Candidates focused on restructuring executive body
The polls for the Arts and Science Federation of Associations annual by-elections opened on Tuesday. Candidates are running for six ASFA executive positions and independent councillor positions, and all of the positions are contested except the VP communications. The elections last from Oct. 20 to Oct. 22, 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Students can access polling stations in the Hall building, the McConnell and Vanier libraries and the SP building.
Presidential Candidates
There are three candidates in the running to be ASFA’s next president: Jared Buck, Jenna Cocullo and Robert Young.
Buck said during the first of two ASFA candidate debates that his focus would be on keeping the association organized and well structured. He called ASFA’s current executive structure “inefficient.” Buck also spoke of the need to change “the rape-culture and bro-culture of ASFA.”
He said his priorities also include keeping ASFA sustainable and preventing the association from running a deficit.
Cocullo has experience in student politics at Concordia: she was interim VP external and sustainability, has experience as an ASFA councillor and was involved with the CSU. Cocullo said she plans on facilitating a major restructuring of ASFA, and one of her priorities is to focus ASFA on more long-term goals that previous executives have.
At a debate on Tuesday, Cocullo also said she plans to increase transparency in ASFA’s financial committee by requiring detailed minutes. She also said having paid executive positions would entice competent students who would otherwise be unable to commit to the hours necessary for executive positions.
Young’s focus is on changing the association structurally to help its member associations flourish. He wants ASFA to improve funding options for member associations and focus more on student-led projects instead of larger ASFA events.
Young also said during Tuesday’s debate that he is also looking to restructure ASFA’s executive structure and create a policy to prevent particular issues—such as the infamous Mei-Ling incident where a former executive filed a human rights complaint against fellow executives—from happening again.
Other positions
Nearly all other positions are also contested with the exception of VP communications. The candidates for the other positions are as follows:
Vp social: Jean-Philippe Provost and Marc Da Silva
Vp external: Lana Galbraith and Ayesha Naqvi
Vp Loyola and academics: Ian Campbell, Hassan Ezzo and Chanel Manzone Pilon
Vp internal: Mariah Gillis and Bianca Bruzzese
Vp finance: Sam Babity, Zachary Garoufalis and Ivan Makhorv
Vp communications: Cleo Fonseca
Independent councillors: Oliver Marshall, Frankie Sunnyshine, Etienne de Blois, Angelica Sood and Christina Massaro