The Tribune’s Editorial Board presents its endorsements of the candidates for the 2025-2026 Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Executive Committee. Editors researched and communicated with each candidate before leading an Editorial Board discussion on the candidates’ qualifications and vision for their prospective roles. Editors with conflicts of interest abstained from discussing, writing, and editing relevant reviews.
President
Dymetri Taylor
Taylor’s second run for election, after one year of holding the President position, centres on three core tenets: Governance, identity, and fiscal. He plans to update the governing SSMU documents and delegate the powers of the SSMU Board of Directors (BoD) to the SSMU Legislative Council, allowing the latter to receive reports, authorize spending, and more, in an effort to allow for a democratic and comprehensive decision-making process. To create a stronger campus-wide community, Taylor will focus on orientation week for first-years, planning an introductory SSMU presentation for all first-years, encouraging them to get involved with university governance, and increasing campus engagement with student bodies. Fiscally, Taylor hopes to save money by combining the VP Internal and VP Sustainability and Operations positions. He wants to use this money to host more events, such as a carnival or re-instating Frosh dinner. He wants to work toward divestment from weapons manufacturing through the Board of Governors (BoG) but states that it’s a matter of phrasing the proposal in a way the BoG can approve. Taylor additionally has plans to improve institutional memory, voter turnout, and administrative relations—all through better record-keeping, freshman engagement, and public emphasis on student concerns.
Endorsement: Yes, with reservations to Dymetri Taylor
The Tribune endorses Taylor for a second term. He has concrete plans to increase student democracy and allow for more students to hold decision-making powers. Taylor’s year of experience holding the position has given him the institutional experience to effectively and seamlessly improve governing documents and increase student engagement. However, The Tribune is wary of Taylor’s approach to student calls for pro-Palestine activism and divestment from Israeli weapons manufacturing. While he claims he has plans to continue working with the BoG to draft a divestment proposal—an area where his institutional memory could prove an asset—in his one year in the role, he has not taken any concrete steps toward this. Furthermore, he must work tirelessly to gain back the trust of the student community regarding upholding student democracy, given recent calls for his impeachment. He must be honest and open with the student body of SSMU’s constraints, and take a firmer stance in support of student activism.
VP Finance
John Vogel
Vogel cites experience with administrative financial work, which he deems the key focus of VP Finance. He hopes to sustain current VP Pauline Jolicouer’s eradication of SSMU’s deficit, while also improving administrative efficiency: A lack of which has previously caused delays to SSMU approving funding applications and club bank accounts. This would allow Vogel to maximize financial allocations to campus activism and local community groups, in collaboration with VP External. As the SSMU member who moved to impeach President Taylor in December 2024, Vogel reports no concerns about their collaboration if both are elected to the incoming executive team. Vogel further states that his motion to impeach was symptomatic of longstanding structural problems with SSMU, which he stated are not VP Finance’s focus. He commits to publicly advocating for progressive political movements supported by a student majority that highlight these issues with SSMU’s governance, particularly the right to Palestinian liberation.
Dylan Seiler:
Seiler’s campaign centres around improving financial accessibility, transparency, and efficiency within SSMU. A key issue he aims to address is the understaffing of various Finance committees, such as the Funding Committee, which has caused delays in club and service funding. By properly staffing these positions, he hopes to reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies. To promote transparency, he would release monthly financial expenditure reports and push for financial discussions to be held in public sessions rather than private ones. Dylan also prioritizes increasing accessibility to financial resources for student services, which currently lack direct access to their bank accounts. Drawing on his experience in the Music Undergraduate Students’ Association (MUSA), where he turned a $6,000 CAD deficit into a $5,000 CAD surplus by cutting unnecessary costs without reducing services to students, Dylan believes his financial expertise and governance experience set him apart from other candidates.
Endorsement: Yes, with reservations to Dylan Seiler
The Tribune endorses Seiler’s campaign for VP Finance. The VP Finance position requires extensive experience with large budgets and navigating bureaucratic barriers, which Seiler has demonstrated experience in with his work at MUSA. His close collaboration with the current VP Finance, Pauline Jolicoeur, provides a strong foundation for and assists in a smooth transition to, the work he would be taking on next year. Furthermore, Seiler’s McGill-focused campaign emphasizes transparency and accessibility by centring concerns of students, particularly regarding insurance coverage, club and service budgets, and SSMU expenditures. However, both Seiler and Vogel’s failures to appear at the SSMU candidates’ debate on Feb. 18 raise concerns over how committed they are to earning students’ votes.
