The Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) elections are about what candidates hope to bring to campus, whether that be planning fun activities or addressing students’ needs. At least, that’s what they’re supposed to be about.
In previous years and especially in 2017, the debates became more about attacking individual candidates, rather than their platforms.
This year, the elections office banned negative candidate-on-candidate campaigning. However, it’s also important for students at large to remember what elections are about—addressing the needs of students on campus.
Students are quick to criticize old posts made by a candidate, but rarely do they spend the same amount of time considering platform points or campaign promises, which should be what election discussions are about.
Negative campaigning also reflects poorly on the individuals behind it. Their efforts would be better spent looking for ways to improve an individual’s platform, not criticizing their past.
Campaigns become irrelevant when they address issues outside of the election. Campaigns of all types serve the students best when they focus on how Carleton’s campus can become a better place, and how the executive and councillors will serve the students.
