March 12, 2015

MARCH 12, 2015 | VOLUME XCVI | ISSUE XLV YOU WOULDN’T LIKE ME WHEN I’M BRITISH SINCE 1918

MAJOR AMS EVENTS

PHOTO ESSAY: NEW SUB

ELECTORAL CANDIDATES

4

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2 • AMS ELECTIONS • THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015

U THE UBYSSEY MARCH 12, 2015 | VOLUME XCVI | ISSUE XLIII

EDITORIAL Coordinating Editor Will McDonald coordinating@ubyssey.ca

Design Editor Nick Adams printeditor@ubyssey.ca

Web Developer Peter Siemens web@ubyssey.ca

News Editor Veronika Bondarenko news@ubyssey.ca

Culture Editor Jenica Montgomery culture@ubyssey.ca

Sports + Rec Editor Jack Hauen sports@ubyssey.ca

Video Producer Tim Hoggan video@ubyssey.ca

Photo Editor Cherihan Hassun photo@ubyssey.ca

Opinions + Blog Editor Austen Erhardt aerhardt@ubyssey.ca

Copy Editor Ciaran Dougherty copy@ubyssey.ca

R F OM TH R E T T E E L

Distribution Coordinator Lily Cai lcai@ubyssey.ca

Illustrator Julian Yu

Editor

julianyu@ubyssey.ca

STAFF Natalie Scadden, CJ Pentland, Kosta Prodanovic, Dave Nixon, Soren Elsay, Olamide Olaniyan, Lawrence Neal Garcia, Olivia Law, Tariq Vira, Kelley Lin, Jenny Tang, Leo Soh, Mateo Ospina, Koby Michaels, Jasmine Cheng, Miguel Santa Maria, Natalie Morris, Mackenzie Walker, Sam Fruitman, Braedon Atkinson Pauze, Jacob Gershkovich, Emma Partridge, Ben Cook, Ming Wong, Tammy Hsieh, Chloë Lai, Mischa Milne, Aiken Lao

BUSINESS

by Will McDonald

Business Manager Fernie Pereira

Coordinating Editor

fpereira@ubyssey.ca

Ad Sales Geoff Lister

Most people don’t know what the AMS is or what it does, but you should and here’s why: the AMS spent $17 million last year. They bring you the U-Pass. They run Block Party. They host more than 350 clubs. Executives can get up to $5,000 in bonuses each year. They can lobby for affordable tuition and housing. All of these things fall under the portfolios of AMS executives, and you have the power to choose who they are.

To help you do that, we’ve put together 20 pages of elections coverage. From a historical perspective on the AMS, to candidate questions, to endorsements, we want you to know why the AMS matters, and who you should vote for to make the AMS best serve students. You’ve already picked up the issue, so that’s a good first step. Take a look, inform yourself, but most importantly, vote.

advertising@ubyssey.ca

Accounts Oliver Colbourne accounts@ubyssey.ca

CONTACT Editorial Office: SUB 24 604.822.2301 Business Office: SUB 23 ADVERTISING 604.822.1654 INQUIRIES 604.822.6681 Student Union Building 6138 SUB Boulevard Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 Online: ubyssey.ca Twitter: @ubyssey

LEGAL

The Ubyssey is the official student newspaper of the University of British Columbia. It is published every Monday and Thursday by The Ubyssey Publications Society. We are an autonomous, democratically run student organization, and all students are encouraged to participate.

Editorials are chosen and written by the Ubyssey staff. They are the expressed opinion of the staff, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Ubyssey Publications Society or the University of British Columbia. All editorial content appearing in The Ubyssey is the property of The Ubyssey Publications Society. Stories, opinions, photographs and artwork contained herein cannot be reproduced without the expressed, written permission of The Ubyssey Publications Society.

The Ubyssey is a founding member of Canadian University Press (CUP) and adheres to CUP’s guiding principles.

Letters to the editor must be under 300 words. Please include your

phone number, student number and signature (not for publication) as well as your year and faculty with all submissions. ID will be checked when submissions are dropped off at the editorial office of The Ubyssey; otherwise verification will be done by phone. The Ubyssey reserves the right to edit submissions for length and clarity. All letters must be received by 12 noon the day before intended publication. Letters received after this point will be published in the following issue unless there is an urgent time restriction or other matter deemed relevant by the Ubyssey staff.

It is agreed by all persons placing display or classified advertising that if the Ubyssey Publications Society fails to publish an advertisement or if an error in the ad occurs the liability of the UPS will not be greater than the price paid for the ad. The UPS shall not be responsible for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value or the impact of the ad.

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THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015 • AMS ELECTIONS • 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS MAJOR AMS EVENTS

THE NEW SUB

Timeline

Photo Essay

WORST MOVE

BEST MOVE

HISTORIC REFERENDUM

THE UBYSSEY’S

Questions

Endorsements

2015 ELECTORAL

Candidates

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BOG

U BC

ATE SE N

O ACC

AB IL U NT

SLFS

IT Y RE S

ONS

LE I B LE

ADE

SLFS

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THE BEST AND WORST OF THE AMS The AMS was founded in 1915, and since then it has had both a lot of successes and a lot of screwups. To give you an idea of just how well and how wrong things can go, we’ve put together a timeline of major AMS events. While the new execs probably won’t start new buildings or make complaints to the UN, they have the opportunity to put some events on future timelines. Positive or negative, we hope this upcoming year will be one where things worthy of the record books actually happen.

Good SECOND TREK

The Second Trek — a student campaign leads to the government increasing funding to UBC.

Construction BROCK HALL

Brock Hall, UBC’s first student union building, opens. It was funded largely by students.

JANUARY 31, 1940

Good GREAT TREK

1,200 students march to the then-unbuilt Point Grey campus to demand the government finish construction in what is now known as the Great Trek. This led to the building of the current UBC Vancouver campus.

SEPTEMBER 1937

Good RADIO

OCTOBER 28, 1922

Good

Led by the Radio Society, the AMS begins broadcasting weekly 30 minute radio shows.

FIRST CLUBS

UBC’s first clubs — the Men’s and Women’s Literary clubs (now the UBC Debate Society), the Players’ Club and the Glee Club — are founded. The Mountaineering Club (now the Varsity Outdoors Club) is founded shortly after.

OCTOBER 15, 1915

OCTOBER 17, 1918

U

Good THE UBYSSEY

1915-1916

Policy THE START

The Alma Mater Society of the University of British Columbia is officially constituted. McGill B.C., which preceded UBC, was represented by its own Alma Mater Society.

The Ubyssey, then a subsidiary of the AMS, publishes its first issue.

Good REFERENDUM

Referendum results in the formation of the Student Administrative Commission (which oversees clubs).

Bad POLITICS

The AMS introduces a parliamentary system — it fails miserably.

DECEMBER 1974

1970’s

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Good BOOZE

The Pit, the first student pub on campus, opens on the second floor of the SUB before relocating to the SUB basement in 1973. Beer was sold for 40 cents/bottle.

SEPTEMBER 26, 1968

Good

NOVEMBER 28, 1968

Construction

SENATE

SUB

Students are elected to the university senate for the first time.

Student Union Building, funded primarily by the AMS, opens.

OCTOBER 18, 1967

Bad

MARCH 1963

HACKED

Policy

After instituting a new online voting system, the AMS election includes 731 fraudulent votes, discovered only after results were announced. The following investigation cost the AMS over $40,000 and resulted in the election of a different candidate and the final outcome of a tuition referendum failing to meet quorum by six votes.

