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Mary Koziol

 
Old 02-03-2010 at 09:17 PM   #91
mkozi
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I have been visiting classes since polling started on the 20th of January starting at 8:30 in the morning and continuing every hour (INCLUDING night class) - the only exceptions are when I attend my own classes (...still a 4th year student). In between, I spend my time in Commons, various libraries and roaming the student centre, trying to engage as many students in conversation as possible.

In my attempts to reach as many students as humanly possible, I sent some of my representatives to encourage people to visit the website as that is where the bulk of pertinent campaign information is.

I realize my own limitations (ie. lacking Hermione Granger's ability to be in two places at once... sorry for the nerdy HP reference...) and have done my utmost to visit as many classes as possible.

I've heard that many classes have seen Kieran and Casey much more than they have seen me - but have you spoken to students from many of the classes where I have been the only candidate they've seen? Like social work? Women's studies? Peace studies?

If my tone comes off as hostile, I apologize! I'm just trying to express frustration at others insinuating that I have not been working as hard as the other candidates or that I have been sending others to do my work for me. I realize this is a problem that will follow me into the presidency - what students see of you is very selective.

I just wanted to make sure I demonstrated that just because you have not seen me personally does not mean I have not been spending 12+ hours a day talking to classes and students.

Mary
www.imaginemoremary.c om

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Old 02-03-2010 at 09:33 PM   #92
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Occo Cincho -

About your comments regarding the unfeasibility of my farmers market and community kitchen...

Farmer's market --> see recent response

Community kitchen --> From where do your allegations that this is an unfeasible endeavour come from? This project was successfully run for a year under PEAS through OPIRG. I have discussed the project and how to bring it under the MSU with the former director of PEAS and the visionary of the project, as well as Angel Lai, the PTM for Bread Bin under whose service I hope to implement the kitchen

5-year plan --> This is going to require extensive research and collaboration. It will not simply rest on the internal review (though I hope to make use of a document that substantial time and effort was put in to), but will use feedback from other sources. For example - with regards to the PST audit. Deloitte has been contacted for feedback on how this happened, who is responsible and how to ensure it does not happen again (according to a report released by the VP Finance). This is the kind of information that would be integrated into the 5-year plan.

I have talked to a very reliable source (Dave Moore) who has stated that lack of corporate memory is one of the biggest problems with the MSU; that it is frustrating how often we re-invent the wheel. I plan to address this with the 5-year plan - not only is a long-term vision needed, but also something that ties past mistakes into future success.

Thanks for your criticisms,

Mary

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Old 02-03-2010 at 09:40 PM   #93
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Dear Mary,

have I told you lately how awesome you are?
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Jess Bauman
B.A. (Hon), History & Anthropology
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Old 02-03-2010 at 09:44 PM   #94
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While I think having a farmer's market on campus could be an interesting idea, and the university should certainly not be in opposition to student's organizing something like this (although I can somewhat understand since they foot the bill for cleaning and if someone gets hurt), I'm not sure that's what I would like the MSU to be doing with their time. Getting an on campus farmers market isn't really a huge deal to most people. Jackson Square is just a short bus ride away.

The MSU has limited time and goals, and I don't think that focusing those resources on getting a farmer's market is a great idea. There are so many other issues that are more pressing to most people. I know you've talked about other goals as well, I'm sure you wouldn't be focusing all your energies on something like this. However, its just become that one point that everyone is focusing on, and your defence of it makes it sound like it would be your main goal.

Although, I think actually getting something that visible accomplished would help to show people that the MSU does do something.

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Old 02-03-2010 at 09:51 PM   #95
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Wow! So I've been creeping these forums alot this week and also saw a bit of the first debate but I haven't contributed.

Did the people you contact for Farmers Market know the problems with Hospitality when they were signing up? If I am walking by in MUSC and someone says HEY do you want to sign a petition for farmers market I would sign up :S, doesn't mean Its the same thing as me supporting YOU going against the administration. Same for the letters "that" person got, did the people giving them know the issues? Wait scratch that.......you wouldn't know.....


