The Silhouette - Mighty Morphin' Presidentials - January 19, 2022

Management

executive editor Andrew Mrozowski executive@thesil.ca editor-in-chief Nisha Gill editorinchief@thesil.ca

digital media specialist Derrick Chappell dms@msu.mcmaster.ca

multimedia editor Christina Osadchuk multimedia@thesil.ca

News news editor Amarah Hasham-Steele news@thesil.ca

news reporter Kate O’Melia newsrep@thesil.ca news staff writer Bela Davidson news staff writer Edwin Thomas

Opinions

opinion editor Ana Mamula opinions@thesil ca opinion staff writer Hadeeqa Aziz opinion staff writer Breanna Khameraj opinion staff writer Fatima Sarfraz opinion staff writer Ayushka Tiwary

Arts & Culture

arts & culture editor Subin Park artsandculture@thesil.ca arts & culture reporter Abonti Nur Ahmed artsandculturerep@thesil.ca

arts & culture staff writer Michelle Li arts & culture staff writer Joleen Awad humans of mcmaster staff writer Esther Liu

Sports

sports editor Jovan Popovic sports@thesil.ca sports reporter Sava Jankovic sportsrep@thesil.ca

sports staff writer Miguel Sibal sports staff writer Alyssa Wheeler sports staff writer Jenny Zhao

Multimedia multimedia coordinator Yoohyun Park multimedia assistant Jessica Yang multimedia assistant Daisy Thang multimedia assistant Julio Diaz multimedia assistant Vicky Lin social media coordinator Noor Al Omran multimedia@thesil.ca

cover by Julio diaz, andrew mrozowski, christina osadchuk and nisha gill

candidates appear in alphabetical order by last name sam bovey has asked not to be covered by the silhouette

Volume 93, Presidentials Issue

Thursday, January 19, 2022

The Silhouette | McMaster University’s Student Newspaper

Looking back . . .

January 19, 2017

It’s been a while since we’ve had this kind of election! The last time there were more than two candidates for MSU President was before the pandemic and the the last time there were exactly fve candidates was back in 2016!

Get Involved Contact

Executive Editor (905) 525-9140, ext 22052 Editor-in-Chief (905) 525-9140, ext 27117 Advertising executive@thesil.ca

MUSC B110 McMaster University 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4S4

Land Acknowledgement

McMaster University is located on the traditional territories shared between the Haudenosaunee confederacy and the Anishinabe nations, which was protected by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum agreement. The “Dish” represents the shared land, while “One Spoon” reinforces the idea of sharing and peace.

We are guests on this land and are privledged to be able to work, study and live here. The Silhouette recognizes that this acknowledgement is only a single step towards reconciliation and that a lot of progess still needs to be made. We commit to ensuring Indigenous voices are heard and that their stories be told.

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Interested in contributing? Scan the QR code, fll out the Form and let us know what you want to cover!

Legal Acknowledgement

The Silhouette welcomes letters to the editor in person at MUSC B110, or by email at thesil@thesil.ca. Please include name, address and telephone number for verifcation only. Letters should be 300 words or less. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters and opinion articles. Opinions and editorials expressed in The Silhouette are those of the author and do not necessarily refect those of the editorial board, the publishers, the McMaster Students Union or McMaster University. The Silhouette is an editorially autonomous newspaper published by the McMaster Students Union. The Silhouette Board of Publications acts as an intermediary between the editorial board, the McMaster community and the McMaster Students Union. Grievances regarding The Silhouette may be forwarded in writing to: McMaster Students Union, McMaster University Student Centre, Room 201, L8S 4S4, Attn: The Silhouette Board of Publications. The Board will consider all submissions and make recommendations accordingly.

Printed By

Presidentials

ter Univrsity Student Centre atrium on Jan. 24 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Amarah Hasham-Steele News Editor

Nisha Gill Editor-in-Chief

This is an updated version of the article that was published on the Silhouette’s website on Jan. 12. The article has been updated to include the names of the nominated MSU presidential candidates and more details about the Silhouette’s coverage of the election.

The start of a new semester at McMaster University also brings an important event for McMaster students: the annual McMaster Student Union presidential election.

Each year, all full time undergraduate students at McMaster are eligible to run and vote in the presidential election. The nomination period closed on Jan. 13 and there are fve candidates who were nominated to run for the position of president: Sam Abbott, Sam Bovey, Jovan Popovic, Zachary Thorne and Jeffrey Xu. The campaign period ofcially began on Jan. 15.

During the campaign period, the Silhouette will provide coverage of each candidate, including platform overviews, critiques and coverage of the all-candidates debate taking place in the McMas-

It should be noted that Sam Bovey informed the Silhouette, on Jan. 14 that he has “decided to resign from the public eye” and has declined to speak with us. As he also has no platform availble on the MSU elections website at the time of publication, he is not featured in this issue. Otherwise, candidates appear in alphabetical order by last name with an overview and critique of Sam Abbott’s platform appearing on pages four to fve, Jovan Popovic’s on six and seven, Zachary Thorne’s on pages 16 and 17 and Jeffrey Xu’s on pages 18 and 19.

Additionally, Jovan Popovic is the Sports Editor at the Silhouette for the 2022-2023 academic year. He has taken a leave of absence during his presidential campaign. The Silhouette is committed to impartiality and journalistic integrity in its coverage of the MSU presidential election. For more information, see the Silhouette’s Operating Policy on the MSU website.