VP Sustainability and Operations
Kareem El Hosini
El Hosini’s platform prioritizes the reallocation of space within the University Centre to better serve students’ needs. In particular, he intends to implement procedures for determining which clubs and services are in spaces appropriate to their needs, and consider reassigning space to provide offices for clubs that are currently on the waitlist, or provide larger offices for clubs that would benefit from them. He is also interested in finding ways to better utilize the two cafeteria spaces and the bookable rooms in the University Centre. Beyond the allocation of space, El Hosini hopes to improve transparency and communication through channels like an anonymous feedback form. In the area of sustainability, El Hosini has proposed providing more support for SSMU’s community garden.
Endorsement: Yes, with reservations to Kareem El Hosini
The Tribune endorses El Hosini for VP Operations and Sustainability. El Hosini’s experience in operations and logistics from previous engineering internships would be an asset in the role. Further, The Tribune appreciates his commitment to ensuring that space in the SSMU building is allocated fairly and efficiently—although The Tribune urges him to implement a robust consultation process involving all potentially affected parties and stakeholders. It is crucial to ensure that decisions about space allocation are made carefully and equitably, and that the SSMU building is accessible and welcoming to all students. Additionally, El Hosini’s platform remains unchanged from his previous run in the Fall 2024 SSMU By-Election, the results of which were nullified because it did not meet quorum requirements. The Tribune encourages El Hosini to consider ways to develop his intentions for the role, in particular in the areas of student engagement and sustainability.
VP Internal:
Zeena Zahidah*
Zahidah’s campaign focuses primarily on strengthening ongoing and traditional events such as Four Floors and Faculty Olympics, as well as placing more emphasis on the structure of the committees—namely the First Year Council. She wants to reinvigorate SSMU’s presence on campus and emphasize to students that SSMU is student-led and representative of the student body.
*Zahidah did not respond to communication from The Tribune, so we were unable to ask her questions and evaluate all aspects of her campaign.
Endorsement: No to Zeena Zahidah
Despite Zahidah’s experience in the role, as she is the current VP Internal, her lack of responsiveness and dedication to the role concerns The Tribune especially as her responsibilities as VP Internal will increase if the role of VP Sustainability and Operations is cut. Her goals for the upcoming school year were vague, despite having had a year to hone them. Executive hopefuls, both incumbents and newcomers, ought to be able to actively express a clear vision and passion for the role. If elected, The Tribune encourages Zahidah to increase her presence and responsiveness within the role, and clarify her aims for the next academic year.
VP External
Jaanashee Punjabi
Punjabi has served as Sustainability Commissioner at SSMU and currently works as VP External for the McGill Environment Students’ Society. She has demonstrated strong leadership and a deep understanding of the importance of student engagement within both university structures and broader community initiatives. Her advocacy efforts span across various social justice causes, including collaborations with organizations like UTILE, ECOLE, and the McGill Office of Sustainability . Additionally, her involvement in municipal-level youth advocacy showcases her ability to engage with external groups and strengthen ties between SSMU, student unions across Quebec, and other universities. Punjabi’s platform is built on the goal of expanding student representation at the municipal and provincial levels, and has a proactive approach to fostering collaboration with external organizations.
Seraphina Crema Black: As the VP External of MUSA, a member of the Legislative Council, and a student senator, Black attests that her past experience advocating for students’ interests has prepared her well for the responsibilities of VP External. Among Black’s priorities for the role is to strengthen SSMU’s ties with other student unions across Quebec to fight against common threats—such as tuition hikes. Stressing the need for SSMU’s engagement beyond McGill, Black looks to maintain strong ties with the Milton-Parc community and continue collaborating with UTILE on housing initiatives. Black also aims to build on Hugo-Victor Solomon’s work of engaging the student body through email and social media communications, as well as on-the-ground tabling on campus. Black believes that proactive engagement of student groups and transparency with constituents will create a trusting relationship with the student body, enabling her to best advocate for their needs. Black aims to maintain an unbiased stance on to genocide in Palestine and to represent students’ interest based on referendum votes, rather than personal views, noting that the Policy against Genocide in Palestine received a majority vote from students.
