Joe Finkle is unique in the SRA. He has managed to complete a large amount of work in an unprecedented manner. You may have heard that your student card can now be used to gain access many of Hamilton's museums and art galleries. This is the work of Joe Finkle.
Mr. Finkle granted me an interview. As was the case with Mr. Taunton's, all answers are posted verbatim and may be removed upon request.
1) This is your first year on the SRA, although it is not the first year that a Finkle has held a Humanities seat. How did you decide to run for the SRA and did your brother have any impact on your decisions?
I decided to run because I want to improve student life at Mac. I know that sounds like a worn out cliché, but it’s true. My story is like most others, I was an uninspired first year that slowly became more involved and I didn’t want other students to go through Mac without experiencing it to the fullest. I started out Repping (Bates Hall, three years in a row now), and I saw what an effect we had on students, and I wanted to have that effect all year, while doing things that were more substantial. So, I was nominated for the SRA running on the platform that was outward looking. I know many people dislike Hamilton, but I see more potential in this city then I have in any other. All of these brilliant students come here, live in the city for four years and then leave. If some would stay here and help develop Hamilton, it could become a destination city for the bright and knowledgeable, much like Waterloo.
My brother did have some impact, through him I was able to see how the SRA operated more closely and what the MSU did on an internal level. I was inspired to run through being on the OUSA Street Team.
2) You are in the Humanities faculty and your year plan demonstrates a commitment to the quality of education in Humanities. Prior to being in the SRA, what difficulties have you faced as a Humanities student, and how do you respond to the notion that the University is striving to elevate the status level of its Health Sciences faculty while neglecting the Arts?
Humanities as a faculty suffer from low morale and a lack of pride. Honestly, we should not. I will admit that out lecture halls look awful and we are often packed into the basement of the Arts Quad for tutorials, and it looks terrible, especially if we have just come from the newly renovated BSB. After a meeting with the Associate Dean (attended by other SRA member Jessie Bauman), he was able to show that judging Humanities by its cover forces us to miss all the good. I will refer everyone to the SRA Humanities update, which outlines all that was talked about and how awesome Humanities actually is.
There is no doubt that the University favours, even just a little bit, the Sciences over the Arts. The problem with that is not the university itself, but the system in which it is forced to run. If they operate at a loss, then there are problems, so they focus on those who will graduate into high paying jobs. Health Sci is a program that brings prestige to Mac and I don’t hold that against them. More focus on the Arts would be nice, and I am going to continue to fight for that, but we aren’t that bad off, it just feels that way.
3) Chancellor Lynn Wilson gave a lot of money to the Humanities faculty for the expansion of the History department. However, nobody has sought to increase funding to the Social Science programs that the University once prided itself on (incl. a Nobel prize winner in Economics). What reasons do you see for this, and how would you want the University to better aid your sister faculty of Social Sciences.
I am not going to comment on the reasons behind the Chancellor’s donation, those are his own, but I thank him for it. The Wilson Centre is a great thing for this university, I have been taught by some great Profs hired by the Centre.
To say that nobody has sought to increase funding for Soc Sci is not correct. I can assure you that the faculty administration is fighting hard for additional funding. Also, the SRA Soc Sci caucus has been working hard to represent their constituents. I will not go any further in discussing the state of social science, because I am not that will versed in it. I will refer you to the caucus leader for that information.
4) The MSU's financial statements appeared on MacInsiders yesterday thanks to a member. When looking through it I noticed that Twelve Eighty was still running with a pretty large deficit, and that most of the businesses were running very much against the budgetary predictions. What do you feel the main problems are with this situation, and how would you respond to the notion that the MSU's problems begin with the lack of financial insight within the organization?
I will admit that finances are not in any way my strong suit. I have yet to fully sift through the documents that have been released (given that it is essay season and academics come first). Due to that, I will refrain from commenting until I have the full information.
5) A recent article in the Silhouette alluded to students' disinterest in the MSU as the MSU does not offer them anything of substance. What is your personal opinion on this, and what would you do to combat this mindset were you the MSU President?
I won’t pretend to be the President, but I will definitely comment on the Sill. I find the Sill to be a shadow of its former self. They complain about lack of communication and how students are not informed, but when I send them articles meant to inform students, they are rejected. SRA Member Jessie Bauman sent in the SRA Humanities update and the Sill responded with that it was“just not something we at The Sil felt should be published.” This was substantive information about SRA members relaying their students concerns to the university administration and answering student’s questions, and they won’t publish it. In September, I sent them an article informing students about Get Cultured: McMaster. A brand new program that gives students an opportunity to get out and experience the city provided by the MSU and SRA, and it was never published. The Sill cannot speak of the lack of communication, when they will not provide the information to students. One word: hypocritical.