Polling will take place on the online platform Simply Voting, made accessible to students by email, from Jan. 24 to Jan. 26. Between the start of the campaign period and the closing of polls, candidates will have the opportunity to campaign online and on and off campus.

Along with voting for presidential candidates, this year students will also be able to vote in referenda regarding whether students should continue to pay fees for McMaster Solar Car, Engineers Without

Borders and Hamilton Street Railway.

Both EWB and McMaster Solar Car are funded by annual student fees under Bylaw 9, which allows for non-university, non-MSU groups to receive funding. The funding for McMaster Solar Car goes towards the construction of a solar-powered car. The funding for EWB goes towards a fellowship, awarded to one McMaster student each year. Currently, students pay $1.11 each year to fund McMaster Solar Car and $0.41 for EWB.

The HSR bus pass, which costs students $232.94, allows all full-time undergraduate students unlimited access to the HSR, from September to August of each year. Every three years, the contract between HSR and the university is renegotiated and students vote through a referendum whether to continue paying for the bus pass.

The campaign period for the referenda is between Jan. 15 and Jan. 26 and the polling dates are also Jan. 24 to Jan. 26. During the campaign period, MSU members can make campaign teams in support of or against each issue. Students can register to be part of a campaign side, making them campaign side representatives. Campaign sides can use resources with a fair market value of up to $200 for their campaigning.

Currently, representatives from EWB and Solar Car have formed campaign teams on the “yes” side of the referendum and zero campaign teams have been formed on the “no side” in either referenda.

More information about MSU elections can be found on the elections website and their Instagram.

MSU Presidential Candidate Platform Overview: Sam Abbot

Kate O’Melia News Reporter

cw: mentions of sexual assault

Sam Abbott is a second-year environmental science student running for the role of the McMaster Students Union president.

In an email to the Silhouette, Abbott stated that his three-pillar platform aims to increase student engagement with the MSU, address issues with MSU Maroons and increase the quality of the student experience at McMaster University.

Abbot stated that his three pillar platform aims to increase student engagement with the MSU, address issues with Maroons and increase the quality of the student experience.

In his email, Abbott described his campaign as not very serious and based on a joke between friends; however, he also stated that he is passionate about solving issues on campus.

Abbott plans to accomplish his frst platform point, increasing student engagement with the MSU, by providing more money to MSU clubs. He believes that extracurricular involvement leads to more balanced lifestyles and positive university experiences.

support the eventual return of the Maroons, but only if there is a shift in the culture of the organization during its hiatus.

The third pillar of Abbott’s platform focuses on increasing the quality of service provided by the university. He aims to achieve this by advocating for a pedestrian-focused campus, amplifying student voices on the university planning committee and working with McMaster to

bott’s platform, visit his Instagram profle.

Abbot stated

Voting for the MSU presidential election takes place from Jan. 24 to Jan. 26 using the Simply Voting platform and more information about the election can be found on the MSU Elections website.

Abbott’s second platform point is to address issues with the MSU Maroons, specifcially those related to the allegations of sexual assault that came to light in 2018. To accomplish this platform point, if elected Abbott stated that he plans to remove the MSU Maroons from campus events. He also said he would

Abbott’s campaign aims to increase student engagement with the MSU, suspend the Maroons and increase the quality of the student experience

He believes that extracurricular involvement leads to more balanced lifestyles and positive university experiences.

that as banning homecoming did not achieve the desired outcome, it would be more productive to engage with the tradition constructively.

CHRISTINA

MSU Presidential Candidate Platform Critique: Sam Abbot

Sam Abbott’s campaign contains insightful criticisms about McMaster’s culture, but his platform raises concerns about feasibility and his commitment to the student body

Kate O’Melia News Reporter

cw: mentions of sexual assault

Second-year presidential candidate Sam Abbott is running on a platform that prioritizes student engagement and voice, but his campaign doesn’t address concerns about feasibility and commitment to students if elected.

Feasibility

Abbott has not consulted with anyone, including the current McMaster Students Union administration or university representatives, to gauge the feasibility of the platform points he hopes to implement if elected.

Abbot has not consulted with anyone, including the current MSU administration or university representatives, to gauge the feasibility of the platform points he hopes to implement if elected.

For example, in his proposed student engagement initiative, Abbott says he will allot more money to each MSU club if elected. However, he has not assessed current budgets or explained where this extra money will be sourced.

“I think if the MSU [found] a little bit more money, [or] if we redirect funds towards various student clubs, I think that would make going to McMaster a much more positive experience,” said Abbott.

This isn’t Abbott’s only platform point that raises concerns of feasibility. His promise to improve quality service from the university for students has vague descriptions, such as amplifying student voices within the McMaster planning committee and working with the university to plan homecoming.

The second pillar of Abbott’s platform is to place the MSU Maroons on hiatus for at least a year, due to past allegations of sexual assault. He stated in his platform that the Maroons could be reinstated, if the culture of the organization was signifcantly changed.

“There have been lots of allegations and there have been lots of people saying, “hey, this is a very serious problem.” And

This isn’t Abbot’s only platform point that raises concerns of feasibility. His promise to improve quality service from the university for students has vague descriptions, such as amplifying student voices within the McMaster planning commitee and working with the university to plan homecoming.

they’re not doing enough about it. And I think too, we should do more about because it’s paid for by the MSU. I feel like we shouldn’t be paying for that sort of thing,” said Abbott.

