Candidates running for executive positions in the 2019 Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) elections vied against one another in a heated debate held in the University Centre Atrium on Jan. 28.
The debate this year also began with discussion of the referendum on the foot patrol levy with foot patrol coordinator Liam Callaghan.
A number of unique topics also dominated the debate this year, including the Student Choice Initiative, the cost of tuition and cuts to OSAP by the Ontario government in the 2019-20 year, and transparency in light of student union financial scandals at universities such the University of Ottawa and Ryerson University.
Vice-president (student life)
Jamie Laxton from the Students First slate opened the debate for vice-president (student life) position by discussing her plan to focus on student feedback by introducing a ‘You Said You Did’ form, and shifting the focus of events away from drinking by hosting more academic-oriented events such as TEDTalks and conferences.
“There is a time and place for drinking,” she said.
Yannick Travis Hamuli of the Connected Carleton slate, on the other hand, said inclusion and diversity are the most important aspects of student life. He said he hoped to achieve this goal by talking with students, creating a student committee, and encouraging connections between clubs and societies.
Hamuli also said that drinking culture is shrinking and that his platform reflects this issue.
“It’s true that drinking culture is decreasing and that’s why I decided to centre a lot of my platform around that idea,” Hamuli said. “I, along with my team, put forward a program– a student life committee that you can engage in, have your ideas and decisions being spoken to us.”
When asked how programming could be better spread out throughout the school year, instead of being heavily concentrated in the Fall term, Hamuli said that through clubs being connected, students would be able to share more ideas on programming.
Laxton closed the debate by saying she would focus on affordability and work in partnership with Students First vice-president (finance) candidate Jacob Howell to balance the budget throughout the year.
Laxton said she wants to create events that “don’t take a lot of money to have a good time.”
Vice-president (student services)
Debate over the vice-president (student services) position between Summer Twenish of the Connected Carleton slate and George Owusu-Mensah of the Students First slate focused on creative and relevant programming for students.
Twenish and Owusu-Mensah have worked as coordinators in the Mawandoseg centre and the International Students centre, respectively.
Twenish kicked off the debate by discussing her qualifications for the role, emphasizing how she “found a home in the various communities on campus” and in CUSA service centres.
Owusu-Mensah opened by highlighting his experience as a coordinator and international student who pay high tuition fees.
In response to a question about increasing usage of CUSA’s service centres in light of potential ancillary fee changes proposed by the Ford government, Owusu-Mensah said that he would work with Howell to increase funding and introducing programs where students can learn real-life skills such as a hair-braiding class by the REC Hall or self-defense lessons with Foot Patrol.
Twenish responded by talking about creative ways to raise awareness for events and suggesting partnerships with local businesses to host events open to the greater Ottawa community.
The candidates were also asked about their involvement with Indigenous reconciliation initiatives on campus.
Twenish said she is Native and is involved with the Carleton Academic Student Government’s (CASG) new Indigenization committee, the Canadian Federation of Students’ ReconciliAction campaign, and her service as a coordinator of the Mawandoseg Centre.
Owusu-Mensah admitted that he has not been involved but plans to follow CASG’s lead by creating a committee to bring more Indigenization to campus.
Vice-president (student issues)
Kadiatu Barrie of Connected Carleton and Sissi De Flaviis of Students First duked it out over the vice-president (student issues) position.
In her opening statement, De Flaviis said her main platform points includes peer-to-peer tutoring, which would pair students from the same class, and working with the university to release exam schedules earlier.
“When we support each other, we can achieve great things, and we can succeed academically and in student life as well,” she said.
Barrie said her biggest goal as VPSI would be to fight for accessible education in light of the tuition cuts proposed by the Ont. government.
Barrie also said she would use awareness campaigns to “resist this government.”
“Where there is unity, there is always victory,” she said. “We all know that OSAP is a huge problem right now due to the lack of free tuition.”
