC) and Environmental Residence Council (ERC). She also has experience in event-planning and community engagement, per her pensketch.

Platform:

Ahmadi wants to make it easier for students to start, run, and join new clubs, and she would like to look into streamlining the process to start new clubs. She hopes to increase health and recreational coverage for students and provide greater variations in MiniCourses offered. She believes that there is currently a lack of communication between SSMU and the student body, and would address this by promoting the McGill app and using this app to facilitate communication with students.

Endorsement: YES to Chloe Muñoz

The Daily’s editorial board endorses a “YES” vote for Chloe Muñoz. Through the pensketch and the debate, Muñoz demonstrated a solid knowledge of the VP Student Life mandate and current projects and presented detailed plans for her mandate. Furthermore, she addressed a commitment to advocating on behalf of issues that are important to many students as well as the Daily’s editorial board, such as the ratification of the Policy Against Genocide in Palestine and the fight against tuition hikes.

VP Sustainability and Operations

Meg Baltes

Experience:

Baltes is pursuing a degree in Sustainability, Science, and Society.

Platform: 

The position of VP Sustainability and Operations was only reinstated last year, and Baltes is passionate about making this position more prominent within SSMU. One of her priorities is making the University Centre feel more like a “student hub” and encouraging students to spend more time in the building by bringing in more vendors in addition to Gerts. She hopes to enhance communications about sustainability certifications that clubs can receive and make sure that SSMU events follow sustainability regulations. She is particularly interested in working on improving the sustainable waste management initiatives on campus. Finally, she suggested more transparency surrounding the use of SSMU fees paid by students, particularly during the campaign for a Base Fee Increase.

Endorsement: YES for Meg Baltes

The Daily’s editorial board endorses a “YES” vote for Meg Baltes. Baltes demonstrated a solid understanding of the position and knowledge of the work current VP Sustainability and Operations Hassanatou Koulibaly has done since the position was reinstated. We believe that it is important to promote student spaces and resources on campus, and we agree with her policy to make the University Centre more welcoming and attractive to students. It is also important for SSMU to uphold their sustainability regulations, and this requires clear communication with student groups, as Baltes promises to do. Finally, we believe that it is essential that SSMU remains transparent and accessible to students, particularly concerning financial matters.

VP External

Coordinating News Editor Emma Bainbridge works in the Office of External Affairs and did not participate in this endorsement due to a possible conflict of interest.

Michal Ekiert

Experience: 

Ekiert is a law student with an undergraduate degree in political science.

Platform:

As VP External, Ekiert would concentrate on government lobbying regarding the tuition hikes, francization, and affordability. In his platform, Ekiert expresses that he is committed to ending Islamophobia, antisemitism, and other forms of discrimination while promoting human rights, freedom of speech, and freedom of demonstration. He hopes to support anti-oppression initiatives and “enhance community-urban relations” – by, for example, strengthening McGill’s ties to the Milton-Parc community. In the executives’ debate, Ekiert communicated a desire to find common ground with the McGill administration, the Montreal police, and the Quebec government and expressed his support for the SSMU Base Fee Increase. Ekiert would wait for the conclusion of the legal proceedings to ratify the Policy Against Genocide in Palestine. 

Hugo Solomon

Experience:

Solomon has been involved in community-based activism for several years.

Platform:

Solomon’s platform centres student-led political and social justice causes and champions transparency, intersectionality, and accountability. He promises to support the ratification of the Policy Against Genocide in Palestine, to stand with the Mohawk Mothers in their fight for justice, to protect student activists from police intimidation, and to fight alongside McGill and Concordia against discriminatory tuition increases. Solomon also aims to update the SSMU External website, to undertake a review of External finances, and to speak directly with students to understand and address their concerns.

Endorsement: YES with reservations to Hugo Solomon

The Daily’s editorial board endorses a “YES with reservations” vote for Hugo Solomon. Although Solomon lacks experience working in a political or bureaucratic environment, he demonstrated a thorough knowledge of SSMU policies and of SSMU-McGill relations in both his pensketch and the executive debates. His commitments to protecting student activists against police intimidation and ratifying the Policy Against Genocide in Palestine better reflect student needs and demands than those of his opponent.

VP University Affairs

Abe Berglas

The Daily would like to disclose that the majority of our editorial board has worked with Berglas, as they served a term as Sci + Tech Editor in Winter 2023 and a term as Copy Editor in Fall 2023. This endorsement is thus inevitably part of a conflict of interest.

Endorsement: YES to Abe Berglas

Berglas’s platform emphasizes accountability among our student community and McGill. They would like to: improve accessibility on campus, especially for disabled students; demand more equity and transparency from the administration; and advocate for student rights and interests. They display an excellent knowledge and understanding of university affairs, and their experience in student governance as both VP UA and Recording Secretary of the SSMUnion are important assets. Berglas’s roles in Queer McGill, the SSMU Equity Committee, the Gender and Sexuality Advocacy Committee, Queers for Palestine, the Student Union Democratization Initiative, and more clearly demonstrate an extensive background of hands-on advocacy and engagement. All of their goals and priorities are emphatically shared by the Daily, as detailed in our Statement of Principles.

The Daily’s editorial board therefore endorses a “YES” vote for Abe Berglas.

VP Internal Affairs

Zeena Zahidah

Endorsement: YES with reservations to Zeena Zahidah

Zahindah’s platform focuses on building a more inclusive, welcoming student campus culture,and generally enhancing the student experience through a shared sentiment of belonging. In particular, she would like to prioritize first-year communications, sustainability on campus, and the inclusion of francophone students. Zahindah does not possess clear experience in managerial or internal communications and organizing, which may partially explain the vagueness of her platform thus far. A more concrete and fleshed-out presentation of her priorities would have made her campaign much more convincing.

The Daily’s editorial board therefore endorses a “YES with reservations” vote for Zeena Zahidah. 

The post SSMU Executive Endorsements 2024–25 appeared first on The McGill Daily.

Darshan Daryanani

Experience:

Daryanani has worked for SSMU in several capacities – last year, he served as VP External for AUS as well as a Legislative Councillor representing the Faculty of Arts. He is currently an Arts Senator in the Legislative Council. In addition, Daryanani has worked as a Project Facilitator for McGill Global Health Programs, a Research Assistant in the Faculty of Education, Chair of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Vice Chair for the McGill Model United Nations Assembly, and Communications Assistant for the McGill Alumni Association.

Platform:

Daryanani’s platform emphasizes the need for SSMU to be a more equitable and transparent organization. He plans to institute mandatory anti-racism and anti-oppression workshops for SSMU officials, increase student representation on University-level governing bodies, and hold the McGill administration accountable to the Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism. Additionally, his platform states that he will continue to promote initiatives included in current president Jemark Earle’s Master Plan, such as the creation of a Package Depot, Tax & Financial Advice Clinic, and the reopening of the Gerts Student Bar, among others. He advocates for facilitating more representation in SSMU by establishing a quota for racialized representatives, creating positions dedicated to Indigenous and French representatives, while also empowering existing structures such as the Equity Commissioners, the Black Students Network (BSN), and the Anti-Violence Coordinators, among others. Finally, Daryanani plans to advocate for marginalized students by revising McGill’s Medical Notes Policy.