THIRD TREK

The Third Trek: student protests and petitions supporting then-UBC President John Macdonald contributes to the government further increasing post-secondary funding.

DECEMBER 1956

OCTOBER 25, 1954

Bad

JANUARY 2010

FIRE

Fire at Brock Hall; roof collapses. Students fundraise to “rebuild the Brock.”

Good

NOVEMBER 2009

U-PASS

Good

INDEPENDENCE

Money REC CENTRE

Students vote against paying a $30 AMS fee to build the Student Recreation Centre; University administration later brings in a $40 fee to fund the centre.

APRIL 1, 1977 NOVEMBER 1975

Good BOG

Students elected to UBC Board of Governors for the first time.

U

The Ubyssey is reborn as an independent student publication following a referendum, no longer affiliated with the AMS.

1994-1995

SEPTEMBER 1989

Money WHISTLER

AMS Student Court orders AMS to compensate Varsity Outdoors Club in response to ownership dispute over Whistler cabin. AMS Council ignores the ruling. A compromise is later reached.

Students overwhelmingly vote to approve introduction of the U-Pass to the university in what was the largest-ever voter turnout for a UBC referendum.

FEBRUARY 14, 1996

Bad TUITION

FEBRUARY 2003

Money BABIES

1995-1996

Bad CONFLICT

U

The Ubyssey doesn’t publish for a year, following conflicts with AMS Executive.

AMS announces Child Care Bursary Fund, named after Evelyn Lett — then 99 years old, a UBC graduate, former AMS executive and wife of former UBC Chancellor and first AMS President Sherwood Lett.

Then-AMS president Blake Frederick and VP External Tim Chu file a human rights complaint to the United Nations regarding high tuition rates.

6 • AMS ELECTIONS • THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015

NEW SUB NEW SUB NEW SUB NEW

The Nest within the Nest is an elevated performance space at the centre of the building.

The building will be integrated with what is left of the Knoll.

Those blue tubes are skylights for the new Pit.

The new Pit will still be underground and feature cheap drinks, though it will be larger, have skylights and an entire wall of TVs.

This view shows the walls of the SUB from an upper floor hallway. The ledge off the lower floor is where one of the slides that was planned for the building would have gone.

The new pizza restaurant will keep the name from the old SUB after Council decided against calling it BOOM! Pizza.

They’ll offer personal pizzas and maybe beer.

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SUB NEW SUB NEW SUB NEW SUB

There will be a garden on the roof of the building, as well as a roof-top childcare facility.

PHOTOS MACKENZIE WALKER

The new SUB will have shared spaces for clubs aimed at spurring more interaction between student groups.

This is the top of the climbing wall in the new building. It’s almost three stories high and has 200 square metres of climbable area.

There will be themed, bookable study spaces throughout the building. Some of them have TVs, while others have paper lanterns.

This space will be able to hold 600 people, but can also be converted into smaller rooms by putting up dividers.

There will be a small grocery store that will sell produce and a limited selection of other food.

8 • AMS ELECTIONS • THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015

A HISTORY OF STUDENT VOTING AT UBC The most important AMS referendum questions

Veronika Bondarenko News Editor As letters on why students should vote yes or no on the upcoming BDS referendum flood our mailboxes, we thought we’d take a look at some of the most historic and contentious AMS referendum questions that students have managed to put on the AMS ballot through the power of petitions and organizing in recent years. Aside from the usual AMS, athletic and SUB expansion fees that students have needed to approve as time went by and UBC’s population increased, the AMS saw student-organized votes on a wide range of social, political and university issues that have affected students over the years.

1995: The Ubyssey In January 1995, our paper held a referendum to charge $5 in student funds in order to become fully independent from the AMS. The passing of this referendum set an important precedent of us being separate from both the student union and the university and saying whatever we want of how things are going down at this university without fear of repercussions.

Half of UBC voters disapproved of the U.S. policy in Vietnam in 1968.

PHOTO RAYMON DEPARDON/FLICKR

In February 2003, students voted to increase AMS fees by $1 to create a Sexual Assault Support Services Fund after the province cut funding for programs that helped victims who were affected by violence. The fee, which has been raised to $3.36 in the last decade, is in place to this day and almost all of the money goes straight to UBC’s Sexual Assault Support Centre for their work on helping victims of sexual violence.

1968: Vietnam War In February 1968, students organized a referendum that asked students to take a stance on the Vietnam War. Slightly less than half of all voters said that the U.S. should continue the bombing while over a third also said that Canada should continue selling armaments to the U.S. Half of all voters disapproved of the U.S. policy in Vietnam.

2010: United Nations

1972: Abortion This was the year when students organized for a referendum question on abortion to be asked at UBC. While this referendum was meant only to gather student opinion and did not call for any specific actions, 2,016 out of 2,504 students voted in favour of legal and accessible abortion in Canada as early as 1972. While abortion has been legal in Canada under some circumstances since 1969, it was in 1988 that the Supreme Court struck down the law that limited some abortions.

Blake Frederick, the AMS president in 2010, launched a human rights complaint to the United Nations.

PHOTO GABRIEL RODRIGUEZ/FLICKR

After then-AMS President Blake Frederick and VP External Timothy Chu filed a human rights complaint, about the university not providing sufficient financial support to students, to the United Nations from the AMS without consulting any of their fellow councillors, the majority of students voted to have them impeached. Still, the referendum was not successful as a 75 per cent vote in favour is needed in order to remove directors from their positions.

2013: U-Pass During the January 2013 AMS elections, students actually risked losing the U-Pass (which is, arguably, the best thing that the AMS has ever done for its members) after a referendum on whether to accept the higher costs that the society would need to start charging for it was held by the AMS. Thankfully, the vast majority of students voted in favour of the increases and we were not left to pay the $90 a month it would cost to take the bus to campus without it.

1987: Apartheid In January 1987, students voted on whether the AMS should divest from products made by Carling O’Keefe and Rothmans, companies that had been linked to supporting the South African Apartheid through some of their shareholders. The referendum failed as 1,951 out of 3,371 students voted against the divestment and the necessary 10 per cent voter quorum was not reached.

It was only in the summer of 1989 that AMS Council voted in favour of ceasing the sale of Rothmans products in all AMS stores and vending machines in order to put pressure on the South African government to end the Apartheid regime.

2003: Sexual assault support

2014: Whistler

The Whistler Lodge recently sold for $1.45 million.

FILE PHOTO KAI JACOBSON/THE UBYSSEY

After years of seeing the Whistler Lodge bleed money while having only a very limited group of students actually use it, a referendum that gave AMS permission to sell it passed by a 54.6 per cent majority in January 2014 (after failing due to lack of quorum in January 2012).

After officially selling the property to a couple who intends to use it for residential purposes last week, the AMS closed that branch of UBC history once and for all. U

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10 • ELECTORAL CANDIDATES • THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015

T N E D I S E R P E H T ROLE

RACE SO FAR

SALARY

Involved in everything regarding the AMS. The president has a seat on all AMS committees and is the face of the AMS.

Candidates Aaron Bailey, Cheneil Antony-Hale, and joke candidate V are campaigning for the position of AMS President for the 2015-2016 year. Bailey and Antony-Hale both expressed support for the other’s platforms. Their primary source of disagreement lies in whether the AMS president should focus on student life and supporting the other executives or bigger, systemic problems within the university. Joke candidate V calls for a total dissolution of the AMS and closure of the university to orchestrate a massive Hunger Games-style fight to divvy up the parts of the new SUB. He’s also on the run from the Secret Police.

