Second semester is well underway and the 2013-14 A Better Carleton slate have stuck to most of their campaign promises.
“I have to say that I feel like we’ve come a really long way from the first day when I took over,” said Alexander Golovko, Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) president.
The Charlatan takes you through the promises made, which ones were kept, and where CUSA is falling short.
PROMISE: Heated bus and O-Train stops on the Carleton campus
YES AND NO: One of the CUSA executive’s top priorities this semester was to heat the bus and O-Train stops.
After working with the university administration, CUSA installed white heating pads at the bus stop outside of Minto Centre in November 2013. O-Train stops do not have any heating at this time.
“The O-Train stops, unlike the bus stops, are the property of the city and by consequence we have no impact on their infrastructure,” he said.
Some students have criticized the heated bus shelters for not having doors.
“There’s definitely some more work to be done,” Golovko said.
PROMISE: Expand the CUSA scholarship fund and cut executive benefits
YES: A new CUSA bursary fund provides 10 students with $1,000 per year. CUSA executives added $6,000 to the bursary fund by cutting executive benefits in the 2013-14 year, Golovko said.
The administration and community donated the rest of the money, bringing the fund to $200,000. The fund sustains itself through interest, and Golovko said he hopes to grow the fund to $250,000 by the time his term ends.
PROMISE: Renovate Rooster’s
IN PROGRESS: After a few bumps along the way, Rooster’s will be shut for four to six weeks over the summer as the coffeehouse is renovated. Construction is slated to begin May 1.
The designs need to be approved by the university and the work directed and supervised by Carleton employees. The revamped coffeehouse will be more accessible to students with disabilities, have more food options, more seating, better wireless connections, and more plugs.
Golovko said it will have a “more cozy and friendly atmosphere.”
PROMISE: Create a CUSA “swag shop”
NO: Plans for an online promotional store fell through when Golovko said students felt the current CUSA merchandise giveaways during frosh week were sufficient.
PROMISE: Expand the CUSA Live platform
NO: CUSA Live, a communications service, was not performing as the executive had hoped, Golovko said. He said CUSA Live needs to be revamped in the future.