Mark Morrison

Experience:

Morrison is on the SUS Governance Review Committee as well as the board of directors for many nonprofits based in Nova Scotia. He is a member of the Canadian Society for Chemistry and an International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) affiliate. Despite Morrison’s extensive industry-related experience in sustainability, research, and legal sectors, Morrison does not have experience working for SSMU.

Platform:

Morrison’s platform is centred around sustainability, restructuring SSMU governance, increased accountability, and inclusivity in student advocacy. Morrison plans to implement a master plan within SSMU which will promote economic, environmental, and social sustainability. Furthermore, Morrison proposes a review and overhaul of SSMU’s governing documents, along with the formation of a committee dedicated to continuity and consistency in SSMU governance, composed both of members and non-members. He advocates for better access to support services for physical and mental health, survivors of sexual violence, and those marginalized by racial, gender, and sexual identity. Morrison pledges to work actively with Indigenous and marginalized groups to work towardreconciliation and promotion of diversity and inclusivity on McGill’s campus.

Jake Reed

Experience:

Reed’s notable experience includes COVID-19 Response and Relief, SSMU Legislative Council, EUS representative to SSMU, Steering committee, and the Comprehensive Governance Review Committee. 

Platform:

In their platform, Reed aims to foster “a safe, equitable return to campus” through advocating for a hybrid learning model. Moreover, Reed plans to set up a “financial asset” for international students returning to Montreal. This fund would go toward hotel quarantine fees. Reed also wants to include legal insurance – covering employment, housing, and academics – for any SSMU member who opts for it. This insurance would also mean working alongside the The Legal Information Clinic at McGill (LICM). Furthermore, they aim to host two froshes – for both returning second year students and incoming first year students. Lastly, Reed wants to advocate for “inclusive and anti-racist faculty conduct standards.” This would mean putting forth a new mandate on academic freedom, which would ensure that when “dealing with topics that [relate] to historically marginalized experiences […] there is some level of basic sensitivity” as stated by Reed. The plan for this conduct includes communicating with administration and continuing the work of the current VP University Affairs, Brooklyn Frizzle, and student groups such as the Black Students Network (BSN), Union for Gender Empowerment (UGE), and Muslim Students Network. 

Endorsement: YES with reservations to Jake Reed

The Daily editorial board endorses a YES vote with reservations for Jake Reed. Both Reed and Daryanani have considerable experience with SSMU and other leadership positions, but Reed’s plans to advocate for a hybrid learning model, build upon Frizzle’s work, and make legal insurance available to SSMU members bring new ideas to the table. While Daryanani has a very comprehensive platform, very little of it focuses on COVID safety and unlike Reed’s model, does not offer many novel policies. The Daily editorial board’s reservations lie in the vagueness of Reed’s anti-racist faculty conduct standard plan and their idea for a make-up frosh, which does not seem feasible given the pandemic and historically poor performance of SSMU-run froshes.  While the implementation and outline of the anti-racist faculty conduct standard plan is still being developed, the Daily editorial board agrees with the foundational principles of plan.

VP Internal

Sarah Paulin

Experience:

Paulin was a member of the Classics Students Association and of the McGill Model United Nations Delegation Team. Paulin has recently become the Deputy Director of PR – Events for McGill’s Secondary Schools United Nations Symposium (SSUNS). However, she does not have significant experience in student government or SSMU. 

Platform:

Paulin’s platform centers on improving Francophone Affairs, bridging gaps between student groups by connecting different faculties to create a more unified campus culture, and includes a loose timeline of events transitioning from online-only to fully in-person. Her platform includes separating Francophone Affairs from the VP Internal’s portfolio and improving transparency between SSMU and the student body. Additionally, Paulin affirms the importance of alcohol-free events and wants to improve SSMU’s current alternative frosh.

Endorsement: NO to Sarah Paulin

The Daily editorial board endorses a NO vote for Sarah Paulin. Paulin’s lack of experience and familiarity with the roles and functions of SSMU poses a significant challenge. In a conversation with the Daily, Paulin brought up the training SSMU executives must undergo prior to taking office. However, the editorial board believes that this training is not a complete substitute for longer-term, direct experience. Paulin’s plans for returning to in-person activities are vague, which she attributes to a lack of knowledge regarding the budget, though she is careful to consider the importance of including remote activities until April to accommodate students who are unable or uncomfortable attending in-person events. Finally, Paulin’s lack of familiarity with the Interfaculty Involvement Restriction Policy and ongoing work to restructure student safety at events raises concerns. Her focus on ensuring student safety during SSMU activities is commendable, but many of her suggestions – including the creation of crisis management teams – disregard existing clubs and services such as the McGill Student Emergency Response Team (MSERT). Although Paulin is inexperienced, her enthusiasm is commendable, and if elected, her commitment to learning more about SSMU will be a strong asset.

VP External

Sacha DeLouvrier

Experience:

DeLouvrier has no experience working with SSMU. However, he does have leadership experience with organizations such as Rise to Thrive, SSUNS, and the International Relations Students’ Association of McGill (IRSAM).

Platform:

DeLouvrier’s platform focuses on three target areas: governance and political affairs, advocacy, and community engagement. Within the realm of governance and political affairs, DeLouvrier plans to add the VP External position to SSMU’s five year plan, begin the process of joining the Quebec Student Union (QSU), ease the transition back to in-person activities, and increase “efforts to bolster transparency, accountability and accessibility within SSMU and directly with the student body.” His plans for advocacy efforts include supporting homeless and low-income communities in Milton Parc by collaborating with organizations such as Yellow Door and Meals for Milton Parc, “creating more academic opportunities to learn about Indigenous rights, Indigeneous history, and Indigeneous [sic.] culture.” He also plans to advocate for changes to the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD). In terms of community engagement, DeLouvrier discusses building partnerships with local businesses to hire more students, collaborating with local initiatives, and maintaining SSMU’s commitment to housing advocacy by working with the Affordable Housing Committee. 

Endorsement: NO to Sacha DeLouvrier

While DeLouvrier’s extensive leadership experience is promising, his lack of SSMU and organizing experience leave him unprepared to fulfill the duties of the VP External portfolio. Many of his plans seem unfeasible. For example, offering more courses about Indigenous topics would require extensive coordination with McGill’s faculties and the Indigenous Studies Program, and it seems that DeLouvrier does not understand the full scope of this venture. This is also reflected in his plans to encourage local businesses to hire McGill students, which are both beyond the scope of the VP External portfolio and would take up time that could be better spent focusing on political mobilization efforts. The lack of emphasis on political affairs within his platform is troubling, seeing that this is such an instrumental part of the VP External portfolio. Furthermore, DeLouvrier’s failure to discuss existing Indigenous student efforts and the role of the Indigenous Affairs commissioner is concerning. For these reasons, the Daily endorses a NO vote for Sacha DeLouvrier.