$27,500 per year, with up to $5,000 additional performance bonus.

ESTIONS QU

1 345

Evaluate Tanner Bokor’s term in office. What would you do differently?

What should the role of the AMS president be?

Every candidate promises to better communicate with students. How will you do this?

What character What do you from House of think is more Cards do you effective: student identify with most? protests or Why? negotiations?

Pick one.

1

I think any answer to this question first requires a thank you to Tanner. While it would be dishonest to say that he and I did not have a tumultuous relationship this year, anyone who works 75+ hours/week for the AMS and its members deserves our wholehearted appreciation and gratitude. Each president has their own style and way of leading.

If elected, the key difference would be an emphasis on prioritizing relationship building with the Executive and Council. Getting an organization as big as the AMS to move in one unified direction is no easy task and these key relationships are critical to achieving this.

2

Although a simple question, this seems to be the one that a lot of candidates fail to grasp. The president serves as the director of all activities of Council and the Executive. This means is that they exist to support the vice-presidents, staff, and elected representatives of the AMS in the work that they do in the context of how it fits into the larger, long-term vision for the Society’s future. In addition to acting as the official spokesperson for the Society, the president is also known to take on special projects from time to time. However, they should only do so if those projects do not fit more appropriately under the purview of another Executive’s portfolio.

3

Communication in an organization with over 50,000 members is understandably difficult and there will always be room to improve. However, by creating positive, open spaces for face-to-face interaction, such as weekly office hours hosted in casual settings and by making a commitment to demonstrate care for the activities of constituents through attending student organized events on a weekly basis, I will create an atmosphere of approachability that will help make the AMS a more welcoming organization.

AARON BAILEY

FOURTH-YEAR SCIENCE

4 5

My AMS colleagues would give me too hard of a time if I didn’t go with Francis Underwood. Ignoring the murder and manipulation, Frank is an articulate leader who is driven and knows how to make change. He sets lofty goals and never takes no for an answer. I like to think that I take a similar approach in my direct and focused style of leadership.

Plus, I really dig barbecue ribs.

I saw first-hand as a contributing member to the #IAmAStudent movement that the current administration is not very receptive to the pressure created by student protesting. As president, I would advocate for more stern negotiations on the part of AMS that utilize our unique leverages (such as connection to valuable alumni donor bases) in order to engage in bargaining to change decisions that students disagree with. That said, I think it is important to note that non-AMS protesting plays an important synergistic role in this process and helps strengthen the AMS’ position by raising awareness around issues with the greater UBC community – I am definitely an advocate for this to continue.

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015 • ELECTORAL CANDIDATES • 11

No responses submitted.

CHENEIL ANTONY-HALE FOURTH-YEAR POLI SCI

1

I believe that Tanner’s term went wrong the moment he didn’t dissolve the AMS Council. Without the AMS, there wouldn’t have been any students. He didn’t have to fight for tuition increases if there weren’t any students and he didn’t have to fight the housing increases if there weren’t any students living on campus. His solution therefore was extremely ineffective. Busses are nice though, I guess.

2

Anarchy wears two faces, both creator and destroyer. Thus, destroyers topple empires; make a canvas of clean rubble where creators then can build another world. Rubble, once achieved, makes further ruins’ means irrelevant.

Away with our beers, then!

Away with our destroyers! They have no place within our better world.

But let us raise a toast to all our destroyers, most unlovely and most unforgivable.

Let’s drink their health ... then meet with them no more.

3

By shooting up a cannon ball every time a tribute perishes in the inevitable Hunger Games in the new SUB. The sound of the cannon ball will be heard across campus. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a need to communicate to students as there wouldn’t be students anyways on campus after the presidency is gained, eliminating the need to communicate anything that is going on within the AMS as there won’t be anything happening in the AMS at all.

V FOURTH-YEAR ANARCHY

4

Everybody is special. Everybody. Everybody is a hero, a lover, a fool, a villain. Everybody. Everybody has their story to tell. With that said, Freddy from the BBQ joint is the character I identify most with. He is no one yet he is everyone.

He also cooks the best rack of ribs and he never even pretends to change.

5

Student Battle Royale.

QU

E S TI O NS

How would you have handled the announced tuition and housing fee increases if you were in office?

IC M E AD C A VP ROLE Liason between students and university administration and advocate for student interests.

What’s your take on the proposed plans for redevelopment in Wesbrook? How will you make sure new developments are what students want?

1 2 3 What academic policies do you think should be changed?

RACE SO FAR

The race for VP Academic and University Affairs has come down to a single candidate. Fourth Year Jenna Omassi is the only student running; Omassi currently serves as the AUS President, having come to this position on a platform based around inclusivity, programming and diversity. In this year’s election, Omassi describes her priorities for the position of VP academic as improving consultation practices, and furthering flexible learning initiatives and undergraduate research.

SALARY

$27,500 per year, with up to $5,000 additional performance bonus.

1

Firstly, I would like to commend the efforts of the AMS Executive for their work on the tuition and housing file this past year. However, if I had been in office, I would have encouraged less rhetoric surrounding the issue and quicker mobilization of my staff, the executives and councillors. The slow moving action taken by the office took time away from a solid consultation of students, working on a short timeline. Laying out a strategic plan right at the beginning would have been more effective for all student leaders involved.

2 JENNA OMASSI 3

The main academic policy that must be addressed, and for which the Academic & University Affairs portfolio has been working on already, is the policy on withdrawal. However, what is really needed is a comprehensive review of all academic policies.

FOURTH-YEAR IR AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES

I think the redevelopment of Wesbrook and of other precincts on campus fall under the faulty guide to consultation that the university currently engages students in. The university comes to students with a problem already solved and a plan already laid out, looking for feedback on their plans. I would advocate for the university to consult students as plans are being laid out to ensure student’s needs are met in these redevelopment projects.

12 • ELECTORAL CANDIDATES • THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015

N I M D A VP RACE SO FAR This year’s candidates have platforms focused on the collaborative nature of the position by emphasizing the importance of communication between the AMS and clubs and student groups. Candidates have spoken on the importance of the clubs resource centre, located in the Nest, as well as an online resource hub.

ROLE

SALARY

The VP admin’s position is to support and enhance student life on campus.

$27,500 per year, with up to $5,000 additional performance bonus.

QU

ESTIONS

AVA NASIRI

1

By making it fun, relevant and clearly organized! As the current VP administration, the team and I have put together a strong framework for this transition to be carried out. We have a crash course on the new SUB that will be available as a guidebook on the AMS website with lots of information about the building, its history and uses. The transition to the AMS Student Nest must consider the different demographics of students that will interact with the building. Clubs will have a UBC residence-style move in and have the chance to settle in before the soft opening. Large student groups have already been looped in on programming for the opening and beyond and clear, consistent and continued communication with campus partners will help keep the student body connected to and excited about the building.

1

How will you ensure a smooth transition to the new SUB?

2

I plan on bringing the focus back to the students and culture on campus. Outreach to 50,000 students is no easy feat and must be broken down in an orderly manner if anything is to be accomplished. By empowering clubs, constituencies and resource groups with the AMS to increase their engagement would be the first step. I would support student groups by offering increased services through the new Clubs Resource and Sustainability Centre and offering workshops on outreach, team building, equity, mental health and wellness and sponsorship.

What will you focus on once the SUB transition is complete?

