punditry.ca — uncovering DSU elections

As has been the tradition for the past few years, Monday night was the “Presidential Debate” in the Grawood.  For the first time we had all three Presidential candidates in the same place for a debate.  Colour me excited!  I have tried to stick to an overview of the answers given but (of course) couldn’t resist some editorializing.

After the opening statements, which I won’t re-hash because we all know the standard claims, the first question asked the candidates to articulate some of their presidential goals and predicted completion guidelines.

• Snow talked about  revisiting the issue of 24 hour study space on campus.  He would focus on this over the summer.  He also would like to fix the date of the Union’s general meetings and ensure there would be a minimum of two students on every Senate committee.  In addition, he wants to work on grad policies with ANSSA.  (Ed note: Heavy on the ideas, not really on the deadline part)
• Zimmerman would work with ANSSA to ensure the MOU stays on track.  She would have DSUSO do an environmental audit of the SUB in July to pinpoint where the SUB could cut down on its consumption.  She would work to get more students on BoG committees, and committed to meet with every faculty Dean by June.
• Debogorski’s first move would be to move the desks of all of the execs (save the VP FO) to the first floor near the Info Desk.  He would have the framework for his direct democratic process in place by September and the framework for a “student economy” (ed note:  I’m still unsure what this is) by December.  Also by September, Debo would have priced out the Union’s options for taking back food services.  In addition, he wants to have a campus wide celebration on the Commons, monthly AGMs, to work with faculties and not Deans (ed note:  the difference is?) and try to quell the “heated relationship” between the Muslim and Jewish students on campus.

(Ed note: I also have written down here *Debo looks disgusted*…I guess I felt it important enough to take note of, so I’ll pass it on to you fine folks.)

The second question asked what the candidates saw as the top 3 obstacles to 24 hour study space.

• Zimmerman:  Her top three obstacles were: the admin isn’t behind us on the issue; it’s not currently financially fesible; and security.  She also said that if we’re going to preach to the university about this issue, we have to show that we’re investigating ways to do it ourselves.
• Debogorski:  Pay students $15/hr to monitor 24 hour study space.   We’re paying $200,000 on council (ed note: what?) alone, we shouldn’t have to wait for the admin to move on the issue.
• Snow:  The top two issues are cost and safety.  The long term goal must be securing 24 study space with the administration.

Question 3 was about the Union’s strategic plan.

• Debogorski:  He doesn’t believe that the Union has a strategic plan.  Imagine sucks, direct democracy is the way to go.  Furthermore, the Union should be opt-in (ed note: Plz to be talking to Australia and getting back to me re: that).
• Snow:  We need to incorporate the interests of students into how we explore our role as a Union and really bring more students into the fold.  He agrees that we need to expand the focus out of the SUB and increase participation from other campuses.
• Zimmerman:  Imagine isn’t a strategic plan, but simply a way for students to give input.  She would start the strategic planning and Imagine campaign earlier in the year, and agrees with Greg that not enough students show up for Imagine.  There is still too much focus on Studley and not enough on Sexton.

The fourth question had to do with CASA.  What should be the external lobby priorities of the organization?

• Snow:  “Loves CASA.”  The DSU need to be the Atlantic Canadian/Nova Scotian voice in the organization and start taking more of a leadership role in ANSSA and HSA (ed note:  ANSSA chair for 4 years wasn’t enough of a leadership role for you?).
• Zimmerman:  Wants to focus on infrastructure funding and bringing back the CASA Ambassador programme, which allowed for greater direct student input into CASA.  She also thinks that CASA needs to talk to party caucuses and not just the parties in power.
• Debogorski:  Talk is cheap, academic policies are silly.  Debo sees no utility in students lobbying the government; they don’t care about us.  They care about media attention, and therefore we should be militant like the students in Quebec, they have low tuition there.  (ed note:  Talk to Laval about what happened when the cap finally came off their all too artificially depressed tuition, or the students at McGill about the crumbling classrooms at their uni due to hundreds of millions in deferred maintenance).

Question 5:   If you were DSU president, what would be the highest thing on your priority list to bring to Dalhousie president Tom Traves.

• Zimmerman:  Already has a great relationship with TT.  Not many people know, but Traves is a very powerful man on the national university circuit.  She would push the admittedly unsexy issue of infrastructure funding.  She also believes that discussion with the uni pres should be on big issues and not the small stuff.
• Debogorski:  The broadness of our education is narrow (ed note:  I call it like I hear it).  There needs to be a better choice of classes on campus.  Students need more work experience and need to be able to grow their resume (ed note: I can get behind this).  This is also why we need to shed some of the executive responsibilities and pass them as jobs on to students.  Also, enrolment isn’t in peril, during a recession more people go to school.
• Snow:  Would push 24 study space (which he says is not a “little issue”)–it needs to be available to all students on all campuses.  There also needs to be increased student representation on BoG, especially on committees.

The final question asked the candidates their top priority for the DSU Board.

• Debogorski:  Admitted he couldn’t really give an answer because he would have to canvass what students thought (ed note: At least he’s consistent). He then went on to say that we have to focus on a student economy through welding shops and student day traders.  We must also learn to  “make money with our money”.
• Snow:  Sustainable financial mode.  The Board needs to work better on its role as a “second pair of eyes” to council.
• Zimmerman:  Wants to continue working on making sure the Board is strategically viable (ed note: I wrote this down, but I’m not sure what it means).  It also needs to be vital in developing the Union’s strategic plan.

/prepared questions.   By this time it was 7:23, I was sick of writing and Debogorski’s tea/coffee count was at 5 cups.  From here on in it was questions from the floor.  I won’t give a play by play (because I didn’t take detailed enough notes) but here are the highlights:

• Debo’s solution to student apathy is to make up controversy.  Snow would rather apathetic students to angry ones.  Shannon thinks students are more involved than anyone gives them credit for, just on a smaller scale.
• Former VP Internal candidate Victoria Jones asked her question about the Executive Review Committee via speakerphone from Edmonton (ed note: wicked).   Everyone agrees it needs to be fixed.  External auditing seems to be a popular solution.
• Debogorski, on one of his many sojourns off stage to get coffee, kiss his girlfriend or roll up his sleeves, made a gesture like he was shooting himself in the head while Snow answered a question (ed note: classy).
• Snow advocated for NSPIRG’s working groups becoming seperately ratified.
• In response to a question about NSPIRG, Zimmerman stated that as president, she would be responsible to everyone.  She sees the role as being a mediator, and her personal beliefs shouldn’t play into issues.
• Debogorski doesn’t see safety as an issue with regards to 24 hour study space.  This was in response to a question about safety and the 24 hours study space idea by a female night manager at the SUB.  (ed. note: Know your audience.  Also, know crime stats in Halifax.)
• Debogorski asked a question of Snow and Zimmerman about the undercurrent of tension between the Israeli and Muslim students on campus.  Both of them stated that if it became a problem, it would have to be something the DSU would mediate, but they didn’t see evidence of it currently.  In answer to his own question, Debo would like to sit both groups down in a room and talk it out.  (Ed note: DSU becomes Camp David, reel at 11.)

That’s all she (and by she, I mean me) wrote…