Lack of continuity is perhaps one of the biggest problems within the MSU. Because of the part-time nature of most student government positions, one year is usually not enough time to get any meaningful change done. Individuals often come in with pet projects and throw to the wayside what members in the previous year had worked on. Huzaifa has done some very good work within the MSU, and denying him the opportunity to do more, I think, is especially undemocratic.

As Steph said, there are six spots available in Soc Sci. Only myself, Huzaifa Saeed, and Alex Ramirez are currently running for re-election. This guarantees at least 3 members on the Social Science caucus will be brand new. If you look at the candidates in the rest of the faculties, you'll find that the proportion of new members is even greater.

This is student politics....the turnout is so low that incumbency almost never guarantees re-election. Last year the SRA caucus saw many of its more experienced members lose re-election to energetic newcomers who were better at getting out the vote on election day.

Incumbency and experience are not problems in the MSU, in fact its quite the opposite. I wish we had more members who were in for more than a year so they could get a full understanding of what the MSU is all about and can make some meaningful changes.

I'd like to add to JM's comments and point out that there are in fact MANY new spots spread out across the SRA not just in Soc Sci.

Some Experience is very helpful. The SRA has a steep learning curve, and personally as a first year member I wouldn't have felt comfortable taking on a role as a Commissioner or a member of the Executive Board.

AND there are many other opportunities to get involved with the MSU. For example, JM was an MSU member of Bylaws and Procedures Committee before his election to the SRA.

Ditto the above. Plus, if you really do want new people to sit on the SRA, then vote for them instead. Democracy means having the choice as to who your representative is. We shouldn't restrict the few that do get involved by putting arbitrary limits on the number of times they can serve.

Would rather re-elect somebody who's been successful with some things and has experience than some random know-nothing who has effective campaigning..

Originally Posted by RyanC

Would rather re-elect somebody who's been successful with some things and has experience than some random know-nothing who has effective campaigning..

Exactly that.
If people see that this candidate has been a positive contribution to the SRA, then why restrict their potential and opportunity to contribute more? Oh and as previously mentioned, it's not like it's just one seat for the SRA, Huzaifa would be one of 6 SRA SocSci representatives. Anyway, Huzaifa doesn't make the rules, he is running and that's that.

Originally Posted by ~*Sara*~

Anyway, Huzaifa doesn't make the rules, he is running and that's that.

Well actually...

(Before anyone thinks I'm implying something I'm just saying that the SRA could either write a term limits bylaw or propose a constitutional amendment for referendum)

Originally Posted by arathbon

Well actually...

(Before anyone thinks I'm implying something I'm just saying that the SRA could either write a term limits bylaw or propose a constitutional amendment for referendum)

Oh right, Technically, what I meant was that Huzaifa himself (alone) doesn't set the rules on how many times a student can run for the SRA election.

Originally Posted by ~*Sara*~

Oh right, Technically, what I meant was that Huzaifa himself (alone) doesn't set the rules on how many times a student can run for the SRA election.

I know, I was attempting humour.

Originally Posted by jo87

I don't understand why you are allowed to run again. A student union should be more diverse, theres nothing diverse about the same person being in the same position for 2 years. This is why i dont like MSU.

Wow, ouch; I apologize for not checking this thread earlier, I was out of Hamilton at the OUSA Conference.

That is definitely an interesting comment and I definitely thought hard about it before running but apart from agreeing with the counter opinion some other students have already shared I would like to state that I would be a bit of an anomaly as a third time candidate.

-I am only going into my natural fourth year next year(as opposed to being a dinosaur whose been creeping around for 5-6 years) and was one of those rare people who got involved in the MSU starting my first year and unlike all those who have fallen before me and become disillusioned/lost hope for the MSU.

I have survived the last 2 or so years with my passion for the organization still just as strong. As a result as Jean Marc mentioned I will be the most experienced SRA member and as a result repository of knowledge on various issues left over to guide or help the new SRA.

-Circumstantially this is important because we uniquely have very few SRA members returning this year, a new SRA could definitely benefit from guidance or advice or institutional knowledge for their projects/ideas which I'm always more then happy to give out. Having observed SRA meetings for three years they tend to repeat the same mistakes, have the same discussions and disagreements due to a high turnover.

-Furthermore, we have for the first time in my time at McMaster a moderate number of SRA candidates running almost on an adhoc slate of "lower tuition" or other tuition related issues that are directly pertinent to the knowledge I have gained this year through OUSA & CASA. I felt that it would be important for me to stick around and attempt to help the members and providing alternate technical solutions through more mechanisms like MYAA's to placate the provincial governments public institutional concerns and improving efficiency Fed-Prov transfers and so on as opposed to the traditional let's create awareness and hold rally' school of thought.

-Unlike a faculty like ArtSci or HealthSci with only 1-2 seats, SocSci has six seats and with an eligible voter bank of over 4,000 and usual voter turnouts of not much more then 200-300 voters. In other words it's not that difficult for a qualified candidate to have a fair shot. Furthermore, me being in Vancouver for CASA for the the two polling days has actually turned the table's against my chances.

There is other stuff but I think I've explained myself and covered a "Few" in an honest manner and other's have covered the other reasons.

I hope it's enough to convince you otherwise!

Originally Posted by huzaifa47

I am only going into my natural fourth year next year(as opposed to being a dinosaur whose been creeping around for 5-6 years) and was one of those rare people who got involved in the MSU starting my first year and unlike all those who have fallen before me and become disillusioned/lost hope for the MSU.

Yikes. If 5-6 years constitutes a dinosaur, I shudder to imagine what might be said about someone who has been going to SRA meetings since Pierre Trudeau was prime minister.

As others have aptly noted, a lack of turnover is not the MSU's problem --- but reinvention of the wheel has been from time to time. At least 2/3 of the academic division representatives on next year's SRA will be first-time members. There's no need to worry that there will be a lack of new blood. To put the issue in historical context, of more than 1,400 people who have served on the SRA in the last 46 years, fewer than 50 have served three or more full terms.

The SRA needs capable and committed members, whether they be seasoned veterans or newcomers. The essence of the democratic principle in the MSU is that students choose who they want as their representatives. A candidate with a track record of meaningful service, particularly when it is in one of the more thankless and pilloried roles on campus, should be congratulated for his dedication to the task.

Hey Everyone,

The polling closes in almost 4 hours at 5pm and the polling station for SocSci is in Togo Salmon Hall aka TSH.

Please go out and vote, thank you!