The Carleton University Muslim Students’ Association hosted a town hall with the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) presidential candidates on Jan. 27 to discuss clubs, transparency and personal beliefs.
About 30 people attended the panel discussion and submitted questions for the candidates.
The candidates running for the CUSA presidency are:
- Sean Joe-Ezigbo, a fourth-year business student minoring in economics and former CUSA vice-president (finance);
- Chas Nuhn, a third-year public affairs and policy management student;
- Nagam Abuihmaid, a third-year neuroscience student.
Communication with clubs
All three candidates declared their intentions to improve CUSA’s communication with clubs and societies.
Joe-Ezigbo said he hopes to increase collaboration and communication with clubs, including the Muslim Students’ Association.
He added that CUSA should review how clubs are funded according to their membership.
“Bigger clubs should be given priority so that they’re better able to run events,” he said.
Nuhn also said larger clubs should be given funding priority. “When it comes to clubs, size does matter,” he said.
Abuihmaid said she hopes to create a committee for club presidents as a way for them to better communicate with each other and CUSA.
Transparency
Candidates were also asked about CUSA’s transparency and communication with the student body.
In response, both Nuhn and Joe-Ezigbo mentioned CUSA’s closure of the off-campus Haven café in December 2024. Both said CUSA should have been more transparent about its financial deficit and the closure should have been announced earlier.
Nuhn acknowledged students’ frustration with CUSA’s lack of transparency with Haven.
“People should not be left until the last minute to know these things are occurring,” Nuhn said. “People should know right off the bat … it’s so easy to tell people what’s going on.”
Joe-Ezigbo discussed CUSA’s financial transparency. He said students are wondering “where their money is going and why.”
He said a significant problem with CUSA’s financial transparency is the association’s financial allocations.
“Students are paying money but aren’t seeing results,” he said.
To address transparency issues, Abuihmaid proposed the creation of a CUSA mobile app. She said the app would allow for better communication and “much more transparency with students” about where their money is going.
She also said the app will notify students of scheduled council meetings to increase student participation.
“Having student opinions is very important in decision-making,” she said.
Personal beliefs as president
The candidates were asked how they would navigate situations that didn’t align with their personal interests or beliefs.
Abuihmaid gave a firm response to the question: “I never navigate situations that don’t align with my morals or personal interests,” she said.
Nuhn said it is “of the utmost importance” to navigate situations he doesn’t agree with personally, adding he would work to ensure all ideas are fulfilled to the best extent possible.
“To think we all have the same goals is impossible,” he said.
He also said he would lower the salaries of CUSA executives, to free up $25,000 for other initiatives.
“It is important that we show people that we don’t care about money but rather care about students,” he said.
Joe-Ezigbo said it wouldn’t be right not to support every type of student. He added that his personal beliefs are separate from CUSA’s beliefs.
“We have an obligation to help [all] students, not just students like us,” Joe-Ezigbo said.
Students will cast their ballots for the 2025-2026 CUSA president through their Carleton emails from Feb. 4 at 9:00 a.m. to Feb. 6 at 5:00 p.m.
Featured image by Muhammad Deshmukh.
