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ASFA elections: Meet the candidates

Paul Jerajian – Presidential candidate.

The Arts and Science Federation of Associations is holding a vote for positions in the 2013-14 academic year this week from March 6 to 8.

This year, there are only seven candidates vying for the seven positions available as ASFA executives — not a single candidate is running opposed. Here is The Concordian’s guide to ASFA’s candidates for the upcoming year.

Paul Jerajian – Presidential candidate

Experience
-Former VP external and sustainability of ASFA, 2011-12
-President of the mathematics and statistics students’ association
-John Molson School of Business councillor for the Concordia Student Union
-CSU events committee, Loyola committee, Sustainability Action Fund

Goals
“A lot of my presidential goals for ASFA include structural and procedural changes. A lot of ASFA’s operations are not clear and not recorded. Reports, FAQs and templates should be implemented as transition, and institutional memory have always been a big concern for associations in general at Concordia. There needs to be a focus on initiatives geared towards new demographics as the student population is very diverse and multicultural.”

Strengths and weaknesses
“My strengths include my experience, my determination and hard work. I will do whatever I can in my power to ensure the association thrives and continues to thrive for years future years. My biggest weakness is my stubbornness, though I have made it clear to myself and my future executive that ASFA is going to function as a team.”

Justin Occhionero – VP external and sustainability candidate

Justin Occhionero – VP external and sustainability candidate

Experience
-Independent councillor for ASFA, 2012-13

Goals
“I believe primarily, ASFA needs some structural changes. In regards to my position, this would mean re-working ASFA’s sustainability annex in order to improve ASFA’s commitment to organizing events that promote a culture of sustainability. Externally, ASFA should strive for open communication between itself and external student unions such as the CSU and the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec. It is important that ASFA and its members communicate with these entities and collaborate on initiatives together. The rights of Arts and Science students need to be properly represented at higher levels of student governance and this can only be achieved if ASFA, its members and the above mentioned entities communicate with each other efficiently.”

Strengths and weaknesses
“My biggest strength is probably my enthusiasm. I always tackle new challenges with the highest of hopes and I think this attitude is what has made it possible for me to achieve some of my greatest goals. As for weaknesses, I think that sometimes I can harp on one idea for too long, even if it has proven to be weak or unnecessary. Having said that, I think my year working within ASFA has taught me that this is not always the best approach.”

Sean Nolan – VP social candidate

Sean Nolan – VP social candidate

Experience
-Independent councillor for ASFA, 12-2013
-Organized, promoted and DJed for hometown events

Goals
“My ultimate goal for ASFA is to make the social experience more beneficial for our students. I plan to do so by improving our orientation week, increasing the amount of social outings hosted by the association, hosting ASFA sports tournaments to engage students in fun and stimulating activities, and establish a better connection with the rest of Concordia. I plan on having MA booths available to students on the first day [of orientation] in order to help them become better acquainted with their new school as a whole.”

Strengths and weaknesses
“In terms of my strengths, I am organized, prompt as well as extremely committed to anything I put my mind to. I also feel that I am very personable and easily approachable by anyone and therefore very easy to work with. My biggest weakness, however, would be my determination when it comes to completing projects.”

TingLi Lucia Lorigiano – VP academic and Loyola candidate

TingLi Lucia Lorigiano – VP academic and Loyola candidate

Experience
-Various initiatives at Vanier College including projects to renovate the library, tutor and organizing student study groups in math, biology and chemistry
– Active member in student governance during high school and CÉGEP

Goals
“I would like to be given the opportunity to equip Arts and Sciences students with the knowledge, skills, and tools to sculpt more defined career paths. As a student who has courses are at both campuses, I myself am a frequent shuttle bus rider and am aware of the discrepancy of student services and resources available at both campuses. I want to ensure the equalization of student services and resources, as well as working towards satisfying the student body. Lastly, as the only science student in this year’s elections, I would like to introduce more extensive science career shadowing opportunities.”

Strengths and weaknesses
“Well, I’ve always benefited from being able to help others, like tutoring, or being able help foster an environment to help motivate, or inspire, students academically. The cold hard truth is that I am an optimist: my biggest strength being my ability to fuel, to drive, to motivate, myself and others to reaching peak potential. As for my weakness, I sometimes forget to schedule time in for myself. I get so caught-up with getting things done that I forget to relax.”