VP University Affairs

Claire Downie

Experience:

Downie is a highly experienced candidate, having worked for SSMU for two years under the University Affairs portfolio as the campus Menstrual Hygiene Products Coordinator. She also serves on the SSMUnion executive team and the Montreal Student Initiative for COVID-19 Response and Relief, giving her a logistical understanding of SSMU, McGill and Montreal organising.

Platform:

Downie’s platform focuses heavily on an exit plan for the COVID-19 pandemic. She notes,  “I really don’t think there’s much room for compromise here. Either a learning environment is safe or it’s not.” She plans to expand SSMU’s bi-annual Know Your Student Rights Campaign to inform students of their right to a safe learning environment. Additionally, she intends to circulate an anonymous COVID safety feedback form, and proposes an honorarium for racialized and LGBTQ students who submit feedback. Downie also stated in the debate that she would like to work with AGSEM and other unions, and plans on expanding the VP University Affairs portfolio to include a mandate for solidarity with unions on campus.

Neel Soman

Experience:

Soman has very little experience working with SSMU, and is running for the position after attending the February 16 General Assembly. Though he lacks SSMU experience, he has been a part of the Inter Residence Council, and has experience with the McGill Figure Skating team. However, it is unclear if he has participated in this in an executive capacity.

Platform:

Soman’s platform focuses extensively on Francophone affairs and the need for a better quality of translation services for students who speak French as a first language, particularly in dealings with the OSD and the Wellness Hub. Additionally, Soman emphasizes the importance of supporting survivors of sexual violence through the VP University Affairs portfolio. He would like to streamline and expand upon the Policy Against Sexual Violence and the Policy on Harassment and Discrimination Prohibited by Law to provide better support for survivors.

YES to Claire Downie 

Downie is by far the most qualified candidate for the University Affairs role, and is arguably the most experienced candidate on the slate overall. Both candidates are extremely passionate about serving the McGill community, and both acknowledged the similarities in their platforms, each commended the other’s work in their respective conversations with the Daily. While Soman’s platform initially seems to focus more on combatting sexual violence than that of his opponent, Downie clarified her stance in interview, admirably noting, “I believe so strongly that survivors need to be supported at SSMU, at McGill, everywhere, but this isn’t formal work that I’ve done, and I would leave these decisions up to stakeholders like the anti-sexual violence mobilisation commissioner Maeve, Jamie is the other one, because they know best, they do this work with survivors, they do policy work, and I want to hear from them.” Downie’s decision to focus her platform on COVID-19 safety is appropriate given the overall management of the pandemic. Her knowledge of both the inner workings of SSMU and the general activist environment on campus makes her an excellent candidate for VP UA. 

VP Student Life

Karla Heisele Cubilla

Experience:

Heisele Cubilla has experience working as VP Events and VP Projects in the Spanish and Latin-American Student Association (SLASA), as well as Director of Recruitment at Alpha Phi. She does not have any official SSMU experience, but has navigated SSMU as a club during her time working at SLASA.

Platform:

Heisele Cubilla’s platform is made up of three pillars: mental health, family care, and student groups and professional development. In the area of mental health, her plans focus mainly on continuing the work of her predecessor Maheen Akter, specifically maintaining the WellnessWorld portal. For family care, she plans on allowing student volunteers to work at the SSMU daycare to reduce wait times. For student groups, she mainly focuses her attention on a safe transition back to in-person activities, as well as updating the online club portal and helping increase the social media presence of clubs and services; it is unclear exactly how. Heisele Cubilla would also like to run free certifiable mini courses to aid in students’ professional development. Throughout her platform, she emphasizes listening to students’ concerns, but it is unclear exactly how she plans to do this and what she plans to do with the information.

Endorsement: NO to Karla Heisele Cubilla

Although Heisele Cubilla has good intentions for student engagement and improving the clubs and services online platform, she lacks SSMU experience, and does not seem to have a strong understanding of the portfolio or its current projects.

She does not propose many new ideas or projects, mostly planning to continue the work of her predecessor Maheen Akter. As well, some of her ideas already exist, showing a lack of knowledge about SSMU and its clubs and services; for example, one of her proposals for a free certifiable course is first aid training, which is already offered at a low cost by MSERT, a SSMU service under the VP Student Life portfolio. She also proposes using student volunteers at SSMU daycare, which contradicts SSMU’s policy against unpaid internships and labour; she did not address compensation until specifically asked in an interview, at which time she gave no specifics. Furthermore, there was a general lack of detail when calling for diversity and accessibility in mental health services; no specific problems or solutions were mentioned. For these reasons, the Daily endorses a NO vote for Karla Heisele Cubilla.

VP Finance

Éric Sader

Experience:

Sader has served as the Deputy Head Delegate and Head of Equity for McGill’s Model UN Delegations team, and coordinating events for IRSAM. With this in mind, Sader does not have any specific work experience relating to finances or budgetary management.

Platform:

Sader’s platform focuses largely on making SSMU’s financial referenda and processes more transparent to the McGill student body by publishing monthly notes on the affairs of the Finance portfolio and offering information sessions to club treasurers on a semi-annual basis. Having described the SSMU budget as the “logistical, financial and administrative backbone” of student groups’ programming, Sader discussed the consolidation of SSMU fees for the purpose of protecting less prominent, but much-needed, student organizations. At the same time, his platform stipulates protections for long-term savings in the cases of student organizations coordinating large projects, as well as to prevent the emergence of a “perverse incentive” to use SSMU finances before they are reallocated. Additionally, Sader discussed the importance of curbing an already well-rooted polarity between Anglophone and Francophone students by translating financial reports – the majority of which are currently only available in English – into French, and proposing ambitious tuition rebates for international students in French-language programs.

Endorsement: YES with reservations to Éric Sader

Although Sader has made marked contributions to organizational leadership and program coordination within McGill, his experience does not include budgetary management. With Sader’s sound, well-balanced platform in mind, the editorial board at the Daily holds reservations rooted in concerns over the more lofty goals within this platform, as well as his lack of a background in finance. However, the more tangible and well-defined objectives within Sader’s plan make up for his lack of experience in direct financial management, and the Daily supports the transparent, community-minded ethos at the root of his campaign.

The Daily’s Managing editor, Willa Holt, signed presidential candidate Darshan Daryanani’s nomination form. Additionally, Coordinating editor Kate Ellis signed VP University Affairs candidate Claire Downie’s nomination form. Both editors recused themselves from the editorial endorsement process for these positions.

A previous version of this article erroneously stated that Neel Soman, a candidate for VP University Affairs, attended the October 22 Legislative Council meeting. The Daily regrets this error.

The post SSMU Executive Endorsements 2021–2022 appeared first on The McGill Daily.

