The McMaster Students Union
PRESIDENT’S PAGE
DENVER DELLA-VEDOVA President president@msu.mcmaster.ca 905.525.9140 x23885
Welcome to the many students experiencing McMaster for the first time, as well as to those that haven’t seen it since March of 2019. For me, it’s wonderful to see student life return to our community. I know for many it has been a time filled with updates and changes. Fortunately, it appears that we have reached what seems like a place of stability, as folks get into their fall rhythms. One substantial change I am sure most of you have seen is the new vaccination policies; all folks on campus are required to utilize MacCheck. This tool, along with indoor masking, general physical dis-
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tancing, and following provincial guidelines on event sizes, should help ensure our campus does not experience yet another shutdown. I appreciate that students have overwhelmingly adopted and continue to work with these strategies, which will help keep our community safe. Recently, many students attended the Level 1 and level 2 welcomes. I was at the welcome events in early September, and I know many folks mentioned how surreal it felt to have that interpersonal interaction yet again. With many people returning to campus, the MSU has increased the availability of in-person services and events. Both the Emergency First Response Team (EFRT) and the Student Walk Home Attendant Team (SWHAT) are back this fall to support students. These two services were paused last year, due to the campus shutdown. In addition, all MSU business units, including the food and hospitality services of TwelvEighty, the Grind, and Union Market, as well as the print, copy, and design offerings of Underground Media + Design are open to the public. Stay
The President’s Page is a space sponsored and used by the Board of Directors of the McMaster Students Union (MSU) 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.
tuned for even more content from the MSU Campus Events team, as we continue to plan exciting events throughout this year. On the advocacy front, the MSU has made great strides. In partnership with our federal advocacy group, Undergraduates of Canadian Research-Intensive Universities (UCRU), we garnered a large amount of media attention over Elections Canada’s cancellation of the vote-oncampus program. We expect to see polling stations return to campuses across Canada in the next election cycle. Moreover, the MSU team worked with housing advocates in delegating to Hamilton City Council on the need to better support people who rent, especially students. A new landlord licensing pilot project is now in effect. On campus, I worked with many community partners, clubs, students, and the Student Representative Assembly (SRA) to further develop an Equitable Purchasing policy, alongside an updated Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) statement. Reaching this consensus involved dozens of consultations
DENVER DELLA-VEDOVA President
www.thesil.ca | Thursday, October 7, 2021
CHRISTINA DEVARAPALLI Vice-President (Adminstration)
over several months, leading to more sustainable and equitable purchasing practices, as well as a clear statement denouncing all prejudice on campus, in support of students from all religious and ethnic backgrounds. This effort builds upon the 2015 General Assembly motion which compelled the MSU to “commit to identifying and divesting from companies that support or profit from Israeli war crimes, occupation and oppression of Palestinians …”. As well as utilizing “… ethical purchasing policies and fairtrade practices around the globe through the renewal and review of the MSU’s Social and Ethical Purchasing Policy and procedures”. Visit the SRA Facebook page to learn more. It is wonderful to see student life back at Mac. I encourage everyone to get involved in the many clubs, services, and advocacy opportunities provided by the MSU, and find your passion(s) on campus.
SIOBHAN TEEL Vice-President (Education)
JEGANIYAH (JJ) JAYACHANDRAN
Vice-President (Finance)