3

3

Over the past year in the position, my experience has brought me to the realization that large-scale changes are absolutely within the scope and reach of the position. I have outlined above my plans engagement through interest groups, a large scale project I am excited to undertake is collaborating with the VP Students office and faculty association to have a UBC Events of the week calendar projected in classes during the 10 minutes before lectures begin. The rest of my ideas are at www.voteava.com!

What, specifically, will you do to improve student life through communication and outreach?

X E VP

L A N TER

ROLE

RACE SO FAR

The VP external is in charge of lobbying the interests of students regarding issues like transit and affordable tuition to outside groups such as TransLink and the provincial government.

Cognitive Systems student Jude Crasta currently serves as associate VP external. His platform includes addressing legislation on affordable housing and affordable U-Passes. Political science student Janzen Lee’s platform addresses off-campus housing costs and expanding transit, as well as transparency between students and the AMS and altering the student loans program. Crasta spoke to promoting the federal election through the combined resources of Democracy Talks and Get Out and Vote.

ESTIONS QU

1

What’s going on with the Compass card? How will you help students transition to using it?

FOURTH-YEAR IR/POLI SCI

What external bodies should the AMS be lobbying to? How and for what purposes?

SALARY

JUDE CRASTA

$27,500 per year, with up to $5,000 additional performance bonus.

3

How should the AMS get more students to vote in the transit referendum?

1

FOURTH-YEAR COGNITIVE SYSTEMS

While it was expected that TransLink would have the system operational for the fall of 2013, the Compass Card has been plagued by a number of issues, both logistical and technological, that have resulted in the long timeline delays that we have witnessed. I do have good news, however!

In my capacity as the associate vice-president, external, I have already been working with TransLink on the U-Pass Advisory Committee to begin the wave distribution to our students. We have already successfully completed Wave 1 for UBC’s affiliate colleges and will be continuing the rest of the distribution to students in May. Winter students can

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015 • ELECTORAL CANDIDATES • 13

1

JAMES JING

ALEX REMTULLA

THIRD-YEAR BIOCHEMISTRY

FOURTH-YEAR U.S. STUDIES AND POLI SCI

How the transition into the new SUB would be like will ultimately depend on how students feel about this new facility. Thus, I will have a strong emphasis on creating opportunities for the students to interact with the new SUB. I will increase the amount of VP admin-hosted activities (e.g. SAC Wine and Cheese) within the new SUB, encourage the student body to explore this new facility, maybe through scavenger hunts and making it easy for students to use the Nest for student-hosted parties and events.

2

Once the transition is complete I want to bring the focus back to the students. It has to be realized that this would be impossible considering the sheer amount of us, but I believe it is doable for the office of the VP admin to reach more students through the AMS clubs. Maximizing the utilization of the Nest to promote inter-club activities and networking would also be on my list so that the office could expose students to the many facades that this campus has to offer and also to embrace the sense of community here at UBC.

3

The interaction between the VP admin office and clubs serves as outreach to students. I would increase the level of transparency when dealing with student-run groups. May it be from OrgSync, news letters, to having coffee with club execs I don’t want there to be any type of barrier between the office and the students. I want to create an environment where students feel comfortable suggesting new areas where the office needs improvement and confident in coming in to the office if they need help on administration. issues.

1

To alleviate confusion with the move I will develop a communication plan to ensure students are aware of where everything is located in the Nest and what all the fun new areas, from pocket lounges to the climbing wall, are. With lower traffic in the building during the summer it also allows us to identify possible areas of confusion, and through consultation I will gather feedback to identify any changes that may need to be made for the start of term in September.

2

With the new SUB project being realized, I would love to shift the focus onto student life and our 350+ clubs by finding ways to make their lives easier. Currently there are many resources available to students, through the AMS and organizations across campus, and I will gather that information to create an Online Resource Centre that will act as a central hub on everything from grants available, to who to contact for free equipment, to highlighting events and projects clubs are taking on.

3

I will work on improving student life by first reaching out to student groups to host events in the Nest to make it a fun, exciting place, whether it’s having student bands perform at lunch, or hosting dance lessons after class. Second, I want to build on the AMS’s philanthropic values by advocating for discounted space bookings for student events aimed at raising money for charity. I will also partner with groups like Generocksity to help host smaller events in the lead up to Shine Day to get the word out, and to allow the Shinerama Coordinator more time to concentrate on outreach and Shine Day itself. Finally, I will work with UBC’s new Physical Activity Manager to coordinate our efforts in making health and wellness a priority for campus.

expect to start collecting their cards from August 16 for September travel. Over the summer, if elected, I will be launching a “get acquainted” campaign with external partners, and on campus groups to ease students into the new system.

2

Working in the VPX office, I have already been working with Elections Canada, City of Vancouver, Government of BC, Elections BC, Reconciliation Canada, the Mayors’ Council, GetOnBoard BC, etc. and I would continue to work with these groups to promote the issues that matter to our students, lobbying included.

The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations is another organization that the AMS should take a look at, to rejuvenate our federal lobbying.

3

I already take the lead in the organization of the on-campus effort for the Referendum, we have held multiple events that have been widely successful in getting students registered and informed. March 11 is the official launch of the #WESAYYES Student Yes! Campaign across Metro Vancouver with a region wide photo contest to be launched on March 16. Students on campus will see a lot more promotional materials and events coming soon, in addition to the free coffee distribution that students already love.

JANZEN LEE THIRD-YEAR POLI SCI No responses submitted.

14 • ELECTORAL CANDIDATES • THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015

E C N A N I F P V ROLE

RACE SO FAR

Sets the AMS budget and is in charge of the AMS’s finances.

QU

ESTIONS

SALARY

The race for VP finance has involved a lot of talking without much actually being said. Debate topics have ranged from the AMS outstanding budget deficit to candidates making wild promises outside of the VP finances portfolio. Will Pigott’s experience as the vice president of Commerce Undergraduate Society has left him finance savvy and relatively critical in debates. Incumbent Mateusz Miadlikowski has insisted that everything is business as usual. Also, his campaign has been relatively apathetic. For a position that sets a twelve million dollar annual budget this race has been interesting to follow, to say the least.

1

What, if anything, will you do to address lack of AMS business revenue?

RD A O B

Evaluate the performance of this year’s VP finance.

WILL PIGOTT

$27,500 per year, with up to $5,000 additional performance bonus.

1

FOURTH-YEAR ACCOUNTING

I do not fundamentally believe that the losses from AMS businesses this year is a trend for future years, and with the New SUB the AMS should see revenues from the businesses next year. That being said I aim to work with BAGB to produce realistic projection for business revenues for the New SUB. Additionally, I want to work with BAGB to develop a framework for making the decision to close a business if that business is cutting into revenues and cannot feasibly be turned around. Overall I want to start the five to 10 year process to transition the AMS away from relying on business revenues to balance its budget.

3

The VP finance has to sign a lot of cheques. Please provide us a scanned copy of your finest signature.

You will be judged on curviness, flow and apparent speed.

RS O N ER V O OF G RACE SO FAR

ROLE Represents students on UBC’s highest decision making body, the Board of Governors.

SALARY

Three candidates are vying for two student spots on the Board of Governors this year. Candidates have been asked whether they would take an adversarial or negotiating approach when it came to representing the needs of students to the Board. Van de Valk and Bokor both said that a mix of the two were necessary while Knott argued that a strong voice for students was imperative.

Free parking. Free iPad. Untold benefits.