I want a McDonalds on campus, I'm sure alot of other people too! Will hospitality allow it? HELL no! Can you say you can "lobby" for it? YES

Did you also say if I recall correctly at a debate you don't believe in the word "lobbying"? Yes

Do I spell hypocrisy? Yes?
Its the same with farmers market, Wait.....whyyy do yo ucalll it a market? You said at the debate it is "just" a table.....

Same analogy.....will hospitality give allow you? NO....contracts and laws exist for a reason.......

Plus you are trodding over MSU service called Good Food Box, I've used it before and it is awesome at a cheap price.....why would you do stuff that is against MSU? Why not promote Good food box better? What's so wrong with that? Think about it? The amount of money and hours of students you will waste "fighting" hospitality is better of spent advertising good food box better! Not everyone is a vegetarian tree hugger! Us kids are lazy and don't have time to cooke da parsley's, deal with it!

Third, not everyone likes "good" food; there is not much I can do with a box of effing cabbages....no time holmes! . Will you lobby the students to change their diet?

How many people have said they want that idea, why are you so out of touch, it was two people who were mad veggie lovers, did you poll 22,000 students? How many have said they want it even if it means hours of their money being spent on you fighting the admin?

Lastly, I did some research on this evil Hospitality corporation that you hate and they are run by student affairs.....isn't it the same student affairs I read on a thread are facing a loss? Why do you want to take more money from them? Money made by paradise is returned to places like CSD....way to go champ!

Most importantly is it something they really want? I wannaa know!

I also looked into MacGreen, they are an MSU service...you wanna be a MSU president.....you don't talk to nor do you agree with him about it....waaayyy to goo miss solidarity!

In the end its just about opinions, your's against others!

Last edited by Purgatory99 : 02-03-2010 at 10:53 PM.
Old 02-03-2010 at 11:06 PM   #96
Hallandale
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Purgatory99 View Post

Did you also say if I recall correctly at a debate you don't believe in the word "lobbying"? Yes

As I recall, Ms. Koziol didn't say this. She simply stated that her platform wasn't based solely on lobbying the university.

She pointed out that often lobbying isn't the BEST answer. Building an entire platform around issues that the MSU would need to lobby the university on can create problems of broken or incomplete promises.

Let's not put words in anyone's mouth. Thanks.
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Old 02-03-2010 at 11:45 PM   #97
bluser
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Purgatory99 View Post
Wow! So I've been creeping these forums alot this week and also saw a bit of the first debate but I haven't contributed.

Did the people you contact for Farmers Market know the problems with Hospitality when they were signing up? If I am walking by in MUSC and someone says HEY do you want to sign a petition for farmers market I would sign up :S, doesn't mean Its the same thing as me supporting YOU going against the administration. Same for the letters "that" person got, did the people giving them know the issues? Wait scratch that.......you wouldn't know.....


I want a McDonalds on campus, I'm sure alot of other people too! Will hospitality allow it? HELL no! Can you say you can "lobby" for it? YES

Did you also say if I recall correctly at a debate you don't believe in the word "lobbying"? Yes

Do I spell hypocrisy? Yes?
Its the same with farmers market, Wait.....whyyy do yo ucalll it a market? You said at the debate it is "just" a table.....

Same analogy.....will hospitality give allow you? NO....contracts and laws exist for a reason.......

Plus you are trodding over MSU service called Good Food Box, I've used it before and it is awesome at a cheap price.....why would you do stuff that is against MSU? Why not promote Good food box better? What's so wrong with that? Think about it? The amount of money and hours of students you will waste "fighting" hospitality is better of spent advertising good food box better! Not everyone is a vegetarian tree hugger! Us kids are lazy and don't have time to cooke da parsley's, deal with it!

