Some of Justice for Concordia’s core values include to create a just and representative student body and to promote unity on campus. Though eight positions need to be filled, Justice is only running seven candidates, leaving the VP academic position vacant. In the event of a win, Justice will give the position to a “Coalition Voice,” a member of another slate. Including another party’s voice, Justice believes, will improve the representative function of its government.
Members of the party distinguish themselves as having “real life experience,” Presidential hopeful Kurt Blagden works full time running his own business in addition to being a full time student and father and aspiring VP Finance Mike St. Martin has been an administrator at Sony and later opened his own restaurant. Their platform is general and leans towards a grassroots approach to government. Justice has also created a new position in its slate, VP Sports and Activities.
Platform highlights include:
More support for international student in terms of bursaries, scholarships, loans and work possibilities
More free concerts and art, theater festivals and interesting lectures
Greater autonomy and resources, such as more space, for clubs and students.
More support for athletics and health and fitness centres on campus
Free use of Concordia’s downtown gym.
More support to Fine and Liberal Arts and more effort to showcase student art.
Instill permanent status for clubs and associations in existence for over four years.
Lobby the Quebec government to maintain tuition freeze.
Regulate shuttle bus reliability
Make the Co-op bookstore more visible
Q: In one sentence or less, tell us your vision for the Concordia campuses:
We see a unified Concordia where, rather than bickering with one another, we work together to make our time here more enjoyable. – Kurt Blagden, President
Q: Will you increase or decrease funding to any group or association?
Clubs are what make extra curricular life at Concordia livable. We plan to give them everything they need, if that means more money then we will do it without hesitation. – Kurt Blagden, President
Q: What are the three biggest problems facing Concordia and its students this coming year?
Tuition freeze, shuttle bus reliability, and overpriced books. – Kurt Blagden, President
Q: What is your plan to tackle these problems?
In concert with other Quebec universities, we plan to lobby the Quebec government to maintain the freeze.
The shuttle between campuses has long been a problem, you can’t rely on them showing up on time. We plan to make a time log of the departures at each campus and then present it to the Board of Governors. Hopefully, this will regulate the situation and students can get to class on time.
We plan to make the Co-op bookstore a more visible operation. – Kurt Blagden, President
Q: What problems have you seen with how the CSU has been run in the past?
The CSU has, for many years, been run by totalitarians. In addition to not doing what they said they would do, they have been unfair with their business practices and they have been unfair with clubs and associations. – Kurt Blagden, President
Q: The voting turnout in the CSU elections is embarrassingly low. How do you plan to get students more involved in politics?
We plan to be out there at the school everyday promoting and informing students of their rights to vote. – Sarah Collins, VP Communications
Q: If forced to choose, would you rather fund innovative ideas or more proven ones?
Innovative ideas all the way. – Kurt Blagden, President
Q: What are three qualifications that make you a strong candidate for the position you seek within the CSU?
I have four years on the Vanier College Board of Directors (the college equivalent to the Board of Governors,) three of which I served on the executive. I have [also] successfully run my own business working full time while being a full time student and father.
– Kurt Blagden, President
Justice for Concordia
Kurt Blagden, President
Mike St. Martin, VP Finance
Batie Mhango, VP External Affairs
Andrew Hussler, VP Student Life
Abiy Girma, VP Sports and Activities
Sarah Collins, VP Communications
Erica Jabouin, VP Clubs and Associations
Coalition Voice, VP Academics