Abbott did not explain how he would go about changing the culture of the Maroons. Further, he did not account for the fact that the Maroons were already placed on hiatus in the 2019-2020 school year by the SRA.

Abbot did not explain how he would go about changing the culture of the Maroons. Further, he did not account for the fact that the Maroons were already placed on hiatus in the 2019-2020 school year by the SRA.

Commitment

Aside from the previously stated issues, Abbott himself claims he is not very serious about running for MSU president. This can be seen in the lack of planning throughout his platform.

“The reason why I wanted to run was basically, I kind of said it as a joke a few times with my friends. And I was just like, you know, I should run for the MSU president, and they were like, why? I was like, why not?”, said Abbott.

Abbott claims that he will engage seriously with the MSU if he is elected, and does have some valid points about issues

within McMaster’s culture, but his platform offers no substantial way to solve them, and the concerns of feasibility his campaign raises does not lean in favour of bettering the McMaster community.

Voting for the MSU presidential election takes place from Jan. 24 to Jan. 26 using the Simply Voting platform and more information about the election can be found on the MSU elections website.

MSU Presidential Candidate Platform Overview: Jovan Popovic

Sports

Bela Davidson News Staff Writer

Jovan Popovic is the Sports Editor at the Silhouette for the 2022-2023 academic year. He has taken a leave of absence during his presidential campaign. The Silhouette is committed to impartiality and journalistic integrity in its coverage of the MSU presidential election. For more information, see the Silhouette Operating Policy.

Jovan Popovic is a fourth-year under graduate commerce student running for president of the McMaster Student Union.

The overarching theme of Popovic’s platform is student life, with three main pillars focusing on student engagement, student sports and commuter life.

Student Engagement

The frst pillar of Popovic’s campaign, which he sent to the Silhouette in an email, is focused increasing engagement between students and the MSU. Popo vic highlighted four main focuses under student engagement: keeping the student body up-to-date on MSU operations, supporting MSU clubs, increasing campus events and re-establishing the Welcome Week experience.

Firstly, regarding keeping the student body informed about MSU operations, Popovic proposed holding information sessions and increasing the MSU online presence to allow for student engagement and feedback. Popovic also proposed the addition of an MSU informational tab on AvenueToLearn.

Secondly, Popovic claimed that MSU clubs are currently underfunded. To amend this, Popovic proposed training club executives to fnd private industry sponsors for their events. Popovic also noted that, through his experience as co-president of the McMaster Sports Com munity, he is skilled at securing sponsors for club events and can act as an authori ty on this matter.

Similarly, Popovic’s next focus is to increase the number of on-campus events being held throughout the school year. His platform stated that, if elected, he would enact this plan with the help of MSU Campus Events, the other elected MSU Board of Directors elected board of Vice Presidents and university alumni.

Lastly, Popovic hopes to re-establish the Welcome Week experience. Popovic proposed that, by working with Campus Events and the incoming VP Finance, he would determine an appropriate budget and organize a stronger, more engaging Welcome Week experience.

As an avid participant and leader within McMaster’s sports community, Popovic dedicated a pillar of his campaign to improving student athlete experiences and increasing overall student engagement with campus sporting events.

In his platform, Popovic highlighted several issues concerning the treatment of student athletes, including disparities in the treatment of Ontario University Athletics teams and U Sports, higher female ath-

McMaster Athletics & Recreation and Campus Events to increase student awareness and capitalize on the entertain -ment aspect of sports games.

Commuter Life

Popovic’s last campaign pillar focuses on offering commuter students the same opportunities to attend campus event as on-campus or local students.

Popovic discussed the current Campus Master Plan, which concerns several ongoing maintenance projects, including Lot M. Popovic claims that, if elected, he would collaborate with Facility Services to deal with the deteriorated state of Lot M.

make parking on campus more accessible

Popovic also claimed that, if elected,muter students during campus events. For example, free parking in the evenings and low-cost meal options might be offered, incentivizing commuter students to engage

To learn more about Popovic’s

Voting for the MSU presidential election takes place from Jan. 24 to Jan. 26 using the Simply Voting platform and more information about the election can be found on the

CHRISTINA OSADCHUK/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

In his campaign Jovan Popovic aims improve student life, proposing a number of avenues to do so

MSU Presidential Candidate Platform Critique: Jovan Popovic

Bela Davidson News Staff Writer

Jovan Popovic is the Sports Editor at the Silhouette for the 2022-2023 academic year. He has taken a leave of absence during his presidential campaign. The Silhouette is committed to impartiality and journalistic integrity in its coverage of the MSU presidential election. For more information, see the Silhouette Operating Policy.

or unique ideas for events, especially considering the emphasis he put on student engagement within his campaign.

Popovic’s frsthand experiences have led him to identify areas that are in genuine need of change. However, Popovic’s choice to keep his campaign close to his personal experiences caused his approach to some student issues to be narrow.

To broaden this horizon, Popovic could have explored student communities and issues outside his realm of expertise, to present a more holistic and representative picture of the McMaster student body.

Jovan

Popovic’s McMaster Student Union presidential campaign included strong advocacy pillars and relevant consultations. However, Popovic’s campaign lacks investigation into student communities outside of his own and does not present precise solutions to addressed issues.

