On Thursday March 8th the Student Society of McGill University election period officially begun. Members of SSMU, which includes the entire undergraduate population of McGill, can vote for candidates for next years executive board, other positions including faculty senators, and referenda.
This semester’s election has shaped up to be a very contentious with the backdrop of recent turmoil on campus.
In response to some of the more politically left leaning student activism going on concerning these issues, a group of moderate students has converged to counter what they see as campus radicalism.
The group, which calls itself the Moderate Politcal Action Committee or ModPAC has made endorsements for candidates in the SSMU elections.
They described the candidates they endorsed as “work[ing] to make the SSMU a more representative, democratic students’ society ...promot[ing] collaboration, not conflict, between students and McGill administration… and dedicated to transforming the SSMU into a forum of open discourse for McGill students to have their say.”
The ModPAC has thus endorsed Josh Redel for president because of his moderate political stance and open letter in opposition about the McGill occupation where he described the occupiers as alienating the student body.
Katie Larson was endorsed for Vice President Internal because of her similar calls for civil discourse on campus and speaking openly against the occupation of the James administration Building at SSMU council.
For the position of VP University affairs ModPAC endorsed Haley Dinel for her for her strong working relationship with the administration and her ability to get them to hear students’ concerns.
In the contest for VP Operations and Fiance, ModPAC sa JP Briggs as the strongest candidate because of his experience the professionalism which he will bring to the job.
ModPAC made no endorsements for the remaining positions of Vice President External and Vice President Clubs and Services, as none of the candidates for those positions were seen as keeping with ModPAC's principles.
SSMU elections will take place until Wednesday March 14th at 5pm.