VERONICA KNOTT

1

1 2 3 QU

E S TI O NS

Some would argue that previous BoG reps have gotten too close to other Board members and haven’t advocated enough for students. What would you do differently?

How would have handled the tuition and housing increases? How would you have voted?

Explain the governance situation at UBC.

FOURTH-YEAR MATERIALS ENGINEERING

The most effective student BoG members are those who are able to accurately articulate the needs of students to the Board and are able to work within the Board’s bureaucracy.

If elected, I will work with the Board to help shape a comprehensive and beneficial plan for UBC and its students — having a positive working relationship will enable me to accomplish this. However, when it becomes apparent that the university plans to act in a way not beneficial to students, I will separate and advocate for student needs — allowing me to better reflect the thoughts and concerns of student body.

2

In my opinion, these increases were a knee-jerk reaction to bad long-term planning. I find this lack of long-term strategic budgetary planning unacceptable. First, I would have tried to focus the actions of the Finance and Property Committee to better understand the root causes of this situation in order to alter long-term planning. While this action wouldn’t solve the immediate increase, it would be essential to protecting the accessibility of the university for future students and would prevent future increases. Second, seeing the negative results of the AMS’ lack of engagement with student BoG members, I would have improved engagement with student leaders and movements on campus.

3

UBC operates under a bicameral system with two legislative bodies: the Senate and BoG. Responsible for all academic and non-academic maters respectively, these bodies are supposed to be of extreme importance and help mould the vision of UBC. Unfortunately, the Board over-focuses on overseeing the senior administration and the Senate on administrative tasks. This needs to change. We need to push for the Board and Senate to start focusing on vision and long-term strategic planning to prevent situations like UBC’s current financial troubles and to ensure that the future of UBC is secure.

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015 • ELECTORAL CANDIDATES • 15

2

Delays in the construction of the new SUB have truly been the driver behind this year’s AMS deficit rather than the performance of the VP finance. Even then the past year has been difficult for individuals attempting to work with the VP finance’s office, that is why I will focus on reopening the channels of communication with all AMS stakeholders. This means emails will get answered and I’ll be in my office to answer questions.

Along with being accessible I want to change this year’s VP finance’s lack of transparency, making sure students can access the current year’s budget and the financial statements from past years. A vast majority of decisions the AMS makes at Council or ExecCom have something to do with money and unfortunately this year the VP finance has not been engaged in those discussions with lackluster attendance and participation at both. There has been a lot of talk about implementing an Electronic Reimbursement System but even though most of the decisions were already made and all that was missing was an official contract with the chosen provider when Mateusz took office, nothing has happened since.

3

1

and environmental sustainability, business performance and student development. Unlike a new VP finance I will be able to hold the board and management accountable to multi-year commitments in order to utilize the opportunities and potential of the new SUB.

2 MATEUSZ MIADLIKOWSKI

1

FIFTH-YEAR POLI SCI AND ECONOMICS

In recent years the AMS saw a decline of its businesses’ revenues due to a number of factors such as the construction surrounding the SUB. The VP finance does not have voting powers on the Business and Administration Governance Board thus he or she does not have direct influence on businesses. Nevertheless, as a non-voting member of the Board I will continue to ask difficult questions and expect the goals to be met. I would work closely with the management team to limit the expenditures in order to balance the lack of revenue. All actions shall be based on the four pillars: social

3

TANNER BOKOR

JULIE VAN DE VALK

FOURTH-YEAR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THIRD-YEAR GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING

The role of the student board member is both as an advocate and broker of actions that benefit the student community, while balancing the responsibilities of a director of a $1.5 billion public institution. Unfortunately, the Board is currently operating without any culture of candidness, and with a committee structure that doesn’t encourage open debate on important issues. Debate and lobbying occurs in back channels, which lowers the effectiveness of a student board member. I intend to push for a serious committee reform proposal, and introduce a culture of candidness in open meetings, to spur other governors to do the same. Through that, issues important to students can be actively debated in an open and transparent means, leading to better outcomes.

2

I would have moved to defer both proposals until such time that a fully-explained financial justification for either proposal was developed, that included exploration of non-student derived options, and until such time that I was confident, backed by confirmation from the student societies on campus, that a proper consultation process has occurred. I believe that both proposals were ill-conceived and rushed to decision, without the necessary due diligence done to justify need.

3

The VP finance portfolio is the least glamorous one at the AMS as the person in the position ensures the stability and effectiveness of the internal operation of the society which results in everything that the society accomplishes. As this year’s VP finance I believe I did a solid job and fulfilled my duties in addition to taking on new initiatives. This year’s budgeted a surplus of over $300,000 was meant to ensure the stability of the society. Unforeseen situation caused the AMS to face a deficit. It would have happened under any new VP finance. Perfection in the position is impossible to attain, especially within a year due to a number of systematic and procedural issues that the AMS has. In order to change the portfolio and fix the problems there is a need for somebody with experience, perseverance and knowledge of the AMS. I strongly believe this person is me.

UBC is in an odd quasi-municipality, cross-jurisdictional territory. The Endowment Lands (non-academic areas and excluding South Campus) are maintained by the Ministry of Community & Sport, while the academic lands are under the direct control of the Board of Governors. UBC is the property developer, permitting body and decision authority without a careful system of check-and-balances on their own power on issues ranging from land use to community services. This raises numerous conflict of interest issues, and also poses serious challenges to true community representation on the key issues that matter to students, faculty and staff who live and work at UBC.

1

I am running for a position on BoG to represent students and get work done, so the most effective relationship I can envision, and what I will try to forge, is one of professionalism and effectiveness. This will help me be productive through active discussions and mutual respect. I am here to represent students, and I can do that best through a professional working relationship where student representation is my priority over personal connections.

2

I would have voted against the tuition and housing increases at UBC. I am a proponent of accessible education and these increases serve as barriers to many students.

That being said, UBC is facing a serious funding problem which must also be addressed. I would have pushed for the consultation process to include a more holistic discussion of UBC’s financial priorities and for University administration to work with students to find a long-term, student-centered solution to address UBC’s larger funding and budgetary problems.

3

The governance situation at UBC requires balancing a diversity of priorities, interests and demands while steering the university towards excellence. The current governance is one that is too absorbed in the immediate hardships and demands of UBC, and not focused enough on a sustainable financial plan, long-term vision and direction for the school.

We need to think bigger, towards a long-term strategy to ensure that UBC governance can work towards the institution becoming a world class university, while maintaining a positive relationship and having meaningful consultation with its students.

16 • ELECTORAL CANDIDATES • THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015

U BC

TE A N SE RACE SO FAR

ROLE Represents students on the Senate, which is responsible for UBC’s academic policies.

SALARY None.

This year’s senate race has many capable candidates with a broad rage of experience. The key debate topics have focused on the incorporation and implementation of equity programs inside and outside of UBC classrooms. However, the majority of the candidates’ platforms also touch on issue of mental health and wellbeing. With the exception of two of the candidates, Aaron Bailey and Eric Zhao, this year’s senate race is full of fresh faces eager to bring new ideas to the table.

1 2 3

ESTIONS U Q

It’s hard for candidates to stand out in this race. How are you different?

What, besides mental health, is the most important part of your platform?

What’s the worst policy move Senate has made in the past year. What should they have done differently?

