\Be heard, get out and vote! The student union elections at Concordia are already underway.
There have been speeches and promises made at the start of classes. Candidates have been walking the campuses and its hallways with out-stretched hands and giant smiles, hoping to talk to students about their party’s platform. There have been cookies handed out to a captive audience on the shuttle bus from downtown to Loyola campus. What do students think of the elections? And do they care?
Thomas Paish is finishing his political science degree, and has been balancing school with full-time work for over seven years.
“When I come to school, I go to class and that’s it. That is all I have time for. Extra-circular activities . . . don’t interest me. The elections at school don’t interest me either.”
Most people asked about the elections this past weekend hanging around Sir George Williams campus shared a similar view. A lot of people had no idea who was running, what hopeful candidates stood for, or what positions were even up for grabs.
Emily Warner points out that students have a lot on their minds, especially now that it is the end of the school-year.
“I don’t have time to think about it. It’s embarrassing, but . . .I know nothing. I think that I just don’t care because I know nothing about it.”
Exams. Assignments. Presentations. Portfolios. These are the words that a lot of students used to respond when asked about the student union elections. Some complained about elected candidates winning paid positions and others complained about empty promises that didn’t have an effect on their studies and lives.
This is not the whole picture. Some students have been paying attention to the campaigns and are thinking about who they are going to vote for. Amy Tea is one of these people paying attention.
“The student union elections at Concordia are just as frustrating and exciting as any other political race. My current favourite is Conscious Concordia, because part of their platform is that they will take a pay cut, which shows me a genuine interest in students’ well-being.”
Amy does also have her criticisms. “I did notice though that the CSU, I assume, took out a half page ad in The Mirror, reminding Concordia students to vote. That seems like a very irresponsible way to spend student funds, especially when the entire school is covered in posters, and will be long after the election.”
Money seemed to be a main focus for a lot of students. A lot of people did not know who was running or why, but instead debated how much candidates received for campaign publicity and the fairness of what they might get after being elected. While there is a lot of speculation and a lot of indifference, some students really do care about who will make up their student union next year.