Francis Boyer – VP internal candidate

Francis Boyer – VP internal candidate

Experience
– VP internal of students of history at Concordia 2012-13
– Active member of the ASFA academic committee, internal committee, departmental relations committee and ASFA talks committee.

Goals
“I intend to strengthen the bonds between Member Associations as well as the bond between said associations and ASFA. Also, as the executive responsible for all annexes and bylaws, it is my intention to accurately and efficiently inform the MAs of any questions they might have pertaining to said legal aspects. I also intend to review the annexes and bylaws to ensure that they are correct and do not require correction. It is also the responsibility of all ASFA executives to best represent my peers and I will do so regardless of my personal opinions of the topic at hand.”

Strengths and weaknesses
“As far as my strengths and weaknesses are concerned, I am a very organized and committed individual. Once I begin a task, it will receive my entire attention until it is finished and, while I have never missed a deadline, I sometimes dwell too long on the task at hand before moving onto the next to ensure that it is done properly. I also need to work on knowing my own limitations as I have taken on too many tasks at once and, while it always gets done, causes strain in my personal life.”

Anne-Sophie Grenier – VP finance candidate

Anne-Sophie Grenier – VP finance candidate

Experience
-VP finance of Communications guild, 2012-13
-Former treasurer of The Word
-Pursued commerce in CÉGEP

Goals
“My first goal in general is to bring student involvement up. There’s been a lot of crap with the CSU and everyone’s been disheartened. I want to clean up finances because some things just don’t get enough money. A lot of money is spent recklessly when it should be spent more toward individual student projects and academic initiatives and not just parties.”

Strengths and weaknesses
“My weakness is sometimes I come off a little too forceful and I work hard and get it done but sometimes I have to calm down. I think despite being forceful, I am very patient and understanding. I’ve worked in a lot of different environments like math and arts, that I know how to deal with different personalities.”

Stéphanie Gagnon – VP communications candidate

Stéphanie Gagnon – VP communications candidate

Experience
-VP communications of the mathematics and statistics students’ association, 2012-13
-VP social of the mathematics and statistics students’ association, 2011-12

Goals
“My goal for ASFA is making sure we use every resource available to reach out to students whether through newspapers, social media and more. We need to promote student events, student initiatives. We want every student in ASFA to feel there’s something for them. [I also] want to improve online services, so everything is documented, everything is organized and available online.”

Strengths and weaknesses
“I’m very organized, and I’m a person that will stay calm in any circumstances, and I may not always have the answer, but I always know where to look for it. I’m a little bit of a lunatic and sometimes I have my bubbles where I’m thinking of a million things at the same time.”
All photos, except for Paul Jerijian (photo provided), by Marilla Steuter-Martin

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Anglophone universities prepare for education summit

Students of anglophone universities hope to voice their concerns at the upcoming education summit put forth by the provincial government to investigate university governance and management of post-secondary funds.

As part of her mandate, newly elected Premier Pauline Marois of the Parti Québécois abolished the proposed tuition fee increase of $1,778 over the next seven years set by the previous Charest government, and promised a conference to address the concerns of post-secondary students.

The Arts and Science Federation of Associations of Concordia University set precedent in late September by approving a motion that mandated all member associations to consult students on the future of university education in preparation for the summit.

ASFA VP academic-Loyola, Eric Moses, told The Concordian that ASFA is in the process of forming a sub-committee that will examine all details surrounding the consultation of MAs.

“We [ASFA] are excited and in high gear with plans to facilitate our member associations’ process,” said Moses.
Following the consultation of its member associations, ASFA intends on bringing the concerns of their students to the table before the provincial government.

The structure of the summit and the date on which it will be held have yet to be confirmed by the PQ government but the Concordia Student Union’s VP external Simon-Pierre Lauzon explained that the CSU, along with the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec, is lobbying for an open process whereas any student group who desires to, can show up and argue their position.

“This [education summit] is important because we have a government that has shown interest in the satisfaction of the Quebec student body; it would be a disservice to students given our responsibility as representatives to skip that opportunity to provoke more positive change for our student body,” said Lauzon.

Lauzon explained that if he represents Concordia at the summit, he will argue on behalf of undergraduate students from both inside and outside of the province.

“What makes Concordia special is that it is very multicultural, there are a lot of international and out-of-province students,” said Lauzon. “My goal is to push for their interests because I feel if we don’t do that sort of lobbying then it will not be done.”