1

First, I have a year’s worth of experience as a student Senator, which sets me apart from most of the candidates on the basis of my foundational working knowledge of the Senate and my pre-established relationships with a number of influential faculty and convocation senators. Second, compared to other incumbents, my experience chairing the Flexible Learning Ad-Hoc committee has given me a good understanding of what it takes to actually drive progress on the Senate floor. Finally, my propensity to ask tough questions during Senate meetings has proven that I am unafraid to be openly critical on behalf of students to ensure that my constituents are represented properly.

2

The most important part of my platform is my commitment to leading the student Senate Caucus as chair next year. Following in the example of this year’s co-chairs, I hope to use my experience to set realistic goals for the SSC and encourage student Senators to run for chair and vice-chair positions on as many standing Senate committees as possible. By having students at the helm, we can work towards making the Senate a less stagnant and more action-focused body over the coming year.

AARON BAILEY FOURTH-YEAR SCIENCE

3

Approval of the Master of Management Dual Degree program was the most ill advised move made by Senate this year. Particularly, the fact that secondary school students have the opportunity to enter a degree in first year where they pay tuition towards the Graduate components of the degree that is non-refundable if they do not remain enrolled in the program. This raised concerns for the Student Senate Caucus who unanimously voted against it. Senate should have recognized and trusted the concern that the students had for the degree and acted to refer it back to committee for further discussion instead of hastily approving it to meet deadlines.

1

With a lot of overlap in ideas and platform points given the number of candidates running for Senate, I believe intangibles like four years of campus engagement and leadership opportunities across five massive organizations (Arts Undergraduate Society, Alma Mater Society, Residence Advising, Residence Hall Association, UBC Recreation) provide me with a well-rounded perspective and leadership skills to bring forward. I am also the only remaining candidate to have sat on the AMS Education Committee this year, where I had the opportunity to engage with two current Senators on content that came out of the VP academic’s office.

2

Instead of attempting to tackle an issue as large as mental health with a single platform point, I constructed a diverse platform across multiple committee seating possibilities that is mindful of the Framework for Senate Consideration of Student Mental Health and Wellbeing that was brought forward last November. While I feel very passionately about all platform points, the creation of a Withdrawal under Extenuating Circumstances (WE) standing for academic records needs to happen to address the inadequacy of the rigid W standing applied in academic concession. Simon Fraser University and the University of Toronto have moved in this direction, we need to as well.

GURVIR SANGHA FOURTH-YEAR INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

3

In my opinion, the worst policy move Senate made in the past year was the approval of the Doctor of Pharmacy Flexible degree program while tuition for the program was still undergoing consultation. It gave the impression that consultation would not impact discussion regarding the program. In seeing tuition costs as essential in the discussion of a program being approved, I think Senate should have postponed until a complete picture was brought forward for discussion.

1

As a first-year Science student running for Senate, I believe that change in the senate would be beneficial. Social development and sustainability have been a long passion of mine. My experience enacting change and implementing policy include: being an intern for the Environmental Youth Alliance as well as an active contributor to the City of Vancouver’s social policy and projects department’s initiative by creating events to address discrimination and create awareness and education on acceptance.

2

I was born and raised in Vancouver and UBC has always felt like home to me. My goal is for the Senate to not only create an excellent rapport with students, but also to be accountable. It’s currently very difficult to find information on Senate developments and have input; I would like to increase access to this information through online resources.

HANNAH XIAO FIRST-YEAR SCIENCE

3

The Senate needs to be more transparent with decisions and consult the student body before policy is made. Student Senators represent student interests, and so their actions should reflect them.

I am passionate about having student opinions heard and actions taken. I plan to implement events where senators are accessible and can interact with students. I also believe that supporting holistic approaches to teaching and learning is extremely important, and that having access to course syllabi and exam dates prior to registration is essential.

I will advocate for issues concerning the student body, listen to student concerns, and ensure the wellbeing of students is of the utmost importance.

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015 • ELECTORAL CANDIDATES • 17

1

While other candidates are mainly focused on what they individually want to accomplish, I am more focused on what UBC students want me to accomplish. At the moment, there exists no visible or transparent mechanism that students can use to communicate their concerns and ideas to student senators. The relationship between Student Senators and UBC students currently begins and ends at the election. I am the only candidate committed to using mass emails, regular online updates, Senator office hours, surveys and other means of communication to keep the Senate transparent and student senators accountable. As a student Senator, I will ensure that everything I advocate for truly reflects the necessities of UBC students, and not just my personal beliefs.

2

The largest theme I am focusing on in my platform is giving students more control over their education. As university students, we have the right to ensure that our education suits our needs and career paths. One of the ways I want to give students more control is by introducing obligatory student representation in faculty-level curriculum committees. These committees have a large amount of power in shaping and designing changes to courses or new courses at UBC, but at the moment only the Faculty of Medicine has student representation.

Students need to have input on the courses they are going to take, to ensure that they satisfy the needs of students, and not just the interests of faculty members.

IAN SAPOLLNIK FIRST-YEAR ARTS

3

My biggest concern with the Senate at the moment does not regard one specific policy, but rather the lack of policy making. Throughout the past year, the vast majority of Senate proceedings have been regarding the approval of curriculum changes, modifications to awards, new degrees created outside of the Senate, and other mainly procedural matters. With the exception of the creation of the Mental Health & Wellbeing Committee, there has not been any major change the Senate has brought forth. This is one of the reasons I want to create unity and cooperation in the Student Senate Caucus, ensuring that the yearly goals of student Senators are specific and well supported, so that the Senate is able to create change at an adequate rate.

1

As my experience on both the AUS and AMS show, I am a pragmatist. I believe in tangible goal setting and promises that I can truly achieve. As many have noted, the Senate race has candidates sharing very lofty goals with little to show at the end of their terms because of the slow moving nature of the body. I believe that my true understanding of Senate and understanding the need to carry on past initiatives of student senators as a key difference between myself and my counterparts in the race.

2

The most important part of my platform is consultation. Right now academic issues at Senate are seen as having little affect on students and student senators engage in little to no consultation with students. I believe that this can be reformed. What do students want to see in terms of academic initiatives? We are unsure because we have not asked yet.

JENNA OMASSI

3

The ease at which Senate approves degree programs is a bit alarming. Though not the only one, the Masters of Management approval, even with the many concerns surrounding the program, demonstrates this trend. Though the Student Senate Caucus has worked well together to share concerns about this process, Senate needs to be reviewing the way in which it so easily makes decisions without thinking about their larger implications.

FOURTH-YEAR IR AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES While it is valuable for student Senator platforms to overlap to an extent, as we will be working together on the Student Senate Caucus, it is also crucial for student representatives to bring different experiences and ideas to the table. I have valuable experience working in Student Development last year, where I cultivated ties with faculty, staff and alumni. I hope to use these connections to push forward my goals and plans. In addition, I recognize that it is extremely important for student Senators to transition and complete projects before engaging in all new initiatives. As demonstrated by other candidate platforms and the first debate, it is not apparent that all candidates recognize this importance.

1

2

As I emphasized in the first debate, a focus of my platform is developing a first semester academic break. The most important aspect of this goal is that it is tangible. The current Senate will have completed the most basic level of work on this project before next year’s Senate is established, so it will be up to us to continue working on this project that students have repeatedly expressed interest in.

MARJAN HATAI FOURTH-YEAR POLI SCI AND MINOR IN LAW AND SOCIETY

3

This year, Senate approved the Masters of Management program, despite Student Senators being in complete and unanimous opposition. The program was promoted to high school students as a way to complete two degrees in five years; however, there’s a catch.

