After much deliberation, the Tribune endorses Cathal Rooney-Céspedes for the position of Students’ Society president. Although we were divided on the decision, the majority of the editorial board ultimately believes he will be most effective in implementing needed changes within SSMU. He is a candidate that understands the limitations of both the role of the president and SSMU as a whole.
Between coordinating Frosh, his long-time involvement with Model UN, and his role as speaker of Council, Rooney-Céspedes has been involved in many different aspects of McGill student life. This will allow him to bring various perspectives to his position. As speaker, he has gained valuable knowledge of process and procedure.
One of the most promising items on Rooney-Céspedes’ platform is his position on communication. Campus politics too often devolves into pettiness, with individuals attacking each other and failing to compromise. As an articulate pragmatist, Rooney-Céspedes will ensure the SSMU isn’t distracted by divisive ideological issues. If next year’s president can encourage collegial debate they will be making significant progress towards changing SSMU’s culture for the better.
The president’s main role is overseeing their executives. To lead a group of often strong-willed people, the president must be willing to negotiate and compromise. Some of us are slightly concerned that Rooney-Céspedes can come off as cold and condescending. We hope he is able to project an approachable persona to his fellow executives, councillors, and constituents, as this is key for a SSMU president.
Maggie Knight has extensive SSMU experience. She has consistently demonstrated that she is a natural leader, with an impressive ability to get things done. She exhibits admirable commitment and dedication to everything she becomes involved with.
Yet we are worried that some of Knight’s goals will continue to bog SSMU down in the culture of unrepresentative politics and indecisiveness that have frustrated us for so long. Students have shown themselves to be alienated by hostile GAs, overly bureaucratic politics, and student leaders who condescendingly dismiss non-political interests as “apathy.” Knight is well-intentioned, but many of her solutions have already been tried with little success. She is devoted to large amounts of consultation, prolonged discussion on the GA, and new measures to bring students into SSMU politics. This type of approach appeals to some students, but they are already involved. The biggest barrier to entering SSMU politics is not systemic exclusion but lack of interest. Rooney-Céspedes has shown a keener awareness of this, and more willingness to try innovative means of enhancing student life. This, after all, must be the goal of any SSMU executive, whether through discussion forums or social events. It’s impossible to say whether or not he will be able to engage the interest—at the risk of sounding a little Nixon—of McGill’s silent majority. We do know, however, that the old approach is ineffective; a new vision is at least worth a try.
Although the SSMU president is limited in what they can accomplish in relation to the McGill administration, we believe that Rooney-Céspedes’ negotiation style and approach will be the most effective. Professor Mendelson is articulate and intelligent and has little patience for antagonism or unrealistic demands. We have faith in both candidates’ rationality. But Rooney-Céspedes’ demonstrated impatience for nonsense at council and his articulated commitment to collaboration and discarding the traditional us-versus-them approach to the administration gives us confidence that he has the best chance of having even a limited impact.
One area where Knight is more experienced, knowledgeable, and has articulated a more concrete plan, is in sustainability. We hope that if elected, Rooney-Céspedes will look to implement some of these ideas.
Ultimately, next year’s SSMU president must be able to lead a team of executives, repair the tone of campus debate, and negotiate with the administration. Knight is certainly experienced and competent, but in these areas, Rooney-Céspedes has the edge.