Student Engagement

In his interview with the Silhouette, Popovic stated that engagement in campus events is concerningly low and that it is crucial for the MSU to focus on amending this. Popovic referenced his consultations with past and present MSU representatives and Campus Events staff as afrming these statements. The Silhouette reached out to these individuals for confrmation, but, as of the time of publication, has not received any responses.

To combat the lack of student involvement, Popovic proposed more transparency regarding MSU activity, increased club funding, an increase in campus events throughout the school year and a greater focus on improving Welcome Week.

The Silhouette reached out to the current MSU Vice President (Education) Elizabeth Wong whom Popovic consulted with prior to his campaign. Wong commented on Popovic’s initiative to increase events on campus, explaining that the feasibility of this is dependent on many factors, including the scale of the events and the planning processes.

Popovic proposed a few specifc transparency initiatives, including an MSU informational tab on AvenueToLearn. Beyond this, Popovic was unable to get specifc in his plans to ameliorate his remaining listed campaign points.

For example, Popovic proposed working with the rest of the MSU Board of Directors and Campus Events to produce more events throughout the year. When asked in interview to specify what kinds of events he had in mind, Popovic discussed more sporting events and continuing the on-campus holiday market, which frst occurred in Dec. 2022.

It would have strengthened Popovic’s campaign further if he had more specifc

Sports and Commuter Life

His campaign statement and leadership within the McMaster Sports Community indicate that Popovic is familiar with and passionate about McMaster athletics.

Popovic’s campaign discusses treatment of student-athletes and how to amend current athletic services, such as ensuring the athletic MSAF is honored, ironing out budget disparities and addressing the rocky transitional period from high school to university sports.

When asked to substantiate that these issues are indeed prominent and recognized within the McMaster sports community, Popovic referenced several consultations and testimonies from McMaster Athletics & Recreation executives and student-athletic leaders as well as his feld work as a sports reporter. The Silhouette reached out to these individuals for confrmation and received responses from Athletics & Recreation stating that while they did meet with Popovic, they did not discuss these specifc issues.

Popovic’s push for further advocacy for student-athletes is rooted in specifc and actionable plans. However, in centring his platform around student-athletics, Popovic is centring his own experiences, and he fails to bring this level of attention and detail to student groups outside of his own.

The same can be said for Popovic’s campaign pillar regarding commuter students. Popovic confrmed that he too is a commuter student in an interview with the Silhouette.

His platform points concerning commuters discuss the disorganized maintenance of temporary parking Lot M and the lack of commuter student engagement with campus activities. Thus, Popovic’s campaign points are geared towards commuters who drive to campus and they fail to acknowledge in the same capacity commuters who use transit.

Popovic described in his interview how the goal of his campaign is to shift the overarching campus culture towards greater student engagement., Popovic added that outlining specifcs before he’s in ofce may lead to unrealistic goals.

Popovic’s desire to be upfront in his campaign and avoid false promises is responsible and commendable. However, taking more of a risk by investigating less familiar student communities and developing more detailed action plans would have strengthened Popovic’s outlined campaign pillars.

Popovic’s

Voting for the MSU presidential election takes place from Jan. 24 to Jan. 26 using the Simply Voting platform and more information about the election can be found on the MSU elections website.

While Popovic’s campaign succeeds in addressing student athlete advocacy, it fails to explore student communities outside of his own and proposes some vague solutions

It would have strengthened Popovic’s campaign further if he had more specifc or unique ideas for events, especially considering the emphasis he put on student engagement within his campaign.

desire to be upfront in his campaign and avoid false promises is responsible and commendable. However, taking more of a risk by investigating less familiar student communities and developing more detailed action plans would have strengthened Popovic’s outlined campaign pillars.

e McMaster Students Union

PRESIDENT’S PAGE

SIMRANJEET (SIM) SINGH President

president@msu.mcmaster.ca 905.525.9140 x23885

As we look forward to a new year, there is typically a sense of new hopes, dreams, and aspirations for the future. e same themes of community building, large scale events, and opportunities for involvement that de ned rst semester at Mac will continue in the coming term. I hope the return to an in-person campus leaves a lasting impact on all within the McMaster community moving forward. e Vice-Presidents of the MSU and myself conmsu_mcmaster msumcmaster.ca

tinue to make progress on our goals. As we approach the twilight of our term, we are glad to have made inroads on numerous fronts. My agship goal, to increase access to Open Educational Resources, has made significant progress. e initiative is nearing completion. As we look forward to the next few months, our team plans to leave a lasting mark on issues of student wellness resources, sustainability, and increasing collaboration between the Hamilton community and McMaster. We also enter a phase where the MSU members will be electing new student leaders, who will take on the responsibility of direction setting. I hope all candidates who run for President possess not only a dedication to their goals, but also an inspirational vision for how to leave a positive mark on our community. e opportunity a orded to candidates allows

them to enact change for all at Mac. us they must not only bring forth their own ideas, but be continually aware of how to evolve them, receive feedback to improve them, and have a capacity to modify them, as the needs of the student body evolve and circumstances change. e ability to engage with an array of people and groups, understand their goals, and then present student views in a way that is most likely to succeed for the bene t of our constituency is vital. e president will have unique perspectives, certainly, but should also have a passion for supporting others, whilst advocating to varied stakeholders such as administrators at McMaster, community members, City o cials, and leaders of provincial and federal governments. With the election, students will also have the opportunity to vote in three separate referenda. e Student Rep-

resentative Assembly has brought forth questions on the students fees related to a new three-year contract for the HSR bus pass, as well as the student levy paid to Engineers Without Borders and McMaster Solar Car. For the HSR bus pass specifically, this referendum takes place every three years, following rounds of negotiations between the HSR and the MSU. e referendum is how students ultimately approve the contract that guides the bus pass fee structure for the following three years. rough the contract, McMaster students have enjoyed access to public transit in Hamilton at a fraction of the cost of the adult monthly bus pass. Please visit msumcmaster.ca/elections to learn more about each of the three referenda that will appear alongside the presidential election, taking place online January 24-26.