The Fine Arts Student Alliance of Concordia attempted to have a special general meeting to discuss students’ concerns Thursday but was unable to reach quorum. FASA councillor Erika Couto said that a second special general meeting will likely take place in November.

“We’re looking towards a general assembly, in which we’ll discuss specifically concerns we’re worried about as fine arts students,” said Couto. “A lot of students are concerned because Marois said she’d be cancelling the hike for this year but there are no guarantees about anything going forward.”

Couto sees the proposed summit as a positive development considering the events that took place in the last year surrounding the Charest government’s proposed increase of tuition fees. According to Couto, a consultation between the government and students is a step in the right direction.

“It is good step into educational reform in Quebec. Who better to know what students need and what it’s like to be a student than students.”

According to VP external affairs of the Student Society of McGill University Robin Reid-Fraser, SSMU is hoping to work with the Post-Graduate Student Society on a possible collaborative effort across campuses to gather students’ perspectives on university governance, tuition and the role of universities in society amongst other issues.

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PHOTOS: ASFA frosh kicks off at Loyola


Froshies clad in bright coloured t-shirts mingled and snacked on their first day of orientation at Concordia’s Loyola quad.

The week of events will include a pubcrawl, camping, a ‘brunch of champions,’ ice breaker games and much more.

Caroline Bourbonniere, ASFA president, says enrollment in 2012 frosh week has doubled since last year going from 200 to 400.

ASFA frosh week is also safer than ever, according to execs, because there is a ratio of one frosh leader for every four froshies.

Photos by Marilla Steuter-Martin.

[nggallery id=17]
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Caroline Bourbonnière next ASFA president

Future ASFA President Caroline Bourbonniere. Photo by Navneet Pall.
Future ASFA President Caroline Bourbonniere. Photo by Navneet Pall.

The official results of the Arts and Science Federation of Associations’ elections have been released, with Caroline Bourbonnière coming in first for the presidency.

“I am absolutely ecstatic about the results and am appreciative of the support I received,” said Bourbonnière. “This amazing voter turnout was a pleasant surprise considering it was the second time around.”

The elections had originally been scheduled to take place from Feb. 15-17, but were continuously pushed by ASFA’s executive for reasons including the sudden resignation of chief electoral officer Chris Webster and technical difficulties at some polling stations.

The dates finally agreed upon by the executive were March 5-7, a decision that went against ASFA’s own bylaws, which stipulate that ASFA elections cannot take place during the Concordia Student Union’s campaign period. But ASFA President Alex Gordon indicated at the time that it was imperative to move forward regardless. The postponement of dates cost ASFA an extra $2,000 to run this year’s general election, with most of the money going to pay polling officers.

Over 500 students voted in the second round of polling, which concluded last Wednesday. Three of the positions, president, VP academic and Loyola, and VP social, had to be recounted because of the closeness of the vote. The VP social position was decided by a mere six votes.

Bourbonnière said that she is looking forward to next year’s challenges and “can’t wait to get started with [her] new executive team.”

Charlie Brenchley, current ASFA councillor and Bourbonnière’s opponent for the presidency, commented that it was “a very close race.”

“Democracy spoke,” said Brenchley. “I wish my opponent the best of luck.”

At ASFA’s March 8 council meeting, the judicial committee reported on their decision not to accept the appeal of candidate Eric Moses Gashirabake, who was docked 65 votes and fined by the JC for switching candidacies from VP academic and Loyola to VP internal at the beginning of the race. The JC had formed an adjudicating panel to discuss whether or not new evidence would change the outcome of the case. They agreed it would not.

Later on in the meeting, ASFA President Alex Gordon touched on the topic of hiring a new CEO. Considering that ASFA’s last two CEOs stepped down unexpectedly, Gordon addressed the hiring committee, saying they may need to look at creating a better hiring process for the future.

Official results:

President:
Caroline Bourbonnière- 326
Charlie Brenchley – 280
Abstentions – 77

VP academic and Loyola:
Eric Moses Gashirabake – 265
Jeansil Bruyère – 242
Abstentions – 124

VP social:
Maddy Griffin – 268
Terrence Adams – 262
Abstentions – 50

VP communications:
Nick Santella – 473
No – 24
Abstentions – 165

VP internal:
Veryan Goodship – 474
No – 35
Abstentions – 130

VP finance:
Rachel Feldman – 481
No – 27
Abstentions – 175

VP external:
Carlotta Longo – 313
Olivia Taddio – 223
Abstentions – 150

Independent councillors (two positions):
Justin Occhionero – 365
Abstentions – 201

Sean Nolan – 371
Abstentions – 206

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ASFA elections estimated at $2,000 over budget

Following the announcement of new polling dates for the Arts and Science Federation of Associations’ elections, a special council meeting was called March 1 to ratify the change and discuss outstanding issues.

