From Carleton’s investment portfolio to safe space on campus, executive candidates took varying stances on the issues in the first round of the Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) 2012 election debates Feb. 9.
Although the debate was open to all registered candidates, only the executive candidates from the two competing slates, Fresh Carleton and A Better Carleton, spoke in the Unicentre atrium.
Chief electoral officer (CEO) Sean Finn flipped a coin to determine which candidate would speak first for every position.
Presidential candidates Alexander Golovko (A Better Carleton) and Sarah Cooper (Fresh) both said they would work to rebuild CUSA’s reputation among students.
The past is that past, Golovko said, and “[A Better Carleton] is here to move forward . . . here to rebuild CUSA . . . here to make things better.”
Cooper said she knew students were “disappointed” in their student association.
“I’m here to change that . . . I think we deserve better, and we deserve a fresh start.”
Golovko said he wants to become “one of the few international students” to become CUSA president, while Cooper said she thinks it’s time CUSA has its “first openly queer president.”
When asked if they would consider taking a pay cut, Golovko said he would cut each executives’ compensation by $2,000 and use that money towards a scholarship fund.
Cooper said Golovko was “confused” and that the CUSA executive members’ salaries were chosen by executive compensation committee members.
If the executive were “truly doing their jobs . . . they’d be making less than minimum wage,” she added.
Before the presidential candidates took to the podium, their fellow slate members had an opportunity to address the crowd and field questions from students.
Vice-president (student services) candidates Fatima Hassan (A Better Carleton) and George Parry (Fresh) both emphasized the importance of volunteers and CUSA service centres.
Parry said CUSA service centres provide “great service, great outreach,” and “great support” for students.
“We need to continue outreach, we need to get more volunteers in there and with working with the service centre co-ordinators, we are going to hold awesome events . . . we are going to bring more people into these awesome centres,” he said.
Hassan said she wanted to “diversify” service centre programming and provide safe space training for all students on campus.
“I want you guys to be able to come into the centres and it to be readily available to be provided that service. I want it to be open to everybody, not just volunteers, the average student,” she said.
Vice-president (student life) candidates Tomisin Olawale (A Better Carleton) and Mike Hons (Fresh) both spoke about expanding the roster of weekly events at Oliver’s Pub.
Hons said he wanted to restore Oliver’s to “its former glory” and have big events more than just once a week.
Olawale suggested having events like “Miller Mondays,” “karaoke night” or “wings night on Fridays.”
Vice-president (student issues) candidates Rabita Sharfuddin (Fresh) and Haley Dobson of (A Better Carleton) said they would push for a U-Pass that worked for students. However, they differed slightly on what they would do to prevent sexual assaults on campus.
Sharfuddin said she would make sure students feel safe and work to “eliminate rape culture” on campus, hold anti-oppression campaigns, and make sure No Means No week works.
Dobson said she would see where students need more protection, improve provention, increase “education on sexual assault awareness” and the hours of operation for CUSA’s Foot Patrol service.
Vice-president (internal) candidates Amal Duale (Fresh) and Maher Jebara (A Better Carleton) both said they would push for more funding for clubs and socities if elected.
Duale said she wanted to eliminate the $5 fee for joining clubs and societies, while Jebara said he would get rid of the $80 fee to use projectors when clubs and societies book space on campus.
Vice-president (finance) candidate Lorne Powell (Fresh) said he wanted to “open up the decision-making process” to include student input in the CUSA budget, while Michael De Luca (A Better Carleton) said he would deliver a budget that was “accountable” and “on time.”
The debate concluded with cheers from supporters of both slates yelling “ABC” and “We want Fresh.”
Finn said the debate went “great” and that both parties participated well.
“The questions were really civil, there was no fighting like in other years,” Finn said.
The second round of all-candidates debates will be held in the Unicentre atrium Feb. 13. Polling days are Feb. 15-16 and results are expected to be announced Feb. 17.
Click here to view video profiles of each of the executive candidates.