The President’s Page is a space sponsored and used by the McMaster Students Union (MSU) Board of Directors (BoD) to communicate with the student body. It functions to highlight the Board’s projects, goals, and agenda for the year, as well as the general happenings of the MSU.

SARPHINA CHIU Vice-President (Finance)

ELIZABETH WONG Vice-President (Education)

MITCHELL GERMAN Vice-President (Administrative)

SIMRANJEET (SIM) SINGH President

Level up your education and well-being with communities of learning

The start of a new term is a great time to reset and reflect on your learning strategies. Ask yourself, how effective are they, and what impact do they have on your overall wellbeing?

Success Centre Community Partner

This article was not produced by the Silhouette.

When I was an undergrad and I got stressed out by my workload, I’d retreat. I’d study by myself until I felt caught up or ran out of steam. I got the job done, but my isolation strategy was more painful (and lonely!) than it needed to be. When I was in graduate school and studied about how people learn, I realized that I had missed out on one of the great opportunities of university life: learning alongside others.

Research shows that participating in communities of learning can enhance student learning and help students overcome challenges (Matthews et al., 2012). As a university student, you’re already part

of communities of learning, whether you realize it or not. Classes, study groups, workshops and clubs are all environments where you get to learn alongside others and support one another’s success.

Here are some ways that you can make the most of communities of learning this term.

Take an inventory. What communities are you already in?

Consider the benefts and limitations of each one. In a large lecture class, for example, you may fnd that you’re learning a lot of new material, but you may not feel comfortable getting answers to all of your questions.

Refect. How can you get the most out of your communities of learning?

One of the major shifts from secondary to post-secondary education is that you have a lot more control over (and responsibility for!) your learning. Ask yourself what you can do to get the most out of each community of learning. Keep in

mind that one of the best ways to engage is to support the other learners in your communities.

Check out some new learning opportunities beyond the classroom.

As you fgure out what January Reset means for you, consider joining some new communities of learning. Take some risks and try new things!

Talk to your friends and classmates. Attend workshops based on your goals for the term. Make connections at on-campus events that could lead to new study groups and other activities outside the classroom.

Check out the January Reset page on the Student Success Centre website for more ways to get involved: bit.ly/january-reset

Matthews, R. S., Smith, B. L., & MacGregor, J. (2012). The evolution of learning communities: A retrospective. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2012(132), 99–111.

Student

PHOTO C/O McMaster University Student Success Centre

Breakdown of the budget for student HSR bus pass

With the HSR bus pass going to referendum, students can decide whether to continue paying HSR fees

Thomas News Staff Writer

With the MSU presidential elections around the corner, students will also be allowed to vote in referenda on programs that cost additional fees.

Currently, students have a 12-month, unlimited-ride bus pass with the Hamilton Street Railway. The contract for the pass does not include an opt-out clause which prevents students from opting out of the fee. This contract is re-negotiated and sent to student referenda every three years.

Currently, students have a 12-month, unlimitedride bus pass with the Hamilton Street Railway. The contract for the pass does not include an optout clause which prevents students from opting out of the fee.

The HSR bus pass costs for 20222023 are $232.94 for undergraduate students and $294.15 for graduate students.

Given the current adult cash fare of $3.25, savings earned from the bus pass would require undergraduate students to use HSR more than 72 times and graduate students to use it more than 91 times during the 12-month period.

An undergraduate student who com-

Given the current adult cash fare of $3.25, savings earned from the bus pass would require undergraduate students to use HSR more than 72 times and graduate students to use it more than 91 times during the 12-month period.

mutes to and from campus using HSR for classes during the 2023-2023 fall and winter terms (124 days excluding reading week, holidays, and exam periods) would

have to pay $806 in adult cash fares without the HSR pass. In this instance, the HSR pass would save the student approximately three and half times compared to adult cash fares.

The 2023-2024 MSU-HSR bus pass is made up of three components: 1) The Eight-Month Fall-Winter Pass, which costs $207.90; the Four-Month Summer Pass, which costs $21.98 and the Extended Service Pass (buses into downtown until 3:00 am), which costs $8.91. The total fee is then $241.79.

The costs of an annual MSU-HSR bus pass for the next three years are as follows: $241.79 in 2023-2024, $250.63 in 2024-2025 and $259.48 in 2025-2026.

The annual price increases are a result of annual increases in HSR’s monthly bus pass, which is used as a percentage relation to calculate the MSU-HSR bus pass prices. For example, the cost of $207.90 in the 2023-2024 eight-month fall-winter pass is from negotiating prices to be 175% of a monthly pass of 118.80).

The previous referendum in 2017 resulted in the renewal of the MSU-HSR bus pass.

Polling dates for the MSU-HSR referendum, other referenda and the MSU presidential elections are from January 24 to January 26.