Third, not everyone likes "good" food; there is not much I can do with a box of effing cabbages....no time holmes! . Will you lobby the students to change their diet?

How many people have said they want that idea, why are you so out of touch, it was two people who were mad veggie lovers, did you poll 22,000 students? How many have said they want it even if it means hours of their money being spent on you fighting the admin?

Lastly, I did some research on this evil Hospitality corporation that you hate and they are run by student affairs.....isn't it the same student affairs I read on a thread are facing a loss? Why do you want to take more money from them? Money made by paradise is returned to places like CSD....way to go champ!

Most importantly is it something they really want? I wannaa know!

I also looked into MacGreen, they are an MSU service...you wanna be a MSU president.....you don't talk to nor do you agree with him about it....waaayyy to goo miss solidarity!

In the end its just about opinions, your's against others!
Let's get real here. I really doubt McMaster Hospitality will put their foot down at the idea of a mini farmers market. They don't sell fruits/ vegetables... I doubt it's really going to affect their bottom line (much less have an effect on services like CSD - you're really being silly)...This farmers market might make, at the most, a few hundred dollars or so each week. Plus being a farmer isn't easy! They need all the support and help they can get...

No one hates McMaster hospitality, it's just that some students want somewhat of a convenient alternative! (obviously not you because you want a Mcdonlads on campus... you should get a Walmart to while you're at it) Believe it or not but there's a sizable population of students who are health conscious and would probably love the idea of organic fruits/veges/food items being sold on campus. However, McMaster hospitality does not cater to that crowd in the slightest aside from a few outrageously priced beverages.

To address your point about "trodding over the good food box" I think Mary is, in fact, looking to improve on it and make it more well known around Mac because not many students know about the service. I think it's a GREAT idea because I'm not sure the good food box is currently able to support a large number of students and I personally know MANY students that try not to spend money on campus for lunch because of how expensive it is. If there were a well known healthy, cheap alternative the MSU might be able to provide a service that many students can use and eventually grow to love. It could very easily grow to be something quite unique to McMaster.

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Old 02-04-2010 at 01:12 AM   #98
Nosh
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Purgatory99 View Post
Wow! So I've been creeping these forums alot this week and also saw a bit of the first debate but I haven't contributed.

Did the people you contact for Farmers Market know the problems with Hospitality when they were signing up? If I am walking by in MUSC and someone says HEY do you want to sign a petition for farmers market I would sign up :S, doesn't mean Its the same thing as me supporting YOU going against the administration. Same for the letters "that" person got, did the people giving them know the issues? Wait scratch that.......you wouldn't know.....


I want a McDonalds on campus, I'm sure alot of other people too! Will hospitality allow it? HELL no! Can you say you can "lobby" for it? YES

Did you also say if I recall correctly at a debate you don't believe in the word "lobbying"? Yes

Do I spell hypocrisy? Yes?
Its the same with farmers market, Wait.....whyyy do yo ucalll it a market? You said at the debate it is "just" a table.....

Same analogy.....will hospitality give allow you? NO....contracts and laws exist for a reason.......

Plus you are trodding over MSU service called Good Food Box, I've used it before and it is awesome at a cheap price.....why would you do stuff that is against MSU? Why not promote Good food box better? What's so wrong with that? Think about it? The amount of money and hours of students you will waste "fighting" hospitality is better of spent advertising good food box better! Not everyone is a vegetarian tree hugger! Us kids are lazy and don't have time to cooke da parsley's, deal with it!

Third, not everyone likes "good" food; there is not much I can do with a box of effing cabbages....no time holmes! . Will you lobby the students to change their diet?

How many people have said they want that idea, why are you so out of touch, it was two people who were mad veggie lovers, did you poll 22,000 students? How many have said they want it even if it means hours of their money being spent on you fighting the admin?

