Team CMM’s impressive preparation, diligence and leadership potential have won us over as our preferred choice for next year’s AMS executive.
Although Team TPC—Presidential candidate Alvin Tedjo, Vice-President (University Affairs) candidate Liz Craig and Vice-President (Operations) candidate John Paterson—touched on a lot of the same points as CMM—Presidential candidate Kingsley Chak, Vice-President (University Affairs) candidate Julia Mitchell and Vice-President (Operations) candidate John Manning—Team CMM hit the ground
running and have never looked back.
Their most thought-out platform idea is to create a university-wide sustainability office, but the remainder of their platform—while showing that they’re trying to take the interest of students at heart—are somewhat recycled campaign platforms of yore. The team’s strengths lie not in promises for a video guide, another revamped website and a peer counselling service, but in their character as human beings. Although we’re concerned by Chak’s abstention from voting on a tuition increase
at the Board of Trustees, he remains one of the most informed and dedicated student politicians at Queen’s. As student trustee the past two years,Chak hasn’t yet had to work co-operatively and closely with teammates. Hopefully he’ll learn that good leaders motivate, inspire and work with those around him—they don’t merely tell you what to do. Chak’s involvement on the Board of Trustees, while providing him with a wealth of experience and insight into the functioning of the University, also presents him with a challenge: to appreciate his new position and overcome the coziness with Queen’s bureaucracy, which he has become accustomed to. Manning knows his stuff and his sharp debating last Wednesday proved that. Both during this campaign and through his previous work with the AMS, Manning has proven himself to be a strong and capable leader who takes the time and effort to learn.
What’s more, when he doesn’t have an answer for you, he’ll say so.
Mitchell’s lack of AMS knowledge has left us with several questions and concerns, but we remain optimistic that she will work hard to catch up. She seems genuine in her concern for student wellness and determined to make tangible improvements in this area. Chak and Mitchell also need to work
better as a team, so they don’t look like an embittered married couple: Chak needs to back off and Mitchell should step up.
Team CMM’s peer-counselling service may prove challenging to implement and operate. It also may not be that popular. We don’t expect students will be any more willing to discuss their personal problems with their peers than professionals, and the HCDS director said it won’t do much to reduce wait times.
As for TPC, their plan to install surveillance cameras at various locations on campus hasn’t been subject to sufficient research. ittedly, the recent spate of campus thefts is a major problem, but TPC hasn’t consulted with students to find out if installing surveillance cameras is a desired response.
TPC also hasn’t taken the hint from Swipe and other failed convenience card programs with their new and improved Q.Cash platform idea. Neither have they fully explained why we need such a program,
other than to reduce wait times. And sustainability is about more than simply adding recycling bins.
Similarly, reducing the number of exams in order to declare a conflict, while an idea worthy of discussion, fails to address issues of mental health and stress in a meaningful way.
Tedjo has worked in a variety of different roles within the AMS, but none of his resultant experience has proven himself worthy of AMS president. Paterson has worked tirelessly for both the AMS Information Technology Office and Queen’s First Aid; while he may be one of the hardest working people in this campaign, we don’t see him as an effective vice-president. Although we are endorsing CMM, we also wish we could somehow vote for Liz Craig. Along with Manning, she stood out as
the only other strong candidate on the ballot, and she should be commended for the ion and commitment displayed throughout the campaign. She’s knowledgeable about university and AMS issues, and has already proven her leadership abilities through her extensive work within COMPSA.
Whether you agree or disagree, we hope that you will use our endorsement as a tool in deciding for whom to vote today and tomorrow.
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