Edwin

YOOHYUN PARK/MULTIMEDIA COORDINATOR

Engineers Without Borders and McMaster Solar Car head to referenda

In two upcoming referenda, students will vote on whether to continue funding Engineers Without Borders and McMaster Solar Car under Bylaw 9

Hasham-Steele News Editor

On January 24, polling will open for the McMaster Student Union presidential election and three referenda. Two of these referenda concern groups on campus that are currently funded by MSU Bylaw 9, which, under Section 3, allows non-MSU, non-university groups to receive student funding.

The two groups that students will vote on are Engineers Without Borders and McMaster Solar Car. Currently, students pay $1.11 each year towards Mc-

The two groups that students will vote on are Engineers Without Borders and McMaster Solar Car. Currently, students pay $1.11 each year towards McMaster Solar Car and $0.41 towards EWB.

Master Solar Car and $0.41 towards EWB.

On Nov. 13, the Student Representative Assembly voted to send EWB to referendum with 20 votes in favour, six votes against and two abstaining votes.

Representatives from EWB have formed a campaign team on the “yes” side of the referendum, headed by Sindhuja Bissoonauth, co-president of EWB.

The funding that EWB receives from students is allocated towards the Junior Fellowship program, which provides one student at McMaster University with a 12-month leadership and service opportunity. According to the platform provided by the EWB campaign team, EWB aims to create social change in Africa by addressing the root causes of poverty and creating change in how Canadians view Africa.

In their platform, EWB outlined the ways in which McMaster benefts from EWB’s Junior Fellowship program. According to EWB, the program creates opportunities for networking between universities and provides students with experience working abroad. The fellowship is also open to students from all faculties and previous fellows often present about their experiences to classes or groups on campus.

“Without the Junior Fellowship, McMaster [EWB] chapter members would be disconnected from development work in the feld and would lack frst-hand knowl-

edge about development,” said EWB in their platform.

As of the date of publication, there is no existing campaign team for the “no” side of the referendum.

In the Nov.13 SRA meeting, the SRA also voted to send McMaster Solar Car to referendum, with 15 votes in favour, nine votes against and four abstaining votes.

Representatives from the McMaster Solar Car organization have formed a campaign team on the “yes” side of the referendum. In an email to the Silhouette, McMaster Solar Car argued that the organization unifes students across different faculties and fosters innovation on campus.

“[Solar Car] is a great ambassador for the university, promoting the McMaster name and research globally through competitions and events, and connecting the university with the community,” said McMaster Solar Car in their statement.

As of the date of publication, there is no existing campaign team for the “no” side of the referendum

For more information on why the SRA voted to send EWB and Solar Car to referendum and how the organizations responded, see the Silhouette’s recap of the Nov. 13 SRA meeting.

The campaign period for the referenda began on Jan. 15 and will continue until Jan. 26. Voting will take place from

Amarah

JULIO DIAZ/MULTIMEDIA ASSISTANT

MSU Presidential Candidate Platform Overview: Zachary Thorne

his campaign

Amarah Hasham-Steele News Editor

Zachary Thorne is a sixth-year computer engineering and society student running for McMaster Students Union President.

Thorne’s platform covers a wide variety of issues, which he has organized into 10 major categories: infrastructure, economy, healthcare, environment, communications, education, transportation, legacy, national security and morale boosters.

Thorne’s plans for infrastructure involve constructing more bridges around campus, turning TwelveEighty Bar and Grill into a bowling alley and installing more indoor waterfalls.

One key infrastructure idea that resurfaces throughout Thorne’s platform is his Doors Initiative. In order to address hallway congestion and entryway trafc, Thorne plans to replace every existing door on campus with a revolving door and, further, to triple the number of doors on campus. In his platform, Thorne also stated that this would help McMaster University to become the frst university campus with more doors than wheels.

Thorne’s economic plans involve introducing Willy Dog hotdogs to every restaurant on campus and solving infation. With regards to healthcare, his platform proposes asking students to take their shoes off before entering buildings and being permitted to cook their own food on campus, to prevent students from ingesting undercooked food. Environmentally, some of Thorne’s priorities are solving climate change and introducing new snow day protocol.

Thorne has several communications ideas, such as addressing students over a PA system in daily morning announcements, so that students feel connected to the MSU. Regarding education, Thorne has one key idea, which is to change the MSAF into an unlimited “LSAF”, allowing students to take an “L” on assignments.

Thorne also advocates for changes to transportation on campus, such as changing the shuttle bus route to make it longer and more scenic. With regards to the legacy section of his platform, Thorne argues that William McMaster should not be the only person with a statue and he advocated for statues of every McMaster student across campus.

In the national security section of his platform, Thorne provides a detailed plan for improving the security of two-factor authentication, including a voice recognition test and a chess match against the computer for access to login details.

Finally, the morale booster section of his platform advocates for universal coffee cards on campus and MSU-mandated screenings of televised events on the MUSC television.

More information about Thorne’s plat form can be found on his website.

Voting for the MSU presidential election takes place from Jan. 24 to Jan. 26 using the Simply Voting platform and more information about the election can be found on the MSU elections website.

ANTHONY HURLEY/PHOTO ASSISTANT

In

Thorne aims to make substantial changes to the operations of McMaster, including with regards to infrastructure, healthcare and the environment

MSU Presidential Candidate Platform Critique: Zachary Thorne

While Thorne’s platform contains some ideas that may be popular with students, his platform lacks thorough research and consideration of feasibility. Further, many of his ideas are not clearly benefcial to the McMaster University student body and he does little to justify their relevance.