Lastly, I did some research on this evil Hospitality corporation that you hate and they are run by student affairs.....isn't it the same student affairs I read on a thread are facing a loss? Why do you want to take more money from them? Money made by paradise is returned to places like CSD....way to go champ!

Most importantly is it something they really want? I wannaa know!

I also looked into MacGreen, they are an MSU service...you wanna be a MSU president.....you don't talk to nor do you agree with him about it....waaayyy to goo miss solidarity!

In the end its just about opinions, your's against others!
So I think you just resorted to name calling , I would call you one back but I'm 18 and not on a playground in Junior Kindergarden anymore ; I see no reason in that besides it reflecting poorly on yourself.

There are a few things about your post that generalize or overstep in regards to comparison. A prime example is the whole idea of McDonalds. The thing is you just compared apples to oranges , which is not comparable since they are so different. McDonald's serves meals, meals similar to those made in La Piazza , thus it would be competition for them . A Farmer's market on the other hand is produce , fresh produce which with the exception of hand held fruits like apples, oranges and bananas. If other universities have the service , enough letters are accumulated, and it is made clear enough that the produce sold by The Farmer's Market would not infringe on hospitality services.


Secondly there is a claim made that Mary would take money from hospitality services, the thing is the items sold at the farmer's market would inevitably be purchased from Fortino's or Metro by students anyways like squash or celery , hospitality services will not sell you a zucchini, but a farmer's market could .

Thirdly , the Good Food Box thing came into play , I feel like maybe an open mind should be kept about this . It is a GREAT service which i have myself helped with but the items given can be at times random and the frequency may not be frequent enough . A consistent market may just do the trick . I myself would prefer getting a good food box , along with having a farmer's market to go to where I can choose the variety and stock up on more food than I am given in the food box. As a student not from the Hamilton area I would feel much more comfortable with that .


Also the whole vegetarian tree lover thing you referenced , that's just mean , anyone and I'm sure everyone who does not have scurvy eats vegetables in some form. Rash general statements like that are not mature , I love meat but I would also like the opportunity or at least awareness made that the need for fresh produce on campus is a concern . If other schools have had it happen what is deterring McMaster from pushing forward on the idea ? There are ways t make it beneficial without any detrimental effects.

Last edited by Nosh : 02-04-2010 at 01:14 AM. Reason: I just realized I forgot to hit post an hour and a half ago sorry , it looks like its copied from the above

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Old 02-04-2010 at 01:33 AM   #99
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Purgatory99 View Post
Not everyone is a vegetarian tree hugger! Us kids are lazy and don't have time to cooke da parsley's, deal with it!
That is unnecessary and some might actually find your post offensive. I don't see how that was relevant at all to the point you were trying to make.

Last edited by Nino : 02-04-2010 at 01:40 AM.

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Old 02-04-2010 at 01:53 AM   #100
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nino View Post
That is unnecessary and some might actually find your post offensive. I don't see how that was relevant at all to the point you were trying to make.
In other words what that word(probably not the best one) means is that not everyone is willing to spend time to obtain a variety of vegetables to cook during the school year. Not everyone knows how to cook. Who all has she consulted? There should be a poll/survey to see if students really want this or they would rather order good food box, go to metro/fortinos or jackson square before resources are spent on this to get ONE TABLE. Jackson has over 30-40

Still no answer to why students cannot take a 15 minute bus to Jackson square.

Good assumption by bluser that Good Food Box has capacities and limits, who told you that? Even if so it can be expanded by getting the same farmers onboard to provide more food to good food box. Why get something different that will break admin policies, require lobbying, waste of time and logistical issues when you already have a working service. All that is required is to promote it better, but hey that won't look like a good platform point would it?

Also you make no sense here; you say people don't spend on lunch...but they would rather have RAW vegetables once a week? Similar to what they can get from good food box for a good price?