President

Jemark Earle

Experience:

Earle has experience as VP Special Events of the Law Students’ Association (LSA), VP Internal of the Black Law Students’ Association at McGill (BLSAM), VP Student Life of SSMU, Director on the SSMU Board of Directors, VP Health and Athletics of the Music Undergraduate Students’ Association (MUSA), and as a Floor Fellow.

Platform:

Earle’s platform focuses on institutional memory and long-term planning, specifically reforming SSMU GAs, working on the creation of a wellness space in 3501 Peel, and looking into the possibility of having more student-run services in the reopened University Centre.

Ruth Silcoff

Experience:

Silcoff has experience as President of the McGill Debating Union, VP Internal of a Hall Council, and Vice President of her high school student council.

Platform:

Silcoff’s platform focuses on increasing interaction and communication with the student body and clubs, proposing new accountability measures, increasing awareness of different academic departments, increasing diversity in different departments, reforming grading practices, and working with the Wellness Hub to create an online sign up system for appointments, among other proposed initiatives.

YES with reservations to Jemark Earle

Jemark Earle is the most qualified candidate for this position. Due to his experience as a former SSMU executive, Earle has crucial institutional memory that the other candidate, Ruth Silcoff, lacks. In addition, we believe his experience in other portfolios will aid him in the role of President, as the position often requires multiple skill sets. Earle’s platform also demonstrates familiarity with ongoing SSMU projects, such as the acquisition of 3501 Peel and the implementation of a Fall Reading Break, as well as institutional knowledge to continue these projects after the current executive departs. We are endorsing him with reservations, as there have been concerns in the past with how, as former VP Student Life, Earle handled the SSMU building closure. However, as the second half of Earle’s term went more smoothly, we believe these initial hiccups in his term are not sufficient enough to warrant a ‘NO’ vote.

VP Internal

Declan McCool

Experience:

McCool’s has experience on the Science Games Committee, the Montreal Runners Charity Organization, as Team Manager and VP Fundraising on the McGill Varsity Rowing Team, and with McGill Sports Media and Communications.

Platform:

McCool’s platform focuses on environmental sustainability at SSMU events, a new Communications Policy, involving first year students more, and making SSMU events more inclusive and survivor-centric.

YES with reservations to Declan McCool

The Daily editorial board endorses a ‘YES’ vote with reservations for Declan McCool. While McCool has some experience in communications and with aspects of the VP Internal portfolio, he lacks experience working in SSMU. However, McCool’s focus on implementing the ‘Golden Rule’ at all events and reforming the Involvement Restriction Policy (IRP) is crucial, and it is extremely important to see the VP Internal pushing for a survivor-centric approach at SSMU events, of which they hold immense responsibility. Our reservations stem from McCool’s proposed Communications Policy, which appears to allude to the current VP University Affairs’ use of profanity to express frustration with the administration’s greenwashing and with racism on campus. The Daily strongly condemns attempts to tone police at SSMU, and for this reason we are expressing our reservations with McCool and the policy he is proposing. Additionally, we hold concerns with McCool’s proposed ban on plastic straws and replacement with only compostable versions. While this may seem to be more sustainable, it does not take into account accessibility concerns for those who need plastic straws and for whom compostable straws are not feasible options. For these reasons, the Daily is endorsing McCool with reservations.

VP External

Noah Merali

Experience:

Merali is currently the SSMU Services Representative, and has spent the past year working, shadowing, and attending meetings on behalf of the current SSMU VP External. They are a member of the Affordable Housing Committee and a member of the McGill Student Emergency Response Team (MSERT). Further, they are involved with the project to renovate the Royal Victoria Hospital, and are working with the Milton Parc Citizens Committee to ensure that the renovation is beneficial to the community.

Platform:

Merali’s platform pushes to continue working for affordable housing in the McGill community, and to improve the image of the McGill community among local Milton-Parc residents. They aim to connect with other student unions to lobby together for larger government issues, and through this, support underrepresented groups on campus. They discussed helping campaigns navigate McGill and SSMU bureaucracy and governing practices while supporting existing campaigns and being a reliable point of contact. They want to expand their office hours and hold public consultation sessions where students can not only discuss issues and share their ideas, but can access resources, institutional support, and guidance to launch initiatives. A large focus of their platform was dedicated to the problem of food security, and how they could work with McGill to establish better food practices. Further, they hope to create a coalition among other student unions at other Quebec universities, such that they could work together to oppose or support causes, creating a stronger voice against the government or for the people.

Ayo Ogunremi

Experience:

Ogunremi is the co-founder of Climate Justice Action McGill (C-JAM) and is currently the vice president of the Black Students’ Network (BSN). He has worked in SSMU as the SSMU Mobilisation Coordinator since September. He has consulted on projects such as the McGill Student Suicide Framework Advisory Committee, SSMU’s Mental Health Plan, and the review of SSMU’s Climate Change Policy.

Platform:

As VP External, Ogunremi’s platform focuses mostly on campus advocacy. He hopes to strengthen SSMU campaigns internally and externally. Through this, he aims to support mental health advocacy, Indigenous and marginalized voices, and to support student unions. On this, he wants to support the SSMUnion development and facilitate its integration into the McGill Communities Council, and engage in early consultations for review of the Indigenous Solidarity Policy. Similar to Merali, he hopes to reach the community by tabling in an accessible public space at least once per month to update SSMU members on VP External activities, to promote information accessibility, and to hear members’ feedback. He wants to assume administrative and financial responsibilities of campaigns to allow Political Campaign Coordinators to dedicate more hours to organizing. Ogunremi also addresses the Affordable Student Housing Committee, and creating a healthier relationship with the Milton-Parc community.

YES with reservations to Ayo Ogunremi

Both candidates are highly qualified for this position. Ogunremi does not have the SSMU experience that Merali has, but his established network of individuals and organizations on campus is impressive and hard to forego. The VP External must operate SSMU campaigns and mobilization efforts, and Ogunremi has a stronger presence in the McGill community, as well as experience working as SSMU Mobilization Coordinator. Additionally, Ogunremi has more experience speaking in French in a professional context – he has done interviews in French – and for a position that requires external interaction with the province, French is critical. However, Merali’s platform fit the mandate of the VP External better than Ogunremi’s did, aiming to reach out to other schools and enact change on a provincial level, and looking beyond the immediate McGill community. Some of their larger-scale projects lack strong actionable plans. It should be noted that in a pair of candidates so closely matched, these small differences make a large impact. Because Ogunremi does not have the same level of experience with and understanding of the VP External portfolio as Merali, the Daily is endorsing Ogunremi with reservations.