6) The MSU Presidential election of 2008/09 was the least attended election in recent memory. Many students claim that they chose not to vote because they do not believe in the MSU's electoral system's integrity and that the candidates presented to them seemed benign and insincere. How do you respond to these notions, and how would you work towards making the electoral system appear to be much more honest and open.
If students don’t trust the electoral system, then they should become more informed about it. The 2007/2008 election was a mess, but last years had no problems whatsoever, it was a clean and fair win for the President. The MSU elections are open and honest, there are a number of checks to insure this, and I have complete trust in the CRO.
If people want to see more of their personal interests in candidate platform, they should approach them and speak to them. Apathy will change nothing, and apathy begets apathy. No matter what there will be a group of people who are unhappy with how something is done. Candidates put up posters, talk to classes, put their platforms on facebook. Macinsiders, on websites, they hand out pamphlets and have armies of volunteers disseminating their message. If after all of that students still do not feel informed, then it falls to them to read up on the candidate and become informed. It is much easier for 20,000 students to become informed about one person, then for one person to inform 20,000 people. Outreach, like all reaching, has its limits, and once that limit has been met, the onus turns.
7) During elections times, many candidates campaign with great zeal and optimism. However, through the year this seems to disappear, at least in the eyes of non-elected students. President Tiwari is a great example of someone whose external appearance is of a person who has given up on his platform and will not deliver on his promises. Do you see an increased apathy in certain members, what do you think the biggest cause of this is, and how would you work to change it were you in a position of power to do so?
I am not going to comment on the inner workings of the Presidency, only they know why things have not been done, but it is our job as SRA members to find that explanation. When we do, we report it back to our students (should the Sill actually print it).
I think that communicating is the best way to prevent apathy, but again, outreach can only go so far. Eventually it falls to the students to read the Sil, or check out the Humanities Facebook page. We (the Humanities caucus) use all communications tools we have and the message is still not getting out. We are working on new ideas to spread the word, and when we do, you will know about it.
Mr. Finkle granted me an interview. As was the case with Mr. Taunton's, all answers are posted verbatim and may be removed upon request.
1) This is your first year on the SRA, although it is not the first year that a Finkle has held a Humanities seat. How did you decide to run for the SRA and did your brother have any impact on your decisions?
I decided to run because I want to improve student life at Mac. I know that sounds like a worn out cliché, but it’s true. My story is like most others, I was an uninspired first year that slowly became more involved and I didn’t want other students to go through Mac without experiencing it to the fullest. I started out Repping (Bates Hall, three years in a row now), and I saw what an effect we had on students, and I wanted to have that effect all year, while doing things that were more substantial. So, I was nominated for the SRA running on the platform that was outward looking. I know many people dislike Hamilton, but I see more potential in this city then I have in any other. All of these brilliant students come here, live in the city for four years and then leave. If some would stay here and help develop Hamilton, it could become a destination city for the bright and knowledgeable, much like Waterloo.
My brother did have some impact, through him I was able to see how the SRA operated more closely and what the MSU did on an internal level. I was inspired to run through being on the OUSA Street Team.
2) You are in the Humanities faculty and your year plan demonstrates a commitment to the quality of education in Humanities. Prior to being in the SRA, what difficulties have you faced as a Humanities student, and how do you respond to the notion that the University is striving to elevate the status level of its Health Sciences faculty while neglecting the Arts?
Humanities as a faculty suffer from low morale and a lack of pride. Honestly, we should not. I will admit that out lecture halls look awful and we are often packed into the basement of the Arts Quad for tutorials, and it looks terrible, especially if we have just come from the newly renovated BSB. After a meeting with the Associate Dean (attended by other SRA member Jessie Bauman), he was able to show that judging Humanities by its cover forces us to miss all the good. I will refer everyone to the SRA Humanities update, which outlines all that was talked about and how awesome Humanities actually is.
There is no doubt that the University favours, even just a little bit, the Sciences over the Arts. The problem with that is not the university itself, but the system in which it is forced to run. If they operate at a loss, then there are problems, so they focus on those who will graduate into high paying jobs. Health Sci is a program that brings prestige to Mac and I don’t hold that against them. More focus on the Arts would be nice, and I am going to continue to fight for that, but we aren’t that bad off, it just feels that way.