Nosh, how is good food box and farmers table all that different? why do you want both at the same time? Just the choices available to you is the reason why Mary should spend so much time concentrating on attacking the admin? Metro is even less far away in that case, it is 6 minutes away.

Mcd's and farmers market are similar because they all break the hospitality policy over control of food services.
Old 02-04-2010 at 02:28 AM   #101
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Purgatory99 View Post

Still no answer to why students cannot take a 15 minute bus to Jackson square.





Nosh, how is good food box and farmers table all that different? why do you want both at the same time? Just the choices available to you is the reason why Mary should spend so much time concentrating on attacking the admin? Metro is even less far away in that case, it is 6 minutes away.

Mcd's and farmers market are similar because they all break the hospitality policy over control of food services.

Hey you!

I did address the 15 minute thing in a professional way saying that I'm not from here and I do not feel at ease going to Hamilton. Plain and simple I do not feel comfortable in Jackson Square, an intensely sketchy mall , riding a bus back with a bunch of produce. The one time i have gone there without knowing what that place was like I was approached by a prostitute ( who saw my stuff and assumed I had money ) , asked to buy marijuana , and told I would rot in Hell by a crack addict . I'm sure there are other students who would share the same sentiments .

Additionally , I think i might start as a table and go further if there is a high demand and once word spreads . Also it would be so much more convenient , we had a great winter this year but the next few I doubt will treat us this well. In which case campus and takeout would be my sources of food .


Also , I brought up the difference between goodfood box , there are not sufficient amounts for the amount of time and you do not get to choose what you get . Some of the stuff can be really random. At the same time , Metro is still off campus , is overpriced , and does not support the local economy. Metro also does not have the freshest picks , much of it is imported , polished and pesticide ridden.


You made another point about Mary "attacking the admin" . That makes it sound like she's uncivil . I doubt any fourth year student with some professional demeanor would"attack" she would bring it to their attention , yes. Attack seems like suing or not working collaboratively with them . If "attack" is the word for this then I guess every MSU president and candidate "attacks" the MSU admin with their concerns or ideas.

Lastly, I again want to say McDonald's and a farmer's Market are not the same. Hospitality services sells burgers,fries,etc whereas they will not sell me squash , a rutabaga ,asparagus etc.
Old 02-04-2010 at 06:34 AM   #102
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farmers market
this is not to be taken offensively i did not see the debate this was just relayed to be by another team's supporter and i have to agree to the point i felt necessary to post as i feel we have gone off topic.

the farmer's market is not necessarily a bad idea BUT it COMPLETELY goes against get cultured. i was told you stated you support get cultured but the farmer's market is in fact opposing the very idea of it.

correct me if i was told wrong but i just couldn't not say anything. another thing about the farmer's market that mary is lacking is NAMES. yes she provided evidence in talking to another student, but in her above post she said she researched and talked to mac admin. unless you name names, i dont see the point of putting mac admin, i feel it in fact weakens your platform point.

EVERYONE GET OUT AND VOTE TODAY!!!!
Old 02-04-2010 at 08:07 AM   #103
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Thanks everyone for their contributions to this conversation. I am going to keep this brief as I have a full day of campaigning ahead of me

1. The Good Box does have limitations; after talking with the PTM of Bread Bin, I believe she said 90 was the maximum level. If it were to get any larger, we would need some form of transportation. With the farm stand, the farmers deliver the produce themselves. Also, the sources are different; Good Food box I believe comes from a wholesaler and the farm stand would be supplied by 2 or 3 local farms. I talked to the PTM about this project, and she was quite interested. We discussed how this could serve as an addition to the existing GFB.

You make a good point in that I *do* need to be careful with my terminology; there is a difference between a market and a stand, and I have used the two interchangeably (definitely an error on my part).

2. I have spent the last 2.5 weeks talking to as many students as possible. It didn't matter whether the student was eating a salad or a beef steak, almost 90% of them seemed genuinely excited about getting some alternatives on campus

3. In 2nd year, I took the bus downtown every single weekend to visit the farmer's market because I support the local food movement. It is just too time consuming; I stopped after 2nd year, and I am quite passionate about this - what makes you think the average student is going to put in the time?

