SU by-election 2021: Emily Macphail

By Cristina Paolozzi October 10 2021—

The Students’ Union (SU) is holding a by-election for several different positions, one of which is the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) representative. 

Emily Macphail — the lone candidate for this position — is the only candidate in this by-election not to interview with the Gauntlet as she could not be reached in time for print. While she will still have to secure a yes/no vote from students in her faculty, we don’t have anything else to go off of, except for her online platform. 

She is currently a third-year MD student and a graduate from the Bachelor of Health Sciences program, and her platform states that she has been involved in many different aspects of the faculty. She also has plenty of student advocacy experience, making her well aware of the processes of student politics. 

Her first platform point concerns student wellness where she states that she would like to first identify some of the issues CSM students are facing, and then compile a consultative report to present to faculty members that highlight some of these concerns. 

Her goals surrounding student advocacy also extend to COVID-19, as she intends to ensure that possible changes by university or provincial administration be supported by offering online classes or practicum changes. 

Macphail also states that she plans to create a resource guide for students in different programs in CSM to “subsequently be transitioned to programs for sustainable maintenance and distribution,” as written on her platform. 

While we can’t provide you with any other information, her experiences within the faculty as well as within student politics itself makes her a strong advocate for CSM students this year. She is aware of the issues affecting students and has a good plan to make their voices heard. 

Online voting in the SU by-election will take place Oct. 13–15 and can be done through the myUofC Student Centre. Voting begins at 9 a.m. on Oct. 13 and closes at 4 p.m. on Oct. 15. To learn more about Emily Macphail and her campaign, check out her and the other candidates’ platforms online. All undergraduate students registered for the Fall 2021 semester are eligible to vote.