Students begin paying tuition for this program in their second year of university, but if they are unable to maintain a 75% average all the way through their four years at UBC, they are then unable to graduate with a Masters of Management and do not receive their money back. In short, the program is fundamentally flawed and Senate chose not to work with student representatives to reevaluate or restructure the degree.

1

Here’s the truth — I can repeatedly say that I have a unique perspective, that I have what it takes to get things done and join the rest of the candidates in not distinguishing myself. So what’s different about me? I’m weird; I’m brutally honest (while respecting all of whom I’ve met); and I admit that I don’t know something when I don’t know them.

I’m imperfect. But I also believe in what I say and what I do. I also keep my promises and have huge respects for all those who do. I’m here to do things for you, not stopping at listening to you and nodding in agreement without doing anything about it.

2

Learning Technology. I, like many other students are concerned with the state of learning technology at UBC. The good thing is that UBC is shifting its priority and is focusing on learning technologies. That means anything from creating an innovation framework (so student/faculty/staff entrepreneurship can be done) to creating a support system so all those technology that people use can be integrated nicely. We’re in 2015, let’s make sure our university is too.

VIET VU FOURTH-YEAR ECONOMICS

3

The worst set of policy moves that the Senate has made in the pat year are those policies surrounding Vantage College. Despite Vantage College looking “simple” in the media and the recruitment campaign, this program has created a host of problems that set many precedences that are not covered by current policy. A few examples include how the first year Vantage College students are treated as “International Programs” and thus does not have the same set of rules regarding undergraduate awards as other “undergraduate” students. I would have approached the leadership group of Vantage College and worked with them on clarifying those terms before the program was approved.

18 • ENDORSEMENTS • THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015

ECTION L E S M S

Endorsements A

Board of Governors

VP Administration

Board of Governors

VP External

Eight votes in favour; one abstention; zero against.

Five votes in favour; two abstentions; zero against.

Eight votes in favour; one abstention; zero against.

Seven votes in favour; three abstentions; zero against.

Veronica Knott

Ava Nasiri

Tanner Bokor

Jude Crasta

President VP Academic

VP Finance

Six votes in favour; three abstentions; zero against.

Three votes in favour; six abstentions; zero against.

Jenna Omassi

Mateusz Miadlikowski

Aaron Bailey

Eight votes in favour; one abstention; zero against.

Senate

Five votes in favour; one abstention; one against.

Senate Viet Vu

Six votes in favour; one abstention.

Student Legal Fund Society

Students for Accountability

EDITOR’S NOTE

Unanimously with seven votes in favour, zero abstentions and zero against.

by Austen Erhardt

Another year, another AMS Election. This election has seen an unusual number of candidates — a disproportionate number of them incumbents — dropping out of the race. Though some of the races lacked a strong showing on either side, a few had more qualified candidates than there were spots to be elected (which is what we want to see).

As in previous years, these endorsements were determined by Ubyssey editors and staff members in a private meeting. The reason for fluctuating vote totals between endorsements is due to some of those present at the meeting not staying for its duration.

All endorsements were made with majority rule following a discussion of the merits and flaws of each candidate; voters could cast their ballots in support of or against candidates,

or could abstain. Abstentions signify a lack of confidence in a candidate’s qualifications or suitability for a position but not necessarily opposition.

In each race, whichever candidate received the most votes in favour earned an endorsement, though if their total ‘for’ votes were less than half of the overall votes cast the endorsement comes with reservations.

Though these endorsements do reflect the majority of The Ubyssey editorial board’s position based on our perspectives as students and media covering the elections, we still encourage everyone to form their own conclusions about the candidates by reading our debate recaps, watching The Ubyssey’s elections videos and reading the candidates’ own platforms.

PHOTO VICTOR HOGREFE/THE UBYSSEY

ENT D I S E R P E H T The presidential race has been especially interesting this year. V has been an entertaining joke candidate, but despite our innermost desires to see a Hunger Games-esque free-for-all among Council, we have decided to endorse one of the serious candidates.

Cheneil Antony-Hale has both eagerness and enthusiasm, qualities that have been sorely lacking in the AMS in recent years. That said, her experience with the society is limited to starting a club which, while both inspiring and important for UBC, cannot be compared to the time Bailey spent sitting through Council meetings and managing executives.

Some of our editors mentioned that Bailey seems like a true politician (which, by the way, is not necessarily a good thing). He comes across as someone who has wanted to move up to president since day one and has been playing his cards (joining a frat, being a faculty president) in such a way that would ensure this would happen. Bailey knows how to say the right things, but his bid to ‘put the students back into student politics’ also lacks substance on tangible things that he would do besides showing up to events and being social.

At the same time, Bailey has been involved with the AMS long enough to prove that he is both interested and knowledgeable when it comes to politics. His enthusiasm might encourage students to get involved with the AMS and his approach to shorten Council by pushing councillors to prepare their questions ahead of time is sorely needed. Anyone who

has sat through a meeting that dragged on for over seven hours will tell you that.

In her campaign, Antony-Hale addresses serious concerns such as the housing and tuition rises, more seats on the Board of Governors, sexual assault training for residence advisors and a resource centre for students with disabilities. Although these are all things that need to be addressed, Bailey was right about one thing when he brought it up at the first debate: the president is not necessarily the right person to take these on. The presidential role is largely one of oversight, and the time that Antony-Hale would have to push forth even one or two of these issues (not to mention all of them) would be almost entirely overshadowed by managing the executives, getting students to know about the AMS and serving as a talking head for the society. When it comes to those specific things, we think Bailey is more qualified.

We sincerely hope that Antony-Hale will continue to be active on campus next year.

That said, we’ve chosen to endorse Aaron Bailey, with eight votes for and one abstention.

As a side note, we wish that Bokor hadn’t dropped out so that the race could have been more contested. We’d also like to add that we shouldn’t underestimate the joke candidates.

Aside from adding some much-needed humour to the elections, they also provide the opportunity for students to show their dissatisfaction for the real candidates by voting for them. It’s a shame there haven’t been more of them in other races this year.

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015 • ENDORSEMENTS • 19

IC M E D A C A P V It’s difficult to call it an endorsement when there’s only one person running. Omassi is the current AUS president, and from contact with her in that role we know a few things: she is a very social person, she likes to talk and debate and she is passionate for the things she cares about.

However, as VP academic, she’ll have to work with the university on very technical issues, and to get anything done, she’ll have to draft long, detailed proposals; this isn’t the type of work she’s used to as AUS president. We’ve seen no explicit evidence that she won’t be able to keep up with the job, but some of our editors are concerned about her lack of relevant experience — being outgoing might not be enough to fill her duties. At the same time, we know that passion can go a long way when it comes to getting things done.

It’s worth mentioning that she missed the first debate. Our editors have varying opinions on this, as she had legitimate academic reasons to be absent, but it’s still not a great first impression to give potential voters — even if you’re the only one running.

We’ll wait for Omassi to prove herself, but if she can translate the passion and vocality she brings to her position as AUS president to the technical skill required from a VP academic, she’ll do a fine job in the upcoming year.

We endorse Omassi with six votes in favour and three abstentions (stemming from her lack of relevant experience).

N I M D A P V Besides the presidential campaign, the VP admin campaign was the most contentious in the office.

Incumbent Ava Nasiri has both strengths and weaknesses that made it difficult for us to collectively agree that she was an objectively good candidate. In comparison to Alex Remtulla and James Jing, however, the choice seemed rather straight-forward. Nasiri brings experience to the role and the drive to get things done. This doesn’t mean that we don’t have our reservations.