4. The farmstand would be biweekly. I don't think this is sufficient to undermine Get Cultured; if anything, it could serve as an educational opportunity to increase awareness about the market downtown and encourage students to participate in the Get Cultured program.

In terms of not referencing my sources, here is a letter from the leader of this project who details all those consulted in the process:

Letter to the McMaster University community Re: The Campus Farm Stand

This is a letter in response to the current controversy over the possibility of hosting a farm stand at McMaster University. It is my personal account of what happened and does not represent the views of any groups or individuals mentioned. What follows is a synopsis of the history and politics of trying to bring a student-run farm stand (a miniature version of a farmers’ market) to campus. Some of what I have been reading is misinformed so I would like to set the record straight. I worked for just under a year on the project (October 2008-August 2009), which I conceived and spearheaded, and spent half of that time incredibly frustrated by McMaster’s bureaucratic red tape and unwillingness to support and celebrate the farm stand as a student-run entity. In spite of my disheartenment, my conviction that it can and should become a student-run entity through the MSU is unshaken.

Conversations about the potential for a McMaster Campus Farm Stand, as we dubbed it, began in October 2008 between myself, another student colleague, and a now retired former McMaster employee. The initiative was born and pursued under the auspices of an Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG) working group I began named PEAS: Promoting Eating Alternatively and Sustainably. It should be noted that approximately a year prior, a similar initiative to host a farmers’ market on campus was attempted by an MSU VP Administration but did not come to fruition. I was never able to get fully informed on the reasons why.

PEAS spent the following months making the necessary arrangements to host the farm stand on campus. By April 2009, we had two Hamilton-region organic farmers who were willing to offer their produce to the farm stand, all the necessary infrastructure (access to tables, a tent, etc.) and a $1,000 start-up grant from OPIRG McMaster which was to be matched by Facility Services along with capital contributions from the Golden Horseshoe Biosciences Network and the Office of Sustainability. By this point, we had also begun working with the Office of Sustainability to help push the project through the university bureaucracy and garner high-level support for it which we received in full from Peter George and Karen Belaire. The advanced stage of the project (it was ready for implementation) is evidenced by an April 4, 2009 posting on the PEAS blog in which we are looking for farm stand volunteers: http://opirg-peas.blogspot.com/.

The farm stand team via the Office of Sustainability attempted to make contact with Hospitality Services by e-mail to discuss the project with them weeks prior to the anticipated launch but did not receive a response. The e-mail gave a date by which we hoped to have a response from Hospitality Services and made it clear that if we did not hear from them by this date, their unresponsiveness would be taken as a silent blessing and we would move forward with the farm stand’s launch. That date came and went and we planned the grand opening of the student-run OPIRG PEAS McMaster Campus Farm Stand for June 27, 2009. It was scheduled to run weekly into September/October (the end of the growing season).

On June 21, 2009, an article in the Hamilton Spectator about the student-run OPIRG PEAS McMaster Campus Farm Stand announcing the grand opening was ready to go to print. The administrators we were working with knew about the article and its scheduled print date. On June 20, 2009, the McMaster University Office of Public Relations got on the phone with editors at the Hamilton Spectator and had the article pulled, unbeknownst to its author.

The road block, according to the Office of Sustainability, was that we did not have Hospitality Service’s blessing (in spite of the e-mail episode detailed above). In order to book the space we wanted to use in the MUSC Courtyard, the individual in charge of the booking required Hospitality Service’s active permission.

From here on, I watched individuals within the university administration attempt to take over this collaborative grassroots project and hand it to Hospitality Services to manage as one of their entities. I want to make it very clear that I do not believe this was a malicious move on the part of these administrators. They were extremely committed to the project and wanted to see it come to fruition as well—but with a very different face. The debacle did however make it abundantly clear to me that McMaster University is void of a culture and policies which support student initiatives and instead, must have full control over what goes on on campus.