3) Chancellor Lynn Wilson gave a lot of money to the Humanities faculty for the expansion of the History department. However, nobody has sought to increase funding to the Social Science programs that the University once prided itself on (incl. a Nobel prize winner in Economics). What reasons do you see for this, and how would you want the University to better aid your sister faculty of Social Sciences.
I am not going to comment on the reasons behind the Chancellor’s donation, those are his own, but I thank him for it. The Wilson Centre is a great thing for this university, I have been taught by some great Profs hired by the Centre.
To say that nobody has sought to increase funding for Soc Sci is not correct. I can assure you that the faculty administration is fighting hard for additional funding. Also, the SRA Soc Sci caucus has been working hard to represent their constituents. I will not go any further in discussing the state of social science, because I am not that will versed in it. I will refer you to the caucus leader for that information.
4) The MSU's financial statements appeared on MacInsiders yesterday thanks to a member. When looking through it I noticed that Twelve Eighty was still running with a pretty large deficit, and that most of the businesses were running very much against the budgetary predictions. What do you feel the main problems are with this situation, and how would you respond to the notion that the MSU's problems begin with the lack of financial insight within the organization?
I will admit that finances are not in any way my strong suit. I have yet to fully sift through the documents that have been released (given that it is essay season and academics come first). Due to that, I will refrain from commenting until I have the full information.
5) A recent article in the Silhouette alluded to students' disinterest in the MSU as the MSU does not offer them anything of substance. What is your personal opinion on this, and what would you do to combat this mindset were you the MSU President?
I won’t pretend to be the President, but I will definitely comment on the Sill. I find the Sill to be a shadow of its former self. They complain about lack of communication and how students are not informed, but when I send them articles meant to inform students, they are rejected. SRA Member Jessie Bauman sent in the SRA Humanities update and the Sill responded with that it was“just not something we at The Sil felt should be published.” This was substantive information about SRA members relaying their students concerns to the university administration and answering student’s questions, and they won’t publish it. In September, I sent them an article informing students about Get Cultured: McMaster. A brand new program that gives students an opportunity to get out and experience the city provided by the MSU and SRA, and it was never published. The Sill cannot speak of the lack of communication, when they will not provide the information to students. One word: hypocritical.
6) The MSU Presidential election of 2008/09 was the least attended election in recent memory. Many students claim that they chose not to vote because they do not believe in the MSU's electoral system's integrity and that the candidates presented to them seemed benign and insincere. How do you respond to these notions, and how would you work towards making the electoral system appear to be much more honest and open.
If students don’t trust the electoral system, then they should become more informed about it. The 2007/2008 election was a mess, but last years had no problems whatsoever, it was a clean and fair win for the President. The MSU elections are open and honest, there are a number of checks to insure this, and I have complete trust in the CRO.
If people want to see more of their personal interests in candidate platform, they should approach them and speak to them. Apathy will change nothing, and apathy begets apathy. No matter what there will be a group of people who are unhappy with how something is done. Candidates put up posters, talk to classes, put their platforms on facebook. Macinsiders, on websites, they hand out pamphlets and have armies of volunteers disseminating their message. If after all of that students still do not feel informed, then it falls to them to read up on the candidate and become informed. It is much easier for 20,000 students to become informed about one person, then for one person to inform 20,000 people. Outreach, like all reaching, has its limits, and once that limit has been met, the onus turns.
7) During elections times, many candidates campaign with great zeal and optimism. However, through the year this seems to disappear, at least in the eyes of non-elected students. President Tiwari is a great example of someone whose external appearance is of a person who has given up on his platform and will not deliver on his promises. Do you see an increased apathy in certain members, what do you think the biggest cause of this is, and how would you work to change it were you in a position of power to do so?
I am not going to comment on the inner workings of the Presidency, only they know why things have not been done, but it is our job as SRA members to find that explanation. When we do, we report it back to our students (should the Sill actually print it).
I think that communicating is the best way to prevent apathy, but again, outreach can only go so far. Eventually it falls to the students to read the Sil, or check out the Humanities Facebook page. We (the Humanities caucus) use all communications tools we have and the message is still not getting out. We are working on new ideas to spread the word, and when we do, you will know about it.
No comments:
Post a Comment