Meet Kat McLaughlin, Candidate for Executive Director of Advocacy

Of the MUNSU election positions coveted on March 19^th and 20^th, one spot, the Executive Director of Advocacy, appears to have a strong contender. Kat McLaughlin is currently campaigning for the title, with a solid platform built on improving the relations between students and the student’s’ union itself.

The candidate holds a background in various advocacy groups such as the GSA and IWK Children’s Hospital, as well as previous involvement with the Residence Executive as elected Treasurer. These are just to name a few details of a well-established portfolio of advocacy in support of people from many different backgrounds.

“I am dedicated to working towards a safe, accessible, positive and respectful environment that allows all students to overcome the various unique barriers to their own academic success. I would like to see an emphasis on communication, transparency and accessibility by the student union.” 

Having been hired as an assistant to MUNSU campaigns, Kat says that this has provided substantial insight to the process of the Student Union.

“I feel that the main flaw in the MUNSU is the lack of communication and dialogue between MUNSU and the rest of the student body… student input is very low, and I feel a lot of efforts to communicate were through superficial campaigns.”

With this in mind, Kat has produced a platform policy involving the implementation of an online forum specifically for MUNSU, notably offering the option of anonymity. This would be in line with the aim of expanding the activities of the Director of Advocacy by supporting and interacting with the clubs and societies while opening up dialogue amongst the student body. Furthermore, McLaughlin has called for the MUNSU meeting minutes to be posted online on a regular basis, rather than upon specific request by individual students.

“Students need to be aware of what is going on in MUNSU, and they need to feel that they are just as much a part of the student body regardless of their position or ability to participate.”

It appears that student engagement, direct communication and honest dialogue are key points of the McLaughlin platform which might paint a positive and optimistic picture for potential voters of the upcoming MUNSU election.

For more information on how to cast your vote in the upcoming MUNSU election, feel free to read the following article, “What You need to Know About the MUNSU Elections”.