Elections have now been officially reset for March 5, 6 and 7. These dates conflict with article 136 of ASFA’s bylaws which state that polling dates are not supposed to overlap with Concordia Student Union elections, but due to extenuating circumstances, the executive chose to proceed anyway.

VP finance Laura Gomez reported that ASFA’s election was $2,000 over budget due to the unforeseen postponement of polling, which had originally been set for Feb. 15 to 17. ASFA President Alex Gordon explained that people who worked on polling days still have to be paid, despite the ballots being voided.

At its most recent meeting, ASFA’s financial committee decided that the $2,000 would come from their winter student fee levy.

“The expenses we’ll have are mainly the re-printing of ballots, the renting of computers and having to pay polling clerks twice,” said Gomez.

She explained that during the first round of polling, ASFA spent about $5,000. Gomez noted that this time there will only be one computer per polling station to reduce costs as opposed to the two that they had before.

Presidential candidate and councillor Charlie Brenchley questioned the executive during the special meeting about the establishment of polling stations in the Communications and Journalism building at Loyola.

Deputy electoral officer Anthony Garoufalis responded by asking, “Where is the CJ building?”

Gordon explained that although it was recommended by the 2010-2011 CEO Nick Cuillerier, it was “too late at this moment in time to set up a station there.”

There were also members who expressed reservations about candidates running in both ASFA and CSU elections. ASFA candidates are usually not allowed to campaign during the federation’s polling period, but this year it will overlap with the CSU campaign period, putting some hopefuls at a disadvantage compared to others. Candidates such as Brenchley, who is vying for a CSU council seat, would have had more exposure than those who are only running in the ASFA elections.

Gordon stated that there was no reliable way to track whether candidates were talking about ASFA elections while campaigning for the CSU, but he agreed some restrictions should be put in place.

“We can’t control CSU, but we can control what ASFA candidates do,” he said.

Brenchley motioned to restrict all candidates running in both elections to only put up their ASFA posters for the duration of the ASFA polling period.

VP internal Schubert Laforest offered an amendment to the motion that all ASFA candidates’ posters would be displayed at each of the polling stations in order to provide equal opportunity. The motion was approved by council.

Presidential candidate Caroline Bourboniere called the move a “blessing in disguise” and is hopeful that displaying all posters will encourage students to vote.

