Originally Posted by Kathy2

What does UM sell that La Piazza doesn't? If you have cash, why not go to La Piazza? Maybe I'm missing something, but I thought they sold all the same stuff.

UM has much cheaper stuff, so it does benefit students to hit UM if they want to save some money, mind you its not much but at the same time, if you keep buying it adds up.

Originally Posted by Phoenix

UM has much cheaper stuff, so it does benefit students to hit UM if they want to save some money, mind you its not much but at the same time, if you keep buying it adds up.

UM isn't even really cheaper. I thought people always said they were cheaper but I always had student card for my first two years so I had to go to La Piazza and stuff instead. Then this year I had cash so I went to UM a couple of times but for most of the stuff its the same prices, like drinks etc, the stuff I'd be grabbing between classes.

That said UM has a lot of stuff La Piazza doesn't have like 5 cent candy, yum!

Originally Posted by Kathy2

What does UM sell that La Piazza doesn't? If you have cash, why not go to La Piazza? Maybe I'm missing something, but I thought they sold all the same stuff.

People choose to go to YM over La Piazza for a number of reasons. Most of the same products offered at LP are cheaper, they offer a wide variety of different products that you can't find within Hopsitality Services, it has a great atmosphere, and it's a good reason to support your student union. Now UM doesn't serve pasta and paninis but it is a convinience store, not a cafeteria.

Originally Posted by sew12

Its also relatively unimportant compared to the multitude of actual problems that face students at this school.

As President, it is Mary's role to find and manage solutions to the school's issues, small and large. After coming up with the action plan, this idea can be easily implemented with the cooperation of the Union Market full-time manager. With a big organization like the MSU, ideas need to be discussed and then delegated.

Originally Posted by reeves

And how does a cashier dedicated to debit/visa benefit anyone? That line will move horrendously slow, while the other moves quickly. Whats wrong with everyone having to wait an equal amount of time? Should someone be "penalized" because they don't want to pull out a $20 to buy a $1-2 pop between classes?

We're all in the same boat in terms of getting to classes, and people shouldn't be coerced into pulling out more money form the bank for the sake of a few seconds in line.

True, but instead of thinking on an individual basis, think of what works best for everyone. The overall lines will be faster, more people will be served, and the store can generate more revenue.



On another note, I want to say that the President's success is not strictly limited to their ability to implement future platform points. This role is a leadership position. It's a captain's role. Their role in this organization is to steer the boat in the right direction, not to mop the deck, repair the broken anchor, pull the sails, etc. It's about organizing synergy. This is why the proper guidance of the day-to-day activities is key to the internal (within) and external (to outside stakeholders) success of the organization. A good President is someone who can do this, and do this well.

Wow - give her a chance will you?! There's a difference between criticisms during the election process, or criticisms while someone is in term - but seriously give her a chance. Mary hasn't even started her transition or started putting her plans into action.

Keep in mind it's not all just about platform. This is the person that represents us to the University Administration, the person that is the figurehead of the MSU for the year. You may not be happy with one minor platform point such as shorter lines because you think it's too small - but hey it is a realistic idea that will make a lot of people happy. Mary also has more significant ideas that she presented AND she will do a great job in the stereotyped parts of the role of President.

Finally, most candidates don't change their platform too significantly during the election process, but running against such talented individuals will get some ideas. You often see in a President's year plan in the summer some ideas that other candidates brought forward in their platform, which I'm sure Mary will consider as well. That way students can benefit from a variety of the great ideas brought forward in this election.

But please, as someone who is often critical - save it for a later time. If after a few months you don't think she is doing a good job in the role - do it then. But at least give her a chance to prove you wrong.

i swear a can of coke at UM is 99cents but at LP its like a dollar something....have they been jipping me all this time?!

Originally Posted by Alvand

... True, but instead of thinking on an individual basis, think of what works best for everyone. The overall lines will be faster, more people will be served, and the store can generate more revenue.