VP University Affairs

Brooklyn Frizzle

Experience:

Brooklyn is currently the Resource Coordinator at Queer McGill, which is a SSMU service. They have also worked with Office of the Provost and VP Academic on their plan regarding Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

Platform:

Brooklyn’s platform focuses primarily on equity. Within the realm of library improvement, they plan to use the Fund to expand the library’s free collection of textbooks and open access materials. They also hope to integrate alternative libraries, such as those at Queer McGill and QPIRG, into the library catalog. They plan to launch an independent research project into the student Wellness Hub, which they told the Daily they will use to “advocate for change [through] McGill’s legislative and administrative bodies, [and work with when] collaborating [with] student groups and executives.” They also plan to give students tools to navigate McGill’s complicated bureaucratic system by “integrating educational content built around alternative reporting streams into the existing mandatory anti-oppression programming.” Furthermore, they aim to “implement measures to increase the representativity of SSMU’s Senate delegation by involving relevant student groups throughout the senate committee appointment process while maintaining due impartiality.” Finally, they hope to add more gender-neutral bathrooms to McGill campus buildings.

Griffin Scott

Experience:

Griffin worked for the Department of Education over summer 2019 doing data analysis and outreach work. He has also been a research assistant at Douglas Mental Health Institute since fall 2019. He does not have any SSMU or student government experience.

Platform:

Scott aims to centre mental health and equity in his platform, including improving the student Wellness Hub, allowing students to defer exams without notes, and making period products and contraception more accessible. He also hopes to advocate for hiring and tenure reform, including working to make these processes more transparent and advocating that disciplinary records be included in tenure decisions. Scott plans to advocate for proper use of preferred names by creating a reporting system for when students are deadnamed and advocating for accessible online requests for name changes. He also plans to create more open access to educational resources, following the model of UBC to build an open library. When asked by the Daily what he would do differently than the incumbent, Scott said “that upon election [he] will favor a diplomatic approach with the university whereas the incumbent has relied on direct action and an adversarial approach.”

NO to both Brooklyn Frizzle and Griffin Scott

Scott’s platform focuses on broad goals with few actionable elements, and he doesn’t have experience working with SSMU. His suggestions for improving the Wellness Hub – online booking and extended drop-in hours – are likely unfeasible, and suggest that Scott hasn’t spent enough time assessing the work that has been done by UAs and SSMU teams in the past. While Frizzle has more experience in a student government setting and stands as a stronger candidate overall, their aim to “implement measures to increase the representativity of SSMU’s Senate delegation” speaks to a misunderstanding of the internal function of SSMU. The UA position requires experience as well as a realistic set of expectations, neither of which are strongly represented by either candidate. Both candidates referenced the importance of a more diplomatic approach when addressing administration, which raises some concern about their understanding of their role as UA. Being diplomatic is a requirement of these conversations, not a campaign promise, and including respectability in their campaign comes uncomfortably close to condemning the outgoing UA’s outspoken (and effective) advocacy strategies. Additionally, UA must be comfortable promoting student needs at the expense of a comfortable relationship with the administration.

Though Frizzle is more qualified, both candidates present at least one action item that is either beyond the scope of the position or unfeasible. With more experience working directly with SSMU, each candidate could become more viable in future elections. For these reasons, the Daily does not endorse neither Frizzle nor Scott.

VP Student Life

Maheen Akter

Experience: 

Akter’s is a U3 student, focusing on Political Science and Psychology. Her work experience includes, Floor Fellow at la Citadelle, and her position as Arts Undergraduate Society Vice-President of Internal Affairs.

Platform:

Akter’s platform consists of five pillars: Revitalizing the University Centre, clubs and services, mental health, family/daycare, and personal projects such as working with the Scholarships and Student Aid Office to create more scholarship opportunities. Other examples of what Akter plans to do with said pillars includes strengthening accessibility regarding Mental Healthcare. For Akter, this would mean connecting the Wellness Hub to mental health clinics outside of McGill services, thus creating ,trans-positive, survivor-centric mandate. Additionally, she wants to provide better feedback mechanisms for SSMU staff, and work with students who need childcare in order to improve the model of daycare at the University.

Belle Sullivan

Experience: 

Asides from campus activism, Sullivan’s experience includes being a member of Union for Gender empowerment, working as the SSMU Eating Disorder Campaign Coordinator, and lastly, being an organizer of the SSMUnion (the union for SSMU employees).

Platform:

Sullivan’s platform consists of three pillars: accessibility, engagement, and samosas.  Some examples of what Sullivan plans on doing with her pillars include holding “a greater amount of office hours to allow for more face time with clubs and club executives”, ensuring “a smooth transition back into the SSMU building for services”.

YES to Maheen Akter

Akter’s proposed mandates suggests a prioritization of accessibility. Her plans are explicit and if successful, would reshape day-to-day campus experience. Furthermore, Akter works to address numerous facets of student life that are being neglected. Examples of increasing accessibility include undertaking an ‘accessibility audit’ in order to provide “washrooms that aren’t gendered, baby changing stations in the bathroom, stalls accessible for mobility devices, etc.” Additionally, Akter wants to renegotiate “vendor contracts to introduce new, affordable food options”, “collect large-scale survey data on McGill student concerns, especially to see student interest around services like long-term counselling,” and continue the work started by Sullivan with the Eating Disorder Support Centre through expanding its resources, Akter, like Sullivan, also plans on eliminating the $25 Samosa fee. Overall, both candidates are qualified, however, Akter’s agenda is more thought-out and precise. Additionally, her strides towards accessibility address numerous facets of student life, from the price of food on campus to survivor-centric mental health counselling.

Sullivan’s platform is not as all-encompassing, and although she is a qualified candidate, and has accomplished significant work that relates to the Student Life portfolio, her proposals lack detail when explaining how they will be executed. When asked about her plan to create initiatives for mature students, she stated she wanted to conduct consultations with students first before specifying any details. Honesty and transparency is appreciated, however, her platform once again seems vague, making it confusing about what she will do with her position if elected. Additionally, her plans for accessibility when it comes to gender identity are limited – she plans on training SSMU employees to be knowledgeable when “using the correct name for anyone with legal names”– whereas Maheen’s plans are far more extensive, hoping to set-up more gender-neutral bathrooms on campus. For these reasons, the Daily endorses a YES vote for Akter.

VP Finance

Gifford Marpole

Experience:

Marpole is an Economics student and is currently treasurer of the McGill chapter of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity. However, he lists no other relevant experience working in student government or related positions in finance.

Platform:

Marpole’s platform outlines three main goals: more closely organizing the budget to prevent deficits or surpluses (based on historically-based budget projections), introducing organized summaries before SSMU finance reports for more student accessibility, and increasing the SSMU Environment fee from $1.25 to $1.75 and SSMU Mental Health fee from $0.40 to $0.60. He also plans to work with the funding committee to streamline and optimize the process of funding, making it easier for clubs to apply for funding. His platform emphasizes improving transparency between students and SSMU spending through introduction of the summaries, and investing in “ecological and social sustainability” through the fee increases, in order to support environmentally-friendly practices on campus and to “[increase] the accessibility of the mental health services run through SSMU.”