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ASFA elections are back on

Graphic by Katie Brioux
Graphic by Katie Brioux

After confirming last week that the general elections had been postponed indefinitely, Arts and Science Federation of Associations President Alex Gordon told The Concordian on Monday that the polling dates have now been set for March 5, 6 and 7.
The campaign period begins for a second time Feb. 29 and runs until Sunday, March 4.
Gordon said that the original dates following the postponement were in conflict with the Concordia Student Union’s nomination period for its general election and thus new dates had to be chosen.
The ASFA president admitted that the current dates are still in violation of the ASFA bylaws that state that the elections must not overlap with the CSU campaign period.
Despite ASFA’s commitment to adhering to its bylaws, Gordon said “the breaking of the bylaws is what has to happen right now.”
Due to “extenuating circumstances, we had no option but to push back the dates,” said Gordon. “This is the soonest we could properly get the elections running.”
Although there may be some confusion by the time students head to the polls in the midst of the CSU campaign period, Gordon is hopeful that there will be no negative impact on voters. He has been in communication with members of the CSU executives who have been “very sympathetic to the situation.”
The election was postponed due to procedural complications and a lack of communication since chief electoral officer Chris Webster resigned unexpectedly just before polling began on Feb. 15.
Gordon had emphasized since elections were first postponed that they were “definitely not cancelled,” but that “all voting that’s taken place so far has been voided.”
He went on to say that the complications, one of which was a technical issue with the computers at polling stations that didn’t allow students with minors in arts and science to vote, made it impossible for “procedure to be followed to the fullest.”
“We can’t legitimately count [the ballots],” he said.
Andrew Roberts, the president of the Geography Undergraduate Student Society, an ASFA member association, feels that the technical difficulties “truly shouldn’t have gotten by.”
“Whether an oversight on the part of IT or on the election officers, the validity of voting hinged on this issue and is a primary reason for the delay,” said Roberts. “It can’t be overlooked in the future.”
Roberts called the postponement “sad but necessary,” and he is not the only member association representative that feels that way.
“It’s unfortunate that things happened that way but I am glad ASFA did not turn a blind eye and pursue the election regardless,” said COMS guild co-president Renée Tousignant. “We would rather have a fair election than a shady one that would see all ASFA associations question the elected executives next year. Overall, we are glad it’s been dealt with that way.”
Former ASFA CEO Nick Cuillerier said Webster’s resignation was partly to blame for the delay.
“We need responsible people who want to take on big projects,” Cuillerier said. “It starts with getting people who are interested in student politics to get more involved on the administrative side.”
Cuillerier went on to say that he hopes future CEOs understand the responsibility that comes with the position. “Sometimes being CEO can be a thankless job and we need to make sure they get the credit they deserve,” he said.
The three deputy electoral officers will continue to oversee the process, advised by VP internal Schubert Laforest. ASFA DEO Luke Gerald added that the DEOs were looking into hiring someone with more electoral experience and a better understanding of the process involved in order to help them run the general election.
One of the reasons Webster was said to resign as CEO was because he disagreed with a decision rendered by ASFA’s judicial committee. The decision was regarding executive candidate Eric Moses Gashirabake’s desire to switch positions during the original campaign period in early February.
In its statement released on Feb. 16, the JC found that Gashirabake would be held responsible for “breaching the spirit of fair play during the course of the electoral process” for switching from VP internal to VP academic and Loyola affairs, a move that had originally been green-lighted by Webster.
Gashirabake wrote in an email to The Concordian that he plans to appeal the decision.
The JC ruling, issued before the postponement of the general election, stated that 65 votes would be docked from the total number of votes Gashirabake received and that one-fifth of his total campaign expenses would be revoked.
Chris Webster could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts to contact him.

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ASFA elections postponed indefinitely

After confirming last week that the general elections were postponed until Feb. 29, Arts and Science Federation of Associations President Alex Gordon told The Concordian that the polling dates have now been postponed indefinitely.
Gordon said the dates chosen last week, Feb. 29 and March 1 and 2, were in conflict with the Concordia Student Union’s nomination period for its general election.“We are currently discussing it with the CSU, but at the moment, the dates that we set last week have been taken off the table and we are now working on new ones,” said Gordon.

He explained that after talking with the ASFA deputy electoral officers and the CSU, they realized that their bylaws stipulated that general elections could not overlap with the CSU election campaign.

“Unfortunately the dates that we had chosen last week were not accepted [by the CSU],” said Gordon. “I can see that we cannot cross their campaigning period but as far as polling, that is still something that needs to be determined. We’re working day and night to try to find the best solution and get these polling days up and running.”

Due to procedural complications and a lack of communication since chief electoral officer Chris Webster resigned unexpectedly last Wednesday just before polling began, the electoral committee had originally chosen to move the polling dates until after reading week.

Gordon emphasized last week that the elections were “definitely not cancelled” but that “all voting that’s taken place so far has been voided.”

He went on to say that the complications, one of which was a technical issue with the computers at polling stations, made it impossible for “procedure to be followed to the fullest.” Gordon explained that students with minors in arts and science were not being recognized by the system.

“We can’t legitimately count [the ballots],” he said.

Gordon explained that the deputy electoral officers will continue to oversee the process, advised by VP internal Schubert Laforest.

“I don’t foresee a new CEO being appointed,” said Gordon.

Posters still up

In the midst of the elections debacle, the posters of the candidates are still hanging on walls at both campuses, despite being stamped with a Feb. 18 expiration date.
With the resignation of the CEO, the subsequent postponing of the election period, the accusations of illegal changes of candidacy and the discontent of certain candidates, the current ASFA executives and DEOs seem to have overlooked taking down the campaign posters.

“Right now the election office is still in a transient process and the two other DEOs and myself are working hard to keep things running,” said DEO Luke Gerald. “The fact that the posters are still up represents a grey area in terms of campaigning bylaws, being that the polling stopped and was postponed.”

According to ASFA President Alex Gordon however, the omission does not implicate serious consequences as it does not violate any specific rules or bylaws, especially considering the current situation.