Lack of Consultation

In an interview with the Silhouette, Thorne admitted that he had not consulted anyone within the McMaster Students Union or employed at McMaster with regards to the cost and feasibility of his platform points. Thorne explained that he has consulted with his 32 person campaign team on various issues but that he has not consulted with anyone externally.

Thorne’s lack of consultation raises concerns about potentially popular plans, such as abolishing the 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. lecture time or implementing universal coffee stamp cards.

Thorne’s lack of consultation raises concerns about potentially popular plans, such as abolishing the 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. lecture time or implementing universal cofee stamp cards.

Feasibility Concerns

Beyond his lack of external consultation about the feasibility of his ideas, Thorne’s platform has other feasibility limitations as well. A number of Thorne’s platform points cannot be reasonably accomplished within a year and fall outside the scope of the MSU president role.

A number of Thorne’s platform points cannot be reasonably accomplished within a year and fall outside the scope of the MSU president role.

For example, in the environment section of Thorne’s campaign, he pledges to solve climate change. According to the United Nations Environmental Program, keeping the global temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees celsius would require the world to reduce emissions by thirty gigatons by 2030. The MSU does not have the resources to accomplish this.

While this is the most extreme example of infeasibility in Thorne’s platform, other platform points — such as Morning Announcements with Zach and turning TwelvEighty Bar and Grill into a bowling alley — raise feasibility concerns as well.

With regards to morning announcements, Thorne’s goal is to make students feel more connected to the MSU; however, he hopes to accomplish this with a PA system, which does not currently exist across McMaster’s campus. Thorne has provided no cost estimate for the PA system; however, he did provide a backup plan, if the PA system proves to be infeasible.

“I will have all of people on my team in every room — I’ll recruit more people — and I’ll have them on speakerphone, so they’ll just yell out [morning announcements] at the class. If that doesn’t work, we’re just going to have people from my team knock on everyone’s doors every day and give them an update on what’s happening, no matter what,” said Thorne.

Unclear Benefts to Students

It is unclear how some of Thorne’s policies will beneft the student population. For example, Thorne’s perspiration policy states that he will remove all air conditioning units from residence buildings, in order to make things fair for all students.

Thorne admitted in an interview that he did not expect this to be a popular policy among students; however, he insisted that it was necessary.

Another major aspect of Thorne’s platform that may not beneft students is his Doors Initiative. This multifaceted initiative involves turning every current door on campus into a revolving door, tripling the number of doors on campus and aiming for McMaster University to have more doors than wheels on campus.

While more revolving doors might help with hallway congestion and trafc around doors, many other aspects of this initiative are less clearly advantageous. For example, the goal to have more doors than wheels would likely be an involved one to accomplish and its benefts to students are not immediately clear.

When asked about this initiative and its benefts, Thorne stated that the ongoing debate about whether there are more doors or wheels was the number one reason for hallway congestion and

that, by resolving this debate by adding more doors, the issue of crowded hallways would be solved. However, Thorne did not provide any evidence for this claim. The Silhouette was not able to fnd any other information about the allegedly ongoing doors and wheels debate.

When asked about this initiative and its benefits, Thorne stated that the ongoing debate...was the number one reason for hallway congestion and that, by resolving this debate by adding more doors, the issue of crowded hallways would be solved. However, Thorne did not provide any evidence for this claim.

Finally, Thorne’s proposed move to change the school colours from maroon and gray to mahogany and cream does not have any apparent benefts to the student body. Further, this change would be costly for the university as all McMaster merchandise and logos would have to be replaced.

Voting for the MSU presidential election takes place from Jan. 24 to Jan. 26 using the Simply Voting platform and more information about the election can be found on the MSU elections website.

While Thorne’s platform appeals to some student wants, his g oals are infeasible and many of them would have no clear benefits to the McMaster community

Amarah Hasham-Steele News Editor

MSU Presidential Candidate Platform Overview: Jefrey Xu

In his campaign Xu aims to improve Centro food, extend library hours and increase transparency within the MSU

Edwin Thomas News Staff Writer

Jeffrey Xu is a fourth-year honours life sciences student running for president of the McMaster Students Union.

Xu has a platform that focuses on concerns that affect students’ daily lives. His key focuses are improving Centro food, extending library hours and increasing MSU transparency.

Xu has a platform that focuses on concerns that afect students’ daily lives. His key focuses are improving Centro food, extending library hours and increasing MSU transparency.

He has had previous leadership experience as a peer tutor, teaching assistant and chess club president.

Xu stated on Reddit that he is running on pro-labour and pro-union roots, citing his participation in the 2022 TA strike. He stated that he has a proven track record of advocating for students and will not be a representative for the university administration.

His frst platform point is to advocate for improved food options and quality on campus, with a focus on students’ health. Xu stated that he would take necessary steps for change, including utilizing the media as a means for raising awareness about the issue.

Secondly, Xu proposed to extend library hours to provide students with more time in the libraries during critical academic periods, particularly during exam season.

Finally, Xu wants to improve transparency between the MSU and the student body, stating on McMaster’s subreddit that he will create monthly MSU Q&A sessions. Additionally, to address issues with efciency in the MSU, Xu plans to streamline bureaucracy to eliminate unnecessary programs.

Xu also aims to increase MSU club funding.