Barrie said she plans to address the issue through “coalition building” between different campus unions, faculties and associations, and informing the youth.
De Flaviis said the focus of her awareness campaigns would be to expand Empower Me, the e-counselling service that CUSA launched last year.
“I want to make sure that students understand what it is, and that it is here for you,” she said. “It is not only for when you have mental health issues, but it is also life-coaching, training, it’s nutrition.”
Vice-president (internal)
Sierra Hitsman from Connected Carleton and Farook Al Muflehi from Students First faced off for the position of vice-president (internal).
In her opening statement, Hitsman said she is the ideal candidate because of her experience with sponsorships and as a club executive.
Hitsman said she plans on improving partnerships, hosting workshops where clubs and societies and local partners can meet in person, and improving communication.
Muflehi said as vice-president (internal) he would like to implement a start-up fund which will encourage students to start more clubs and societies.
Muflehi also said he plans on supporting clubs and societies by working alongside the vice-president (finance) and improving community partnerships, such as discounts for merchandise.
Hitsman said that as a club executive herself, she did not face problems with funding but with communication with the CUSA office.
Muflehi chose to pass on the rebuttal, but said later on in the debate that if clubs are not being communicated with well, they can always approach CUSA’s clubs and societies office.
Vice-president (finance)
The debate between Jacob Howell, Students First candidate and current Rideau River Residence Association (RRRA) president, and Connected Carleton candidate Mehdi Bouchentouf was the most heated debate of the night with both candidates taking many quips at each other.
In his opening statement, Bouchentouf said his priority is care for students rather than branding.
“I’ve been on the floor every single day. I’ve been listening to you—that’s why I’m running,” Bouchentouf said. “I could care less for the corporatization and branding of these elections. I care about you guys.”
In his opening statement, Howell drew on his experience as a RRRA vice-president and president representing 7,000 over the course of two years to tell students why he is the ideal candidate.
“It’s important that someone with financial experience and the student mind at heart is here to lead that way,” he said.
In a rebuttal to Howell’s statement, Bouchentouf said he found the discussion of transparency “ironic.”
“When I actually went to consult the RRRA budget, I couldn’t find it online, I couldn’t find it on their Facebook page,” he said. “Even if you can claim the experience that you have saving students money, it doesn’t matter unless we can actually go and find it ourselves and confirm that those savings are there.”
Howell said the RRRA website is under renovations, but that if students are interested in seeing the budget, they can visit the office or attend a council meeting.
President
The last debate of the night was between presidential candidates Lily Akagbosu from the Students First slate, and John Haddad who is running independently.
Akagbosu, CUSA’s vice-president (student issues), is the only candidate running from a previous CUSA executive position.
In her opening statement, Akagbosu challenged students to join the Students First movement, saying she has the knowledge and confidence to “move the association forward.”
Haddad followed suit in his opening statement by saying that his strength comes from being someone who can lead and make tough decisions on behalf of students.
When asked about the impact of the government’s proposed Student Choice initiative’s on CUSA funding, Haddad said that, if elected, he plans to meet with the CUSA financial office to create a budget that addresses the decline in revenue from the opt-out option.
Akagbosu said she would work with the general manager and vice-president (finance) to combat opt-out while also introducing new ways for students to give feedback, such as an Ollie’s Breakfast Club.
When asked about the unique qualities that sets each candidate apart from previous CUSA presidents, Haddad said that he is able to represent students because of being “just like them” instead of being a public figure.
Akagbosu, on the other hand, said she has yet to see a woman as CUSA president, and if elected, she would be the first female CUSA president in 10 years. She talked about her accomplishments as vice-president (student issues), such as continuing Wellness Wednesdays and lobbying for extended library hours.
CUSA elections voting takes place Jan. 30 and Jan. 31 both online through student cmail accounts and in person.
Elected candidates will begin their term on May 1, 2019.
—With files from Temur Durrani
Photo by Spencer Colby