I don't necesarily agree with this. Overall, the lines won't be faster. One will be fast while the other will be ridiculously slow. And I don't think more people will be served because knowing that there will only be one, slow line for debit at UM makes me not want to buy anything at all.

i think next should be alright. hopefully some accountability will be brought to the MUS office

Originally Posted by Phoenix

i swear a can of coke at UM is 99cents but at LP its like a dollar something....have they been jipping me all this time?!

You can actually get two cans of pop for a dollar (plus a few cents I think) at UM. it's craaazy cheap

I read all the platforms and Mary's was by far the most frivolous. It was almost as if she didn't even realize there was a problem. I think its sad/offensive/funny that a candidate can simply string together a bunch of non-solutions to people's pet peeves and actually win.

My hope is that Mary will realize that she needs to abandon the majority of her platform and develop a year plan that is based on the needs, and not the wants, of the students.

Sam

So what are these needs of students that a President could actually accomplish in one year? I'm very interested in knowing

I was going to post but John McIntyre beat me to it and put it together better than I would've. There's no sense in arguing now about her platform points or say that you don't like it now. She won and she will be the MSU president. Now it's a matter of giving her support and helping her set a direction for the MSU. I really liked various platform points that candidates had and I know Mary will definitely look into them and their feasibility. Just because a candidate lost, it does not mean that their plans or goals are lost too. I really hope that the candidates, and others will sit down with her and talk to her about some of their plans and ideas. She is a really approachable person and would be more than happy to sit down and talk Anyway, I just wanted to say that you don't necessarily need a position of power to influence change. As seen, you guys made change already by increasing the voter turnout this year.

Yeah, her points weren't mostly based on structural stuff, but that doesn't mean she's ignoring all that . The way I see it, she can definitely get the ball rolling on some of the structural stuff, while still accomplishing her plans and goals.

Originally Posted by samd

I read all the platforms and Mary's was by far the most frivolous. It was almost as if she didn't even realize there was a problem. I think its sad/offensive/funny that a candidate can simply string together a bunch of non-solutions to people's pet peeves and actually win.

My hope is that Mary will realize that she needs to abandon the majority of her platform and develop a year plan that is based on the needs, and not the wants, of the students.

Sam

It's not that she didn't realized that there's a problem. She wanted her platform to be simple. With that said, I am sure she realizes the structural problems with the MSU and she will probably look into some possible methods to resolve some of the issues. She can't fix these issues herself. She needs support from students, candidates and the BoD (which will be elected soon). One big platform that will probably be very helpful is Kieran's. He had a well researched platform with a lot of good ideas to resolve some of the structural issues of the MSU. I am sure she'll look into some of his ideas.

The bubble? Are you kidding me? Oh, the poor first years have to take a bus downtown... my soul weeps.

It's laziness, plain and simple. I took a trip to the market in Jackson Square yesterday, and it is far, far, far better, with far more selection, and at a much better price than anything the MSU could muster on campus. The bus was only 15 minutes either way, it's easy to find if you spend about 5 minutes with the bus schedule and Google maps, and there's no hookers or gangs or whatever the hell everyone else thinks there is in downtown Hamilton.

ok. I agree that downtown is fine, I go to the farmers market there often and of course it will be better in selection etc. then one might at mac, (look at the Westdale one durring the fall compared to it really..) but Mary is going to be our President next year so there is no harm in looking optimistically at some of the points she chose to make major moving points!

saying only negative things is not productive especially since she hasnt had the chance to show what she can do in the position yet. :/

More accurately, she hasn't even started transition! She'll mold her year plan through all those times.

I am hoping that Mary has a more ambitious year plan than her platform, but I think she'll be a good President.

And I desperately hope she incorporates the strategic plan into her Presidency.

I think the best proposition for UM should be to limit the whole store to cash only. It doesn't make sense for students to be using their debit card on a $1 to $3 order when there are three atms within the vicinity. If you are like me who drops into UM a couple times a day for coffee its easier to take out a $20 and set that money aside for the next week or two and save yourself and everyone else time in the long run at the line up.

Even if the one cash one debit system is utilized I really don't think there is any physical space in the store to create a second line up...

With that said good luck to Mary, I'm sure everyone will be waiting to see what happens in the next year.