A unique aspect of Xu’s campaign is that he has no campaign staff, instead opting to rely on the power of the student

body to support his campaign. He also claimed in his platform that he will be spending less than $25 on his campaign. He stated that he does not believe in the use of excessive spending on paid advertisements and fyers, instead relying on the merit of his campaign’s platform and ideas to gain support.

Xu stated that he is motivated to run

in politics but was willing to step forward to lead the community.

Xu’s platforms can be found on his Instagram and Reddit campaign accounts.

Voting for the MSU presidential election takes place from Jan. 24 to Jan. 26 using the Simply Voting platform and more information about the election can be found on the MSU elections website.

CHRISTINA OSADCHUK/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

MSU Presidential Candidate Platform Critique: Jefrey Xu

While Xu’s campaign is ambitious, his platform points lack feasibility and rely heavily on information from Reddit

interview with the Silhouette.

Edwin Thomas News Staff Writer

McMaster Student Union presidential candidate Jeffrey Xu claims to prioritize issues that affect students’ daily lives and making promises that he can fulfll. However, his platform lacks consideration of costs or other feasibility constraints and his understanding of the McMaster University community is heavily infuenced by Reddit.

Improving Centro Food Xu explained that his primary platform point, improving Centro food, was based on Reddit posts he had seen about students fnding raw chicken in their food. He clarifed that he intended to improve food safety regulations, rather than the quality of the food itself.

Xu explained that his primary platform point, improving Centro food, was based on Reddit posts he had seen about students fnding raw chicken in their food. He clarifed that he intended to improve food safety regulations, rather than the quality of the food itself.

Despite the emphasis that Xu placed on improving Centro food, he did not provide details, either in his platform or his interview with the Silhouette, about how he would fulfll this goal. Further, Xu admitted that he had not consulted with McMaster Hospitality Services, the department that oversees Centro, on the feasibility of the plan.

When asked if he used supplementary information, such as research on food safety violations, to corroborate evidence from Reddit posts, Xu maintained that he solely used Reddit to inform his campaign policies.

“My campaign is 100 per cent run based on what I saw on Reddit. I use other social media but Reddit is my main one. So that’s what I [based campaign points] off of,” said Xu.

Chris Roberts, director of Hospitality Services, addressed Xu’s concerns in an

“We have, for many years, had a very clean record with the [Hamilton] Department of Health. We have a very close relationship with them. We have no issues. At Centro, we do get the odd complaint. We investigate those complaints to resolve them. There’s nothing outstanding right now,” said Roberts.

Though adherence to food safety regulations is important, Xu’s platform lacks research beyond Reddit, details on plan execution and meaningful assessments of feasibility.

Extending Library Times

Xu’s second platform point was to extend library times, especially during exam seasons. The Silhouette interviewed Lynne Serviss and Anne Pottier, associate university librarians, about the feasibility of this plan.

Serviss and Portier explained that library spaces are available for students for 24 hours each day during the entirety of the exam period.

When asked if he knew about the 24-hour library times during exam season, Xu stated that he was not aware that it existed.

When asked if he knew about the twenty-fourhour library times during exam season, Xu stated that he was not aware that it existed.

“Really? I didn’t even know that . . . Because for some reason, I felt like I saw a Reddit post about how [libraries] were closed during exams and [students] needed studying time. That’s good,” said Xu. Xu explained that he wants to extend regular library hours outside of exams as well. He admitted that he had not substantially considered the feasibility of extending regular library hours or associated additional costs.

Thuss, Xu’s focus on library services lacks planning and consideration for feasibility. Further, Xu’s misunderstanding of library hours displays his platform’s potential for misinformation, due to his reliance on Reddit and lack of fact-checking.

Increasing Transparency in the MSU

Xu advocated for a system to allow users on Reddit to vote on large MSU budgetary decisions, reasoning that he would not know how popular a decision would be unless it was discussed on Reddit.

When asked about the possibility of

non-McMaster individuals voting on recommendations for budget cuts, Xu admitted that he had not considered that factor. He suggested implementing McMaster’s SimplyVoting system on the subreddit, to ensure that only current McMaster students can vote.

The feasibility of this plan was not discussed by Xu. Additionally, his plan to solely use Reddit does not account for whether the Reddit community is representative of all McMaster students.

Financial Allocations in the MSU

Xu also proposed budget cuts to the MSU, stating that there were unnecessary services funded by students. Xu plans to fund services that he sees student interest in on Reddit, such as the Ombuds Ofce and the Student Wellness Centre, while cutting services that he does not see as a priority for students, such as 93.3 CFMU.

Additionally, Xu proposed increasing club funding to cover expenses such as travel and he criticized the MSU administration for slow communication and issues with the distribution of locker space.

However, Xu’s plans lack concrete details and feasibility considerations. He also admitted that he did not consult with the MSU administration.

Though Xu’s platform has ambitious goals, his campaign is catered solely to students that use Reddit, a population that does not include nor represent all McMaster students. While Reddit is a valuable platform for students to voice their concerns, Xu’s sole reliance on Reddit has resulted in a lack of fact-checking, assessing feasibility and consulting with the university.

Though Xu’s platform has ambitious goals, his campaign is catered solely to students that use Reddit, a population that does not include or represent all McMaster students.

Voting for the MSU presidential election takes place from Jan. 24 to Jan. 26 using the Simply Voting platform and more information about the election can be found on the MSU elections website.

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