After a lengthy battle, which included an appeal to Carleton’s electoral board, the disqualification of Ashley Courchene from the position of vice president (student services), and finally an appearance in Ontario court, the Ash vs. Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) saga is over.
Now that Ashley Courchene is reinstated and CUSA is promising not to appeal the decision, it is time for real work to be done for the students.
Both CUSA president Fahd Alhattab and Courchene have said they want to work together peacefully. While Courchene and Alhattab have both stated the importance of putting students first, their actions do not echo this. By spending $40,000 on a decision that was first made for free months earlier, they have taken away money and time that could have been used to improve student life.
This case has also hurt CUSA in the public eye. The constant discussion of this debate has bored many students into not caring about student government at all, and has potentially damaged CUSA’s reputation amongst the students who may have been interested in becoming involved in student government before this began.
This conflict should be seen as a cautionary tale. In order to restore faith in the many students who were disgruntled by this legal battle, it is time CUSA focuses on its job and begins campaigning for all students, not just themselves and Courchene.