“I wouldn’t foresee that as a violation of campaigning rules in the sense that the elections aren’t done yet,” Gordon explained. “Unless certain posters would have been taken down and would have favoured a candidate over another, there is no real violation of the bylaws.”

Gordon said he was not sure what was going to happen regarding this particular issue, but put the problem in the context of a more alarming situation.

“I assume they will be taken down relatively soon but in the situation we are in right now and given the extenuating circumstances, I don’t see a real issue with it,” he said.

During a phone interview, Gerald also added that the ASFA DEOs were looking into hiring someone with more electoral experience and a better understanding of the process involved in order to help them run the general election.

Gashirabake accused of ‘illegally’ switching candidacy

One of the reasons Webster resigned as CEO was because he disagreed with a decision rendered by ASFA’s judicial committee regarding executive candidate Eric Moses Gashirabake’s desire to switch positions during the original campaign period in early February.

In its decision, released Feb. 16, the JC found that Gashirabake would be held responsible for “breaching the spirit of fair play during the course of the electoral process” for switching from VP internal to VP academic and Loyola affairs, a move that had originally been green-lighted by Webster.

The JC ruling, issued before the postponement of the general election, stated that 65 votes would be docked from the total number of votes Gashirabake received and that one-fifth of his total campaign expenses would be revoked.
The JC case, which began Feb. 9, stemmed from a complaint filed by the then-sole VP academic and Loyola affairs candidate Jeansil Bruyere, accusing his opponent, Gashirabake, of misrepresenting himself on the nomination forms.
“The concern arose, according to the plaintiff, after it was announced that the respondent would be running for the position of VP academic and Loyola affairs even though he had been presented as a candidate for the position of VP internal at the all-candidates meeting,” read the JC’s ruling.
Gashirabake wrote in an email to The Concordian that despite his utmost respect for the JC, he feels the ruling was “based on an unfortunate miscommunication.” He went on to say that he plans to appeal the decision.

“I am confident that once I contest and present all evidence in light of the matter, that the ruling will be reconsidered,” he said.

Presidential candidate Caroline Bourbonniere, who is affiliated with Gashirabake, said she was “disappointed” with the way the situation unfolded.

“[Former CEO] Webster told us that it was okay as long as he switched positions within 48 hours [of the announcement of the candidates at the beginning of the campaign period],” she said.Bourbonniere said that though Gashirabake “made a mistake,” she supports his decision to appeal entirely.The other presidential candidate, Charles Brenchley, did not agree.  He calls the “illegal” change of candidacy a “flagrant disregard for the rules,” which “should not have been allowed.”Brenchley says the electoral process “wasn’t respected” and that he is pleased to see some sanctions imposed.
Chris Webster could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts to contact him.

Presidential candidates react to postponement 

ASFA presidential candidate and councillor Charlie Brenchley explained last week that he and the other ASFA executive hopefuls were informed about the postponement officially via an email sent by the DEOs.

“I had heard talk during the day, but we only found out at about 12 a.m. last night,” he said on Friday.

Brenchley feels that the timing of the cancellation was poor because many students had already cast their ballots.

“It’s super upsetting that for students who did head over to the polls, their votes are being silenced,” said Brenchley. “We need to focus on getting them back to the polls after reading week.”

Brenchley said he agrees with the decision overall, calling it the “right way to go,” due to a “lack of electoral oversight.”

He said he intends to be even more present during the supplemental campaigning days by “bringing extra enthusiasm” and “hit[ting] the ground running.”

Caroline Bourbonniere, also running for president, says Webster’s decision to resign as CEO definitely influenced the postponement of polling.

“It’s extremely unfortunate that the CEO resigned in such an abrupt fashion,” she said. “I feel that the stress and the high intensity nature of the CEO position should be clarified more effectively.”

Bourbonniere said that the campaign has been “a great experience for me,” and although she was hoping to get the results on Feb. 17 as originally planned, “at least I’ll be able to utilize the extra campaigning days to inform students about ASFA.”