During the debates, Jing showed a lack of understanding of the responsibilities of the VP admin position. His platform seemed to focus on buzz words, specifically the notions of “handson approach” and “collaboration,” and didn’t seem to expand further on what he will bring to the role. He’s also never been to the AMS Art Gallery. We have to give him credit for his honesty, though.

Remtulla, who has more experience than Jing, was also keen on collaboration between the AMS and clubs but wasn’t specific regarding how he would bring this about — other than an online resource hub for clubs to use.

While Remtulla is a viable second choice, Nasiri is the more obvious candidate. With a year of experience under her belt, she understands the position and resources to make the changes she wants. While we weren’t impressed by her lack of communication concerning the SUB delays, many of the problems that arose were out of her hands and circumstantial. From what we know of Nasiri, she’s driven, energetic and has a vision for the future. While she may not have accomplished all of her previous campaign goals, without the opening of the Nest on her plate, she may actually be able to bring about the change for student life that is so very needed.

We endorse Ava Nasiri with five votes in favour and two abstentions.

L A N R E T X E VP This year’s VP external race is less a competition and more a matter of determining which candidate is a safer choice.

From what we can see of Janzen Lee, he lacks fundamental knowledge of the AMS and seems a little unfamiliar with the functions of the role he is pursuing.

We see Jude Crasta as a safer choice. While not an overwhelmingly clear selection, he does have relevant experience. His last year as associate VP external doesn’t tell us too much, as it is hard to know how much of this year to hold him responsible for. In a year in which the VP external office has not shone — though in fairness it has not failed either — we can only expect Crasta to be more of the same: solid but unspectacular.

It has been good to see involvement of the current VP external office in the transit referendum, but otherwise we have heard little from the current VP external and her associate. We hope that Crasta, should he earn the position, will exceed our expectations set by his predecessor and not only keep things going relatively smoothly but will actually improve them.

Regardless of the lack of glamour, the year has not been abject, and we in the office fear that Lee is too much risk for too little promise. The Ubyssey endorses Jude Crasta with seven votes in favour and three abstentions. <em>

</em>

SLFS The Student Legal Fund Society receives $1 in student fees every year and does very little with that money. This needs to change and it needs to change quickly. Although Janzen Lee is the only member of the incumbent Students for Responsible Leadership slate to return to the position, we have very little hope that the newer members of the slate have any desire to do something different from what former ones have been doing for years: very little of anything.

Why are we so harsh? Well, our doubts were firmly cemented during the first debate. Gems

E C N A N I F P V This year hasn’t been a great year for the AMS financially — helped in no small part by the delay of the opening of the new SUB — and poor finances does not reflect well on an incumbent VP finance. Mateusz Miadlikowski, the current VP finance, is challenged by Sauder student and CUS executive Will Pigott in this race; though Pigott’s fiscally conservative platform and advocacy for change from the status quo is intriguing, we’ve decided to, with reservations, endorse Miadlikowski for VP finance.

Though the AMS has been struggling with its budget lately and businesses seem to be bleeding money left, right and centre, we feel as though Miadlikowski is not entirely responsible for that. The VP finance is more of an advisory and research-based role than one that wields significant power over businesses — that responsibility is left to the business board.

Pigott brings some interesting ideas to the table, and we agree with his assertion that the AMS shouldn’t spend money for the sake of spending money, but he also lacks relevant leadership experience (his role in the CUS is not finance-based) and showed a relative dearth of understanding of AMS structure and the capabilities of his position in the debates. Miadlikowski, though not our ideal candidate, is a safe choice; he held things together over the course of the year and can be expected to do the same next year. As an incumbent, we hope that Miadlikowski will be able to improve the AMS’ finances over the course of the next year with the aid of the new businesses opening in the new SUB. With considerable reservation, we endorse Miadlikowski for VP finance with a vote of three in favour and six abstentions.

ORS N R E V O G F BOARD O This year’s BoG race has three capable candidates, though two stand out: we endorse Tanner Bokor and Veronica Knott for Board of Governors each with eight votes for and zero abstentions.

Bokor is a clear choice, given the amount of experience he has, especially as AMS president.

He has both the policy expertise and personal connections to be an effective representative on the Board. Though some of his campaign goals, such as blocking development on University Boulevard, might be a bit too optimistic, we respect that he’s making tangible promises to students — we just hope he will uphold them.

Knott also has our endorsement for the Board. She’s not afraid to speak up, and when she does, there’s sound reasoning behind it. Like Bokor, she knows how things work at the university, and we believe she will use that to students’ advantage.

Julie Van de Valk would be a suitable candidate for Board, she just isn’t as qualified as Bokor or Knott. Yes, there’s more to being a Board rep than being a seasoned politician, and she arguably has more experience than current rep Nina Karimi. But things move quickly at the Board and there’s only so much time to get up to speed. Van de Valk is personable and seems to truly care about students, we just worry those intentions wouldn’t lead to results at the Board.

E T A N E S C I M ACADE In keeping with the trend of the past few years, Senate has a slew of candidates, most of whom failed to distinguish themselves from one another. In fairness, it’s a difficult to stand out in competition for a role that doesn’t give much opportunity for thinking outside the box. Of the nine candidates for five Senate positions, we endorse two with a strong majority.

Viet Vu, with a vote of six for and one abstention, we endorse wholeheartedly. Vu is an active presence on campus, familiar with the AMS and has relevant leadership experience derived from his time as VSEUS president. Aaron Bailey is also endorsed with a vote of five for, one against and one abstention. Bailey, too, has demonstrated a clear understanding of the AMS and how it operates. The person who voted against Bailey did so because of a belief that AMS executives should not hold two major political positions concurrently when there are other candidates who would dedicate more of their time and themselves to the role, but does recognize Bailey’s qualifications otherwise.

Of the remaining candidates, none received a majority endorsement. We do believe, however that Gurvir Sangha, Eric Zhao, Jenna Omassi and Marjan Hatai are all decent choices. Zhao is an incumbent and, though not a particularly active presence in Senate, is familiar with the role and workings of the AMS. Omassi and Sangha both are very engaged with various groups on campus and are well-known. Hatai has experience as an AMS Councillor which should be transferable to a role in Senate, but she also has not stood out in any way at Council meetings.

Of the other three candidates, Sapollnik received one vote in favour of endorsement, citing his apparent enthusiasm and passion (given that he is a first-year who not only knows what the AMS is, but is running for a position in it) and original ideas.

uttered by members of the Students for Responsible Leadership slate included things like it is up to the students to seek out the services of the SLFS if they need them (that’s a nice cop-out from actually having to do anything) and the AMS being irrelevant. They have also pointed to having a website, placing a couple of ads in The Ubyssey and dealing with two student cases as their major accomplishments of the year. And then there’s the second debate, which none of the slate attended.

The majority of students do not know what the SLFS does or even is. Placing some ads is clearly not enough considering the amount of money they receive every year and a complete revamp of how the society goes about its business is necessary. The Students for Accountability slate have promised to release an audit of the organization as soon as they are elected, to manage funds responsibly and to actually provide tangible services to students. While only time will tell if they will actually live up to their promises, they at least propose reasonable solutions for problems that the society is facing, which certainly cannot be said for the incumbent slate.

Our editorial board unanimously endorses the Students for Accountability slate to take over the SLFS next year. U <em>

</em>

20 • AMS ELECTIONS • THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2015

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