Stephen Smith, ArtSci ‘15

Shortly after the winter break, Team SMH had its first volunteer meeting. Dozens of people trekked through the freezing cold and over treacherous ice to offer their help to elect Scott Mason, Mark Asfar and Hasina Daya as the next AMS executive. I’m not surprised.

Over their years at Queen’s, each of the SMH candidates has demonstrated, unequivocally, that they’re the right person for the job they’re seeking.

Scott Mason has done tremendous work as ASUS

president, implementing the changes he promised on his campaign, such as having the society fully audited. His clear commitment to both honesty and transparency is reflected in Team SMH’s guarantee that all but two of their platform points can and will be implemented in a year or less.

Scott is a strong and inspiring leader, but he is also humble — he is consistently mindful that he is running not for his own benefit, but for the students’. An AMS with Scott Mason at the helm is one that will thrive.

I’ve never seen anyone who loves Queen’s quite as much as Mark Asfar. He has unparalleled knowledge of the history and traditions of this institution, and he even he even has a collection old yearbooks. The work he’s put into the school is equally as impressive. As Student Life Centre Administration Manager, he has taken a fledgling part of the AMS and given it definition and purpose.

I’ve personally watched him do the same thing in the Queen’s Debating Union as its equity officer. His talent is seeing not just the way something is, but the way it could be.

The SMH focus on improving and reconfiguring existing services, such as the Underground or CoGro menu options, come directly from his vision. Hasina Daya, Team SMH’s vice-president of university affairs candidate, is one of the most enthusiastic people I’ve ever met. She’s the sort of person who leaves no stone unturned and no job unfinished, and this has really come through in her work as ResSoc President.

She is particularly skilled at getting into the details of a project without losing sight of the big picture. Hasina is not afraid to think outside the box, which is where the SMH plans to create new AMS functions, such as the co-curricular transcript, come from.

Together, the three candidates each add something different to the team’s vision. SMH is a team that cares about everyone in the Queen’s community.

With a platform built on making AMS services accessible to every team, club and student on campus, SMH stands for a more inclusive Queen’s community. SMH wants a more open and transparent AMS and more student engagement in the broader Kingston community.

In the presidential debate, Scott Mason made it clear that you cannot put character or management style in a platform. But these are his, Mark Asfar’s, and Hasina Daya’s strongest qualities. That’s why I’m voting for SMH, and it’s why I think you should too.

Stephen is the campaign manager for Team SMH.

Mackenzie Biddie, ArtSci ‘15, and Troy Sherman, ArtSci ’14

During an AMS executive election, students are looking for a few things: integrity, honesty, creativity and innovative ideas.

When we first got involved in the campaign, we knew that Allison Williams, Justin Reekie and Philip Lloyd exemplified these qualities. They want to genuinely engage students in their student government and their university. Many people talk the talk but few people actually have the drive and interest to see their ideas through.

Allison, Justin and Philip have spent countless hours over the past three months working on a comprehensive platform and brainstorming ideas to better the AMS. We can confidently say they are some of the hardest working and most committed people we’ve ever worked with. Their platform is extensively researched and touches on a variety of issues prevalent in the Queen’s community. They also have the passion to work for and with students.

Allison, as this year’s AMS Academics Affairs Commissioner, has dedicated the past eight months to being an advocate for students, and her extensive knowledge of this university is showcased in their platform. Her experience working with the administration on issues of an academic nature will allow her to start the job May 1.

Justin, as this year’s AMS Hospitality and Safety Services Director, has worked tirelessly to improve the operations of the services under his portfolio and earn the respect of his management teams. Justin understands that the AMS can’t be stagnant and must continuously look to improve its services. The introduction of The Brew is a clear example of how Justin hopes to work as vice-president of operations — through collaboration and consultation.

Philip, as last year’s Concurrent Education Students’ Association (CESA) President, brings a fresh view of the AMS to the team because he’s never actually worked for the Society. As CESA president, he worked hard to bring the Association outside of its bubble and better interact with faculty societies and the AMS. His leadership was put on display last year at AMS Assembly where he asked tough questions and represented his constituents with integrity.

As a team, they bring a unified vision of the AMS to the table and they would work diligently to enhance the student experience and give students the support they need to get the most out of their university experience. Team WRL recognizes that today’s challenges are tomorrow’s opportunities. Allison, Justin and Philip are the best candidates to tackle those challenges and pursue those opportunities and their platform is a roadmap to that end.

We’re extremely honoured to be the campaign managers for Allison, Justin and Philip. On Jan. 28 and 29, we hope that you vote alongside us for Team WRL — an AMS team committed to the well-being of Queen’s students and one that is ready to get the job done.

Troy and Mackenzie are the co-campaign managers for Team WRL.