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ASFA president accused of ‘bullying’

Arts and Science Federation of Associations President Alex Gordon’s explanation on his involvement in the impeachment petition of Concordia Student Union President Lex Gill was met with mixed reactions from the ASFA council last Thursday.
Gordon began by making a formal apology to any members who were offended by his actions.
“It was not my intent to convey all the sentiments of every member of ASFA,” he said. “I realize it’s tough to disassociate myself from the position I’m in.”
He went on to say that he felt there are still questions to be answered but that, “I don’t expect that everyone in arts and science feels the same way.”
Gordon was one of three students to initiate the impeachment process of Gill last month, along with former CSU councillor Tomer Shavit, and Commerce and Administration Students’ Association President Marianna Luciano, who could not be reached for comment. The group has since agreed to hold off on the petition and instead sit down with the CSU to discuss their concerns at a date yet to be determined.
During last Thursday’s council meeting, women’s studies councillor Hector Martinez openly criticized Gordon for his actions.
“I wonder how ethical it is for the president of ASFA to single out one person,” he said.
He claimed Gordon was creating a “smear campaign” of Gill’s reputation, which he likened to a form of bullying.
“Lex does not work alone. She is part of a group. Lex does not move the CSU. It moves as a collective,” said Martinez.
ASFA presidential candidate and councillor Charlie Brenchley stated during the meeting that he “wasn’t impressed” with the way Gordon handled the situation.
“It is bullying when you’re going after one person when you clearly have grievances against an entire organization,” he said.
Brenchley went on to inquire, “is this an ASFA issue at this point or an Alex Gordon issue?”
When the subject resurfaced in discussion, Gordon was given a chance to explain himself.
”I respect that it can be seen as bullying. It’s the democratic right of students to file this petition if we see fit,” he said.
Some councillors had also taken issue with the section of the website stoplexgill.com which states “ASFA’s comments coming soon.” In response, Gordon promised to have the ASFA brand removed from the site “as soon as possible.”
Vice-president internal Schubert Laforest indicated that the situation was ultimately a learning opportunity.
“Even though executives may have personal quarrels with other individuals in other associations, we’re elected [representatives],” said Laforest. “At the end of the day, we are always going to be regarded as executives of ASFA and in that regard we must be very careful in how we express our discontent.”

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ASFA: Meet the presidential candidates

The Arts and Science Federation of Associations’ (ASFA) nomination period for its upcoming general election is over, and all candidates running for executive positions were announced on Sunday. Polling will be taking place between Feb. 15 and 17. As the campaign period begins, The Concordian sat down with presidential candidates Caroline Bourbonnière and Charles Brenchley for an inside look at their newly-launched platforms.

Caroline Bourbonnière:

What would you do if you were elected ASFA president?
I think the most important thing to do is strengthen ties with the CSU. There has been a bit of miscommunication between ASFA and the CSU. That’s the way to get things clear. I do want us to have healthy relationships with the press. Many students are not aware of what is going on at Concordia. I want a better ASFA. I want to bring it back on track.

What are the main points of your platform?
I plan to create an ASFA scholarship of $500 for five students not only with high GPAs, but for those who are also involved in the Concordia community. I also want to start ASFA success workshops. ASFA’s job is to provide services to students so they can succeed and show them how to get involved.

How would you get students more involved with ASFA?
I think executives need to be more visible to the student population. Also, an online presence with videos updating students on what’s happening [would help]. I also want to do classroom visits, with speeches, to a different class each week. It’s a great way to provide information to people while getting students inspired.

What made you choose to be affiliated?
[Those] I’m affiliated with all demonstrated real drive and good ideas. I know Eric Moses is a perfect fit for VP academic. Carlotta [Longo] would be an amazing VP external. She’s really engaged with fighting tuition hikes and I think she could mobilize a lot of people. They all have what it takes.

What differentiates you from other candidates?
I think what ASFA might need is a pragmatic leader who wants to serve the students and get things done. I am honest, I have a clean record. I have a vision, I think big.

What is your position on the CSU engaging in legal proceedings to get out of the Canadian Federation of Students?
I think it’s very disappointing that the CFS is not giving Concordia their democratic right to get out. The group is supposed to be lobbying for students’ rights and this just seems wrong.

Why should someone vote for you?
I see so much potential in ASFA, and I would be so excited to take on this challenge.
I wake up early and I go to bed late and it’s because I want to get the job done and keep my promises.

Charlie Brenchley is running for ASFA President for a second time. Photo by Navneet Pall.

Charles Brenchley:

What would you do if you were elected ASFA president?
I am a man for the students and I will represent the majority voice of the students. I have the beat; I have been implementing myself into it. My role would also be to build the youth engagement within Quebec and whatever momentum it is among arts and science students.

