CMM ‘steps ahead’ on three main issues

health and wellness, the environment and student engagement are key for team

Jacqueline Romanow
Jacqueline Romanow

AMS election endorsements

It troubles me that the two teams competing for AMS executive have been characterized recently as being too similar. It is my belief that the differences between these individuals and their platforms are clear, especially for someone who is making a conscious effort to engage in the issues of this campaign. Students do have a choice, and that choice is a simple one to make. Kingsley Chak, John Manning and Julia Mitchell (CMM) wish to take the AMS “A Step Ahead,” and they have focused on three issues that are vital to the quality of student life at Queen’s with tangible objectives to serve these priorities.

Health and wellness has always been one of the most important issues facing the Queen’s community. In my opinion, nothing affects the quality of student life more than one’s health, and CMM has shown that they will make this issue a priority of the AMS next year, if they are elected.

In addition to their excellent peer counselling initiative, CMM has committed to conducting an inquiry into the state of student mental health at Queen’s, an aspect of their campaign that has not received the coverage it warrants to date. With a better understanding of the specific problems students face, we will be able to develop more effective solutions.

The importance of environmental sustainability has increased substantially in the last few years, and team CMM has presented several ideas that will not only be effective sustainability initiatives, but will also promote the issue as a priority, campus-wide at Queen’s.

By partnering with the successful composting program at The Tearoom, the AMS will be able to significantly reduce the waste produced by the Queen’s Pub and the Common Ground, two of its largest services.

As well, I think that CMM’s commitment to establish a campuswide sustainability office—which would allow students to work together with Queen’s faculty and administration on sustainability initiatives—will truly be the most effective way to build a greener campus. Although there are countless opportunities for students to come together and engage in their interests at Queen’s, I also understand just how difficult it can be to sort through all the information that is available.

CMM’s proposal for a centralized listing of all the opportunities that exist for students would be an excellent resource for students who wish to engage in the Queen’s community, but simply don’t know where to start. It’s refreshing to see student leaders who have done their homework and can take steps to improve the student experience at Queen’s. Students do have a choice and CMM has presented several well-researched and carefully planned strategies to improve student life at Queen’s.

This truly puts them a step ahead, which is why my vote will go to Kingsley Chak, John Manning and Julia Mitchell next week.

All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s)-in-Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Skip to content