Dear all,

Saturday, February 6th
12:39 p.m.

It's over. We did it: https://msumcmaster.ca/news/msuNews.htm

I cannot express how grateful I am to everyone who was involved in the process; my campaign team, supporters, voters and the other candidates and their campaign teams for making this such an an interesting and competitive race. For every student who reminded me why this is worth it; for every person who took the time to read the platforms, to ask questions and to vote; you have taken the first step in making the MSU a better organization.

A Spirited Weekend

Tuesday, February 2nd
3:42 pm

This past weekend, my roommates and I made our way to the Women’s and Men’s Volleyball game against the Waterloo Warriors. I was strangely excited, and it wasn’t until we climbed the stairs to DBAC that I realized it had been over four months since I attended a sports game.

I’ve played sports my whole life. Hockey, rugby, soccer, dodgeball - for a time in highschool, I lived and breathed sports. Going to games was very much woven into my weekly itinerary. But somewhere between the influx of school work and extra-curricular demands, I simply didn’t make the time to attend games regularly. And given the sparse turnout, I imagine I am not alone in this diagnosis.

Sports have a way of bringing people together. Going to the volleyball game made me feel excited to be a student at Mac again and reignited my love for this school. It made me feel like I shared a common goal with the people in the stands around me, that we were all fighting for the success of our team.

I want to bring that spirit back to the student union. It’s an ambitious goal, I know, and the competition associated with sports will probably limit my ability to generate that kind of interest to a certain extent. But I really want to see students at Mac have pride in their student union and the services and clubs that operate within the MSU. There are so many things to be proud of.

Both the women’s and men’s teams swept – both teams won 3 to 1, with 25-18, 26-28, 25-22, 25-17 and 25-21, 21-25, 25-17, 25-19 scores, respectively.

Hello friends, supporters, and critics

Wednesday, January 27th
9:55 pm

I just wanted to make a brief statement to address some of the rumours that have been flying around recently. I would like to publicly state that I do not think Kieran Alkerton and his team are running a dirty campaign. I certainly concur that they are running an aggressive campaign with many criticisms of my platform and ideas, but have made no attempts to attack me personally or defame my character.

A Dose of Optimism

Wednesday, January 27th
1:06 pm

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my campaign team and my supporters. I know I say thank you about 300 times a day, and some of the meaning is probably lost because you hear me say it so often. Please know, that I am so appreciative for every single person who has given up their time to help pull this together, every person who has taken the time to write something encouraging on my wall or send me a message, every person who has taken the time to read my platform.

When I started putting this campaign together, I decided on the type of campaign I wanted to run. It would be honest. It would be based on realistic promises. It would be centred on who I am as a person, rather than what people might like to see; because facades can disintegrate, and at the end of the day, all you are left with is who you are. I came into this process wanting all of this, and I am so grateful for the people who have commended me for it; but a significant part of the praise needs to go to my campaign team and friends.

My Stance on the Coca Cola Issue

Tuesday, January 26
1:13 am

I have decided to take a stance on the Coke referendum. I am opposed to negotiating an exclusivity contract with Coca Cola. My reasoning is quite simple: the student voice has spoken.

As a member of the Student Representative Assembly (SRA) and now as a Presidential candidate, I spend a large portion of my time encouraging students to speak up and demand their student union's attention. In my opinion, the student message has been very clear: No exclusivity.

Positive Campaigning

Sunday, January 25
11:52 pm

Today I spent a large part of my day talking to students in Commons. It was encouraging to see that many of the students were beginning to become familiar with the campaigns, that they had started to notice the posters, visit the websites and had seen candidates speaking in their classes. It reminded me of how much fun this process can be.

Ismaili skit night!

Sunday, January 24rd
1:24 am

I just got home from an amazing evening. I attended the McMaster Ismaili Students Association's skit night, Rebirth. The performance was over three hours long, and was filled with comedic acts and dancing. I've seen the MISA students regularly practicing in the Student Centre on many evenings, and to see the final product pulled together was astounding.

End of the first week!

Saturday, January 23
4:32 pm

What an interesting couple of days. Campaigning for President is unlike anything I've ever experienced before. The atmosphere is overwhelming; sometimes with excitement, potential and camraderie, other times with hostility and criticism. I am excited to respond to the challenge; I've received a number of critiques which have helped me further consider and develop my platform points, and also an overwhelming flood of support. I'm ecstatic to see so many people excited at the idea of electing an MSU President who has crafted a platform based on what will impress and best students for the entire length of a term, rather than one designed to secure the student vote and ultimately invite disappointment.

...And we're off!

Wednesday, January 20th
8:16 am

We discussed, we planned, we recruited, we made the calls, we asked the right questions, and we listened. When I first began to consider running for this position, I never quite anticipated the rigour with which we would operate. The whole process, from the moment I started to recruit a campaign team, right until this very minute ) as posters are being put up, has been brimming with intensity and excitement.