Endorsement: Yes, with reservations to Jaanashee Punjabi
While she expresses strong commitments to student movements, Indigenous advocacy, and Palestinian solidarity, Punjabi’s plans for translating these commitments into actionable policies remain vague. The Tribune believes that while Punjabi’s commitment to student activism is clear, the VP External role requires a more structured and detailed plan of action for students at all levels. Moreover, The Tribune holds that unlike Black’s proposed platform, the VP External role demands a greater commitment to anti-oppressive, anti-colonial politics, and that Solomon’s tenure demonstrated that support for Palestine and advocacy for SSMU’s constituency can, in fact, go hand-in-hand.
VP Student Life
Raihaana Adira:
Drawing on experience on the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) Legislative Council, Financial Management Committee, the Dean of Arts Committee on Student Affairs, among involvement in departmental student associations, Adira is making her second bid for an SSMU executive position. She previously ran against Taylor for president in a by-election. This time around, she says she wants to focus on student services, mental health, and club funding. Her platform for VP Student Life has four key components: Addressing mental health, accessibility, supporting student groups, and advocating for affordable food options on campus. Specific actions within these goals include advocating for McGill to reinstate floor fellows in the residences, establishing a mental health task force, streamlining club approvals, and advocating for more student-run food options on campus.
Hamza Abu Alkhair:
Currently serving as Director of Clubs and Services, Abu Alkhair has effectively taken on many responsibilities of the vacant VP Student Life role. He aims to strengthen McGill’s sense of community by improving event promotion and cultural club integration and advocating for centralized platforms, in person and online, to enhance visibility. He also prioritizes increasing awareness of student services, including photography services offered by the McGill University Photography Students’ Society and free meals provided by Midnight Kitchen, through accessible information hubs. To address room booking inefficiencies faced by clubs outside the SSMU building, he proposes a streamlined venue booking system with an up-to-date contact directory. Additionally, he calls for revamping the SSMU website and replacing mandatory in-person workshops for club executives with self-paced training modules. Drawing from his leadership experience as former president of the Arab Students’ Network (ASN) and involvement in student governance, Abu-Alkhair is committed to improving accessibility, engagement, and transparency within SSMU.
Endorsement: Yes, with reservations to Hamza Abu-Alkhair
Abu-Alkhair’s plans to improve event promotion, bolster club accessibility, and revamp SSMU’s website address key issues facing McGill students. His experience as Director of Clubs and Services and the president of an SSMU service gives him a leg up with a strong understanding of the role. His proposals to simplify room booking and enhance communication between student groups demonstrate his commitment to improving campus life and knowledge of the unique avenues available to VP Student Life to achieve these goals. However, his platform lacks a clear strategy for student mental health, a central aspect of the role, and he has not outlined concrete steps to ensure diverse student groups are represented. Given the VP Student Life portfolio’s responsibility for relations with clubs, services, and independent student groups—as well as for mental health promotion and collaboration with Student Services—The Tribune believes Abu-Alkhair is a strong candidate but urges him to prioritize a comprehensive mental health plan and a tangible framework for student representation.
VP University Affiars
Susan Aloudat:
As the VP Events for the ASN the last three years, Aloudat is now shifting her focus to the SSMU University Affairs portfolio. Running unopposed, Aloudat’s platform is based on three main priorities: Creating space to actively listen to students’ needs by instituting an open-door policy, being transparent around her work by maintaining the VP University Affairs blog, and organizing workshops to brainstorm solutions for students’ concerns. Aloudat wrote to The Tribune that her platform is purposefully “malleable” as she intends to shape her priorities around student needs once in office. She explained that she wants to start community consultations with SSMU services as they have their fingers on the pulse of the McGill student community and then extend to individual students.
Endorsement: Yes, with reservations to Susan Aloudat The Tribune appreciates Aloudat’s commitment to listening to student concerns and shaping her actions based on constituent consultations. While Aloudat is a suitable candidate for the role, The Tribune encourages her to be more specific and ambitious in her plans for the VP University Affairs portfolio. This executive position is heavily involved in advocacy, research, and promoting equity; juggling these responsibilities is no small task. Therefore, The Tribune recommends that Aloudat find strategies to determine policy priorities early on so that she can actively work toward those goals during the year. Further, the VP University Affairs has one of the few student seats on the McGill Senate—a key leverage point in advocating for students to the administration. The current VP University Affairs, Abe Berglas, has set a high standard for how to effectively and consistently advocate for students through this governing body. Aloudat should consider how she can make the most of this opportunity.
A previous version of the article stated that Black wished to remain “neutral” on her stance on Palestine. Black in fact hopes to remain unbiased to advocate for students’ opinions as expressed through referendum questions. The Tribune regrets the error.
