The McMaster Students Union
PRESIDENT’S PAGE
DENVER DELLA-VEDOVA President president@msu.mcmaster.ca 905.525.9140 x23885
Welcome back Mac, and happy Pride! Given the reality of how disconnected our campus has become, and given our ongoing inability to share in the beautiful space that is McMaster University, this may be the first time I have been able to reach you. I want to begin by thanking students for everything they have done thus far, as we continue to forge a community, despite the persistence of a global pandemic. I will be the first person to say I struggled this past year as a student, working exclusively in an online
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environment. I know I am not alone in saying so. Those feelings of isolation, detachment, and confusion were a large part of why I wanted to be the MSU President. I felt compelled to help and support students as we return to campus. I have spent my first few weeks working with stakeholders in the University on ways to safely return to campus this fall. Frankly, this is my number one priority at the moment. I know the big question for everyone right now is, what is going on in September? The truth is there are some things we know, but unknowns remain, and still even more that has yet to be communicated to students. What I and other student advocates have been doing is to try and resolve the disparities and highlight the major concerns of students to the Administration. I continue to hold talks with folks from the institution to express what it is that concerns students. Moreover, my advice to the University remains consistent; give students more informa-
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.
tion and do it quickly. The return to campus is a major logistical issue of course, so advocates have broken it down into subsections, (such as academics vs. student life). This strategy should help my decision-making colleagues to better communicate specific key points. I expect we will hear major updates soon, likely by early to mid-July, particularly in relation to the academic side of things relative to the winter term (which begins in January 2022). As well, I expect we will see clearer expectations for students around the in-person components of the fall semester, such as final commitments on room assignments, libraries, and study spaces on campus. There are still big question marks amongst the many non-academic issues to navigate, though I am reminding administrators that students need clarity and guidance as to the use of common spaces, meeting spaces, as well as recreation & athletic facilities. In fairness to McMaster, I
DENVER DELLA-VEDOVA President
www.thesil.ca | Tuesday, July 20, 2021
CHRISTINA DEVARAPALLI Vice-President (Adminstration)
believe it is a solid approach to focus on hybrid model of learning, as tens of thousands of students transition back to campus. I commend the University for putting in the extra effort it takes to tackle so many of these case-by-case nuances. Simultaneously, I have been direct in expressing students’ confusion surrounding the fall semester, as other schools have made commitments based on blanket cutoff numbers for class enrollment. If you have specific questions about the return to campus, and you haven’t found the answer in the Back to Mac town halls (covid19.mcmaster. ca), I encourage you to email me or your respective SRA representative so we can add your voice amongst the many students on behalf of whom the MSU will continue to seek answers.
SIOBHAN TEEL Vice-President (Education)
JEGANIYAH (JJ) JAYACHANDRAN
Vice-President (Finance)