In the case of the Campus Farm Stand, the option we were presented with by the administration was that it be run by Hospitality Services using their infrastructure, bureaucracy, and staff. Hospitality Services was excited and completely on board with making it happen but, along with the administration, showed no care for keeping the initiative within student hands. I felt like we were being told, “Thanks for the idea, we’ll take it from here”.

In a meeting with Hospitality Services and the Office of Sustainability, OPIRG PEAS was questioned about liability in case someone was to get sick from the food being sold. We explained that all farmers who sell their food at markets (including the two we were planning to work with) must have insurance and as such, the liability falls to them should someone get sick from the produce (raw fruits and vegetables). There was further concern about it being volunteers selling the produce on the farmers’ behalf and that we did not have a business license or an employee-employer relationship with the farmers. The proposed solution was that Hospitality Services would take over the farm stand and employ staff to work at it (which did not necessarily have to be pre-existing Hospitality Services employees but could have come from our volunteer base). As such, Hospitality Services proposed to buy the food upfront from the farmers and increase the prices to recover staff wages. They made it clear that they did not intend to profit from the farm stand. This contradicts our purpose to sell the food at-cost given budget constraints of students which would be supported by enthusiastic volunteers (who would be compensated for their time with free groceries from the farm stand). When we asked what the role of OPIRG PEAS would be according to Hospitality Services, they said publicity and education (for free while Hospitality staff would be getting paid).

Given this exhaustive play-by-play, allegations that the university administration and Hospitality Services were squandering the Campus Farm Stand are false. Allegations that the university administration and Hospitality Services were squandering a student-run Campus Farm Stand hold true. For some, it is likely puzzling as to why their proposal is an issue. I however side with those who feel that a student-initiated project should not be usurped by a University but instead, supported, celebrated, and allowed to flourish within student hands. The project came to a standstill when the administration, OPIRG PEAS, Hospitality Services, and the farmers could not agree on the format or ownership of the project.

The MSU runs three entities which provision food for students: the MacBreadBin, the Union Market, and 1280, none of which are subject to the Hospitality Services monopoly. I don’t see why the Campus Farm Stand cannot take on a similar identity within the MSU. Given my experiences trying to give the project life within McMaster’s existing structures, the MSU is the best and most feasible place for the farm stand to come to life given that OPIRG PEAS is no longer active.

I did keep in regular contact with Derek Taylor, MacGreen Director, and MSU President Vishal Tiwari, both of whom were incredibly supportive of the project. Several MSU employees signed our letters of support. Derek Taylor was however mistaken to note that Hospitality Services intended to “fiscally capitalize on the farm stand” and was on the periphery of the process (though his support for it was incredibly important and appreciated).

To speak to two examples of other schools who have student-run farmers’ markets:

Queen’s University has a full-fledged student-run farmers’ market which was initiated by the director of their catering services, a former farmer. The personnel are student and community volunteers: http://www.thefarmersmarketa tqueens.com/volunteer.html

I currently volunteer at the University of British Columbia’s entirely community and student volunteer-run farmers’ market (coordinated by a paid market manager, a work-study student). The market sells produce from the UBC Farm, the last working farm in Vancouver. Neither the market nor the farm receive any financial or administrative support from the university: http://www.landfood.ubc.ca/ubcfarm/market_garden.php

It is absolutely ridiculous that the simple concept of getting fresh and healthy local food onto campus has become the victim of power politics and prohibitive structures. It is a project near and dear to me that I look forward to being run for the McMaster community, by students in the near future.

I would be happy to be in contact with anyone with further comments, concerns, or questions: [email protected] com.

Warmest regards,
Zsuzsi Fodor, McMaster Alumni 2009

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