NO to Gifford Marpole

Marpole has not displayed adequate experience for the role of VP Finance. His platform is short, has little actionability, and does not seem to have a grasp of previous VP Finance resolutions. It is unsure whether organized summaries have already been implemented with students simply not knowing, and the strong emphasis on balancing the budget is unneeded and not necessarily feasible. He also makes no mention of why he has chosen the SSMU Environment and Mental Health fee, other than that they are ‘important’ to sustainability, and does not detail where the money from fee increases will specifically go, or what services and groups will benefit from them. In addition, the SSMU Mental Health fee only funds SSMU advocacy for mental health services, and will not translate into more counselors or improvements for the Wellness Hub, which can only be funded by endowments; this means the Mental Health fee increase will be unproductive in the overall goal of improving access to mental health services. Finally, his platform fails to address the responsibility of VP Finance in corresponding with groups about human resources and insurance, and how he plans to approach these aspects of the position’s mandate.

The Daily’s Coordinating and Managing Editors, Kate Ellis and Willa Holt, have personal relationships with VP External candidate Noah Merali. Additionally, Kate Ellis had a previous professional relationship with VP Student Life candidate Maheen Atker. As such, they both recused themselves and did not participate in the editorial endorsement process for the above-mentioned positions.

This article has been updated to include the full analysis of each candidate’s platform and experience that was included in the Daily’s research and discussion and was conducted prior to the publication of endorsements, in addition to the original posting of the Daily’s endorsements. 

A previous version of this article stated that the Daily’s coordinating editor, Kate Ellis, recused themselves only from the research and discussion involved for the position of VP External. They in fact recused themselves for both the positions of VP External and VP Student Life. The Daily regrets and sincerely apologizes for this error.

The post SSMU Executive Endorsements 2020 appeared first on The McGill Daily.

As per the McGill Tribune’s agreement with the University, its existence and its fees – $3.00 per term, non-opt-outable, for undergraduates; and $0.75 per term, non-opt-outable, for graduates – are up for a vote.

It is crucial to a campus that student publications exist and can be sustained without financial involvement from student unions or the University. Student media must be accessible to all students, both undergraduates and graduates, which is why The Daily endorses a “yes” vote for both the undergraduate and graduate fees, and for the Tribune’s existence.

A diversity of choices is crucial as well – McGill students encompass a broad variety of backgrounds and perspectives, and different publications serve different interests. The more publications offered, the more students can get involved in contributing, especially since McGill lacks a formal journalism or fine arts program. Additionally, student media is an important tool for holding the administration and other powerful players at McGill accountable.

Motion Regarding the SSMU TVM: Student Television at McGill Fee – YES

This motion proposes to restructure the TVM fee from a per-credit to a per-semester or per-year basis; as such, it complicates administrative duties for TVM. TVM is a crucial part of the McGill media system; restructuring the fee would put it on par with other media outlets at McGill and make no change to the amount of the fee.

Motion Regarding Black Students’ Network Fee – YES

The Black Students’ Network (BSN) plays a crucial role on our campus, not only in providing support for black McGill students but also in educating the McGill community on important issues related to race. At McGill, an institution that has a long history of racism and that continues to operate along racialized hierarchies today, the role the BSN plays is particularly important.

Directly funding the BSN is important not only to better its services, but also symbolically, as it would allow for the members of SSMU, rather than solely the student union, to directly support the BSN’s activities. Providing this sort of university-wide support for an incredibly important student group is vital.

—The McGill Daily Editorial Board

The post The Tribune existence referendum and SSMU Fall referendum endorsements appeared first on The McGill Daily.

President

The SSMU President is the only undergraduate representative on the Board of Governors, is a member of Senate, and coordinates negotiations with the administration. The President also oversees Elections SSMU, coordinates the SSMU handbook, and assists with the Human Resources in the SSMU office, among other tasks.

Courtney Ayukawa

Ayukawa has been active on campus in the past year, both as a member of the sustainability community at McGill and as an Arts and Science representative to SSMU. Additional experience cited by Ayukawa includes her role as a floor fellow for the past two years in the McGill residence system, which is one of the reasons behind her commitment to engage with first-year students.

Ayukawa’s platform is based on goals of sustainability, communication, and community at McGill. She notes that she would be interested in holding discussion forums at the university in order to gain feedback on important and timely issues, as well as to create an opportunity for communities of support to be built on campus. Additionally, Ayukawa aims to centralize the mental health, equity, and sustainability policies into a single SSMU executive’s portfolio. She also notes a desire to enhance communication between SSMU and students, hoping to change up the listservs in order to encourage greater participation in projects at McGill.

Ayukawa has proven to be a strong force on campus, not only as one of the leading forces behind ECOLE, which seeks to create an off-campus sustainability hub, but also as a member of the greater McGill community. While her background as a floor fellow is not directly relatable to political experiences, it does display a dedication to the McGill community, an understanding of active listening, and engagement with students on a one-to-one basis.

Aaron Friedland

Of all the presidential candidates, Friedland has the least experience with SSMU, instead drawing on his present position as a floor fellow for relevant experience. In his capacity as a floor fellow, Friedland has facilitated Rez Project, a series of volunteer-run workshops that focus on educating students living in residence on topics of sexual assault, gender, and sexuality. He also has some HR experience outside of campus, such as his work for the Israel Democracy Institute, a think tank, where he coordinated interns.

The disconnect between students and SSMU is a particular focus, with Friedland proposing initiatives that would increase transparency, such as a blog and more communication between student societies. Friedland has suggested having SSMU executives participate in leading Rez Project, a move that he said would not only connect the executive to floor fellows and first years, thereby increasing engagement, but would also train executives in the language and issues presented by the workshop. Friedland also showed an interest in communicating with other student executives at universities in Montreal and potentially hosting collaborative events.

Other than his focus on the disconnect between students and the Society, Friedland has identified few other problems, and has not proposed many concrete solutions. In addition, he lacks the experience of student politics or of the internal bureaucracy of SSMU possessed by the other candidates.

Austin Johnson

Johnson is one of the least politically visible of the presidential candidates. He has worked as a SSMU employee for the past four years, with the past two of those years spent working under the Presidential portfolio in Human Resources. Before that, he was involved with the yearbook and in graphic design. Johnson has also been involved in other campus activities such as serving on residence council, working as orientation staff for Arts Frosh and SSMU Frosh, and as a tour guide.

Johnson’s platform largely focuses on increasing student involvement in SSMU, specifically with proposals such as changing SSMU’s use of social media and holding office hours. He also wants to work toward restoring McGill’s institutional reputation, and improving the Human Resources Portfolio. While these are worthwhile goals, they show little initiative or ambition in terms of making real changes at SSMU. Furthermore, in his interview, Johnson showed little interest in expanding SSMU’s reach in the outside world, instead shifting that responsibility to other portfolios within the executive.

This lack of clear initiative and ambition comes with a pronounced emphasis on the status quo on Johnson’s part. His interview answers revealed an attitude quite conciliatory to the administration and he seems to have little interest in expanding the political strength of Council or the presidential portfolio. While his experience with SSMU is certainly commendable, the sudden jump from behind-the-scenes to an overtly political role, especially one as important as the presidential role, necessitates that Johnson be both more forthright and ambitious.

