punditry.ca — uncovering DSU elections

Earlier today, Snow and Zimmerman spoke in the online debate; you can read what they said in the transcript.  Debogorski was invited and attendance confirmed; unfortunately, he had school work that kept him away.

Because I believe in MORE information not LESS information, I invited him to read the transcript and submit his own 50-75 word answers to the questions.  Note that he had the option of taking more time to think about the questions, and of course the ability to read what his opponents said.  Still, like I say: more information, good.  The following are his answers to the first 7 questions.

Envision the future in a world where you are elected DSU president. How has the DSU changed in a single year?

The DSU is no longer an institution that is run by a select few. Students are now able to send requests for action to their Union, have it debated, and voted on in less than one month. The President of the Union has delegated much of his authority to a multitude of students who collaborate on making the Union more participatory in culture.

What is an issue you think is unique to graduate students, and how will you help?

The Union should help graduate students actualise their own ideas and ambitions to create.  There is a difference between looking for a job and seeking a career that exists with graduate students. Everybody talks of research funding; few talk of the importance to allow graduate students freedom to apply the theories they have had pumped into their heads for the last five years. It would appear that Dalhousie University has a very conformist attitude to new ideas. The Union should fund graduate students actualising their own ideas and ambitions to create.

I think most would agree that there should be greater student representation on the committees of the Board of Governors and Senate. Please choose ONE committee from EACH body for which you feel it is MOST important to seek increased student representation.

I have this to say about our Union’s passiveness with Dalhousie University: It’s time for a little less conversation and a whole lot more action. Committees are fine and dandy, but have little change (in my opinion) to any of the important issues facing Dalhousie Students. People say marching in the streets does not change anything, but the media’s coverage of it does. If anything we should be negotiating with the DFU. 

How do you propose to better-involve law students in the inner-workings of the DSU?

I propose we give Dalhousie Law students the opportunity to apply their knowledge in a way that is not wasting their time. If the Union was more proactive in reform and continual improvement, we would have tons of interesting ways for them to participate. We could open up more committees for them to sit on, amend our constitution more often, and create framework where there input and advice would actually be heard.

As president do you see yourself more as a coach, a captain, a manager? How exactly will you aim to make the exec team work as well as possible?

I see myself as a servant. Anything else constitutes too much pride and arrogance. A servant because that is what our Union needs. We need someone who is humble to the requests of students. Someone who i approachable and responsive to student requests regardless of policy. If a participatory democratic existed, executives authority would no longer trump student wishes and therefore we would be servants. Perhaps this is why the idea is disliked.

What is the one thing you would do as DSU president to reach out to this demographic [co-op, internship, etc. students] and make them feel included and informed?

Install a web based system of participatory democracy.

Do either of you have any concrete plans to help break down the barriers that exist between student government (particularly the executive) and the average student?

I will personally put my desk beside the information booth and hassle all the executives, except VPFO, to follow suit. Executives need to be where the students are, not hidden their offices. Further, I will wear a hat, pin, or shirt that says “student’s servant”.  Executives need to have their ego’s knocked down; then students will feel more comfortable.