Tariq Khan

Khan has experience with SSMU both as a councillor, holding the position of Engineering Undergraduate Society councillor in the 2011-12 academic year, and as an Interest Group Coordinator this year. Khan himself noted that this unique experience of being a part of SSMU Council during such a politically active year makes him especially suited for the job, since he has experienced the decision-making power that SSMU can have on campus. While he has not occupied a similar Council position since that year, his institutional memory of the problems that SSMU has faced in the past gives him an interesting advantage.

Khan’s platform is founded on accountability and communication, judging from his interactions with the press. Khan has pointed to the lack of accountability that exists within SSMU currently, and if elected, aims to create an accountability and leadership commission independent of SSMU staff or politicians. Khan also hopes to promote bilingualism at McGill, in order to create greater ties with the Montreal community and other Quebec universities.

While Khan has been occupying a less visible role on campus in comparison to some of the other candidates, he nonetheless presents a great deal of experience working with the McGill community. Khan’s ideas about outreach and accountability are especially strong and, in a year that has seen major monetary miscalculations, such as the $21,000 Frosh loss, accountability of the executive is a major issue. Additionally, his understanding that communication with SSMU is a two-way street is admirable, as he seems to understand that executives need to extend their presence outside of the SSMU building.

Endorsement: Courtney Ayukawa, with reservations

The Daily endorses a “Yes” vote with reservations for Ayukawa due to her substantial experience both within SSMU and with groups on campus. She has experience with SSMU both bureaucratically and as a politician.

Having worked outside of SSMU and having actively built relationships with groups on campus gives Ayukawa a significant advantage over the other candidates. As a floor fellow, Ayukawa has worked to create and maintain safer spaces for students. Her involvement in ECOLE as a cofounder is especially important, as the project demonstrates her initiative and ability to liaise between the administration and other campus bodies.

Her platform’s focus on sustainability is commendable, especially considering the loss of the Sustainability Coordinator position this year. In particular, her understanding of and attention to equity, and to the intersections between equity, sustainability, and mental health, is sorely needed at SSMU.

However, a substantial amount of the president’s portfolio involves dealing with the administration, and the president occupies one of only two student voting seats on the Board of Governors. Ayukawa needs to take a hard line in negotiations and advocate strongly for students, something that is not adequately reflected in her platform or experience. In addition, Ayukawa must seriously consider the concerns brought up by Khan about accountability in SSMU, and should consider implementing concrete measures to greatly increase transparency.

VP Clubs & Services

The VP Clubs & Services is tasked with representing, supporting, and coordinating all of SSMU’s clubs and services. As the manager of the Shatner building, they are responsible for booking rooms for groups and for coordinating with staff, such as the Interest Group Coordinator and Activities Night staff.

Stefan Fong

In an unusual move, Fong is running for the position for a second year in a row, explaining, “I have the knowledge to make change but I don’t have the time [this year].” With experience in all aspects of the job accumulated over the past year, Fong will bring a significant amount of institutional memory and momentum to the position.

Fong pledged to improve on his current day-to-day performance by being more responsive to emails, holding more office hours, and increasing the involvement of club representatives to better serve the needs of clubs. One long-term project Fong discussed this year is the development of an online club management portal, which would streamline the “old and concretized” club structure that is currently in place, making it easier for both clubs and future VP Clubs & Services executives.

The institutional memory Fong will bring with him to the position next year will be invaluable for an organization that often has none. Fong’s intimate and first-hand knowledge of all aspects of the portfolio will allow the implementation of larger, more long-term projects.

Sandhya Sabapathy

Much of Sabapathy’s experience comes from her involvement with clubs at McGill; she is currently president of three clubs, and is an active member in others. In addition, she has experience coordinating with services such as Midnight Kitchen, and has volunteered with events off-campus. Sabapathy also is familiar with the portfolio, as she has worked with both last year’s and this year’s VP Clubs & Services, as well as this year’s Interest Group Coordinator, through her executive positions in several clubs.

Sabapathy has greatly emphasized the importance of the accessibility of the VP Clubs & Services role, and has proposed concrete solutions such as creating a ‘club council’ that would bring together club leaders to voice common concerns and having more face-to-face conversations with members of clubs and services. Her platform also focuses on optimizing space in SSMU regarding room booking conflicts and unused spaces. Sabapathy spoke to the difficulties of conflicts between recurring and special events, as well as the difficulties facing clubs that want to organize workshops that exceed the current ten-hour room booking limit.

Although Sabapathy expressed an interest in events outside of McGill, she did not propose any concrete initiatives to better link the campus and the Montreal community. Sabapathy’s emphasis on a more personable approach to the job is commendable, but she seems to lack awareness of the significant time constraints of the job’s administrative tasks, such as building management.

Endorsement: Stefan Fong

The Clubs & Services position has the most direct impact on students, and an intimate familiarity with the portfolio is required. The Daily endorses Stefan Fong, as the importance of his direct experience as this year’s VP Clubs & Services cannot be overstated. Fong shows a great enthusiasm for the role and has quietly and consistently done a good job this year. The high turnover rate of the executive is a problem that often cuts off long-term projects and wastes a great deal of time on training. Fong’s candidacy will ensure a smooth transition that will allow him to manage his duties more efficiently than this past year, while also beginning to implement more ambitious plans, such as the online club management portal.

VP External

The VP External represents the members of SSMU in the wider Montreal and Quebec community. They are in charge of keeping students aware of larger campaigns to improve post-secondary education and in communication with other institutions, maintain relations with McGill’s labour unions, and lobby relevant governments on behalf of SSMU.

Enbal Singer

Singer has a long history of campus politics. For the past year, she has worked as the Arts Undergraduate Society’s (AUS) VP Internal. In addition, she held the position of Community Affairs Coordinator, which directly involves the VP External portfolio, at SSMU. She has also worked with the SSMU Interest Group Coordinator, as an off-campus fellow, and as VP Internal with the Political Science Students’ Association.

Singer’s platform appears to focus less on external affairs and more on building an internal McGill community. She hopes to run a bigger Intro to Quebec week, institutionalize support for first-year students living off-campus, rethink the Community Engagement Committee to focus more on Milton-Parc, promote education for students on their rights as tenants, and work toward making SSMU executive positions more accessible to international students. In terms of external initiatives, Singer wants to make Street Teams a bigger part of Frosh, work with and raise awareness about faculty associations, and build alliances with other universities – though she appears less focused on the latter point.

Singer has been less involved in campus or off-campus grassroots initiatives, though her experience with institutionalized campus politics is formidable. Regardless, her lack of involvement in on-the-ground movements speaks to her long history as a career politician.

Amina Moustaqim-Barrette

Moustaqim-Barrette has been working as SSMU’s Campaigns Coordinator for the past year and, as such, has experience and familiarity with the VP External portfolio. She has also been heavily involved in community organizing, such as working with Divest McGill, a group lobbying to divest University holdings from companies that profit from fossil fuels and tar sands. Moustaqim-Barrette is also fully bilingual, which can facilitate many aspects of the VP External’s role.

Moustaqim-Barrette’s platform focuses on making the External portfolio a more “consultative” position – increasing communication with McGill students through social media and other initiatives. With the impending end of TaCEQ, Moustaqim-Barrette also hopes to build an alliance with some of McGill’s geographically closest neighbours: Concordia, the Université de Montréal, and UQAM. She is also campaigning to build bike lanes on campus.

Her involvement in community organizing initiatives, such as Divest McGill, focus on direct action, which refreshing in the current protest-phobic campus environment.

Endorsement: Amina Moustaqim-Barrette

The Daily endorses Amina Moustaqim-Barrette for VP External. While Singer’s work in student politics has been commendable, and both of the candidates have experience with the External portfolio and the inner workings of SSMU, Moustaqim-Barrette’s platform is more focused on external initiatives and building alliances with other Quebec universities – a crucial priority in the wake of the fall of TaCEQ. Moustaqim-Barrette’s ability to fully communicate in French is also vital in this regard.

She has also been heavily involved in social justice initiatives such as Divest McGill. At a time when SSMU has grown increasingly apolitical, a renewed focus on SSMU’s political mandate is essential.

VP Finance & Operations

The VP Finance and Operations is in charge of allocating funds from SSMU’s operating budget, as well as the overall financial health of SSMU. They oversee and coordinate a number of funding committees and are responsible for the operations at Gerts and SSMU Mini-Courses, among other projects.

Kathleen Bradley

Before the student-run café’s implementation, Bradley participated in the Case Competition that set out to determine its future design, where her team placed second. Since then, Bradley has worked with last year’s SSMU president Josh Redel on the opening of the SRC in the SSMU building, where she currently works as the menu coordinator. Along with her work with the SRC, Bradley has worked under the VP Finance and Operations portfolio on the Operations Management Committee. In terms of financial experience, Bradley currently holds the position of Finance Coordinator for the McGill’s Farmers Market. Interested in sustainable food on campus, Bradley is also an Executive Director at Second Servings, a service that seeks to redistribute edible leftovers to non-profits across the city.

Bradley is driven to continue divesting from McGill’s slew of unethical investments, but wants to push this initiative further by emphasizing the importance of ethical investments. Bradley also hopes to bring the SRC into its next phase, where it will build into the cafeteria space beyond the lunch counter. Bradley recognizes the role of VP Finance and Operations as extending beyond allocating funds, to working with projects and strategizing for the longevity of student-supported initiatives.

Endorsement: Kathleen Bradley

Bradley has a decent amount of experience working in finance positions, primarily with McGill’s Farmers’ Market. She has worked under the VP Finance and Operations portfolio. Bradley has demonstrated a thorough understanding of her role as VP Finance and Operations in her platform and her active acknowledgment of the role as extending beyond finances and providing a voice on council. Despite the fact that Bradley demonstrates good initiative in certain sustainable food movements on campus, we hope to see her sustainable agenda result in concrete action if elected to council. Though the role is more insular to SSMU than others, Bradley needs to look beyond initiatives inside McGill’s campus to the broader Montreal community, particularly regards to relations with other Montreal universities.

VP Internal

VP Internal manages internal communication between the Society and its members and oversees the planning and management of campus events such as Orientation, 4Floors, and Movies in the Park. The VP Internal also manages the staff in the Internal portfolio.

 J. Daniel Chaim

J. Daniel Chaim has worked with various Orientation initiatives for a number of years. He has been working on coordinating Arts Orientation for the past two years as the sponsorship coordinator and the operations coordinator. He also has been working at Gerts for the past two years as a bartender, and has coordinated numerous events on campus.

Chaim’s priorities centre around engaging more with the Milton-Parc community and making Frosh leaders more accountable, though in an interview with The Daily, he was vague on the specifics of the latter goal. He is largely focused on improving Orientation Week and making Frosh more accessible and inclusive. He would also like to improve the SSMU listservs, seeing them as out-of-touch and in need of being more “customizable” and open. Furthermore, he wants to create a more accessible and easily customizable events calendar on the SSMU website.

Though Chaim has been involved in various campus initiatives, in his interview with The Daily, he spoke little to the political aspect of his role at SSMU, and while paying lip service to accessibility and equity, did not offer any significant, concrete moves to increase accessibility and equity in Frosh. The need to present clear goals in this position is important, as Frosh struggles with these issues every year. He also spoke little to the importance of SSMU’s links with the outside world aside from relations with the Milton-Parc community.

Endorsement: ‘No’ vote

The Daily endorses a ‘No’ vote for J. Daniel Chaim as VP Internal. Although he has adequate qualifications to carry out the tasks of Internal, Chaim’s platform contains little in the way of initiative: he has no concrete plans to improve the VP Internal portfolio. This lack of drive is worrying at a time when there must be significant reform in Frosh to improve accessibility. Chaim has said nothing on the topic of sexual harassment and assault – leading us to worry that he would fail to combat rape culture at Frosh. He appears to be more interested in maintaining the status quo, which we find deeply troubling.

VP University Affairs

The VP University Affairs (UA) maintains the relationship between SSMU and the McGill administration, and coordinates representation on Senate committees. The VP UA oversees the Equity Committee as well as various fund-awarding committees. They also chair Senate Caucus and oversee outreach on behalf of McGill services, and offices for SSMU.

Claire Stewart-Kanigan

Stewart-Kanigan has substantial experience working on student committees and University-level committees. Over the past two years, Stewart-Kanigan has served as an Arts Representative to SSMU, Arts Senator, VP External for Kanata, and has pushed countless initiatives through with regard to academic affairs. This year, along with working on the AUS Ethical Purchasing Policy, she played an integral role in building the Indigenous Studies minor at McGill. Stewart-Kanigan was involved in the development of AUS’s first Equity Policy and has sat on the Equity Committee. Outside of McGill, Stewart-Kanigan has written for media outlets such as the Media Co-op.

VP UA has a direct voice on Senate, and Stewart-Kanigan aims to bridge the gap between different levels of student government and Senate. She recognizes the barriers students and student-serving organizations face through the bureaucratic process, and aims to advocate for the student voice.

Endorsement: Claire Stewart-Kanigan

Stewart-Kanigan has been very vocal and consistently brings a strong voice to GAs, Council, and Senate. She is politically active with regard to social justice initiatives on campus, and has ensured the institutionalization of many of these initiatives, including most recently working on building the Indigenous Studies minor. Stewart-Kanigan has immense experience working within the administration and is well-versed in navigating bureaucracy. In addition to working with the current VP UA, Joey Shea, over the past year, Stewart-Kanigan has a clear platform to ensure the longevity of these projects, and given her multi-year track record, has the drive to succeed at it.

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