What are the main points of your platform?
First, we really want to build that vibe to make people proud to be arts and science students on both campuses. Second, I want to work with student associations to really empower them. ASFA oversees the local funding of local associations and I want to give them the tools to run their events successfully.

You ran two years ago and lost. What do you have now that you did not have then?
I was a first-year student and I wasn’t completely versed in the Concordia community. I really got involved in the student movement at Concordia since the last time I ran for the position. I think that I am now completely ready to be president.

What made you choose to be affiliated?
I think it’s important for whoever gets elected next year to have a group of people that want to work together. Being at Concordia for a few years, I got to know them and I think we have a group of people that is extremely diverse, and everyone has been involved with the council in a different way.

What is your position on the CSU engaging in legal proceedings to get out of the Canadian Federation of Students?
I am no longer connected to [the CFS] in any way. I have definitely made mistakes in the past, but I am now at Concordia and I have seen from within the student movement at Concordia what the Quebec student movement wants and I think it’s important to recognize the vote that took place in 2009 [to leave the CFS]. Right now, CFS has no place here in the Quebec student movement.

What differentiates you from other candidates?
I think that I bring a lot of skills to the table. I am running with a group of people who have a lot of council experience. The other affiliation is deeply rooted in the political science department downtown but ours is present on both campuses. Moreover, not one person from the other affiliation has been sitting or present at ASFA council meetings.

These interviews have been edited for length.

ASFA 2012-2013 candidates:

Affiliated:
-Caroline Bourbonnière (President)
-Carlotta Longo (VP external)
-Eric Moses (VP academic and Loyola affairs)
-Terrence Adams (VP social)
-Nick Santella (VP communications)

Affiliated:
-Charles Brenchley (President)
-Veryan Goodship (VP internal)
-Maddy Griffin (VP social)
-Jeansil Bruyère (VP academic and Loyola affairs)
-Olivia Taddio (VP external and sustainability)
-Rachel Feldman (VP finance)

Sean Nolan (Independent)
Maryam Azam (VP communications)

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Gill says petition to impeach her is ‘rife with misinformation’

Source: http://stoplexgill.com
“WHEREAS president Lex Gill orchestrated the illegal dismissal of the Chief Electoral Officer;
WHEREAS in an interview to the Link, president Lex Gill publicly attacked the competency of the ASFA executives of the last 3 years;WHEREAS under Lex Gill’s presidency, there was a record number of councillor resignations”
And the list goes on.
Concordia Student Union president Lex Gill addressed, at last Wednesday’s CSU council meeting, the long list of “whereas” clauses on the recently-launched website, www.stoplexgill.com.
The website was made public on Wednesday, the same day former CSU councillor Tomer Shavit, Arts and Science Federation of Associations president Alex Gordon (ASFA), and Commerce and Administration Students’ Association (CASA) president Marianna Luciano announced their intent to release a petition that could lead to Gill’s impeachment.
Gill said that the clauses were “rife with conjecture, misinformation, logical fallacies, defamatory statements and straightforward lies…I stand by my team’s work, dedication, leadership and courage, and implore him not to drag the rest of them into his personal problem with me.”
Gill suggested that Shavit wait until March 1, at which time the new CSU bylaws would allow him to collect signatures for a petition that could trigger a general assembly to remove her from office. The current bylaws would require a petition to impeach the entire executive. She even added that if a petition was made and validated according to the rules, she would be happy to call the general meeting, book the room, and move the motion herself. “That is, after all, how democracy works,” she added.
Shavit responded that he would continue with the petition regardless and that he believed that waiting until March would be “counterproductive,” whereas if it is done now, it would be easier for someone else to replace Gill “and to pick up the pieces.”
The creators of the website cite alleged inappropriate behaviour on Gill’s part, a lack of transparency and professionalism, and the “illegal” firing of CSU CEO Bram Goldstein, as their central complaints.
“Lex Gill’s behaviour brought controversy and shame to the CSU,” reads a section of the website.
Website co-founder Shavit said that “discontent with Lex Gill has been going on for a while.”
He said that the website, which contains a number of documents critical of Gill’s actions and those of her executive, was created so information would be accessible. There is also an interactive component in the form of a Facebook page. “Students need to feel like they are being informed,” he said.
As Wednesday’s CSU council meeting heated up, many members of the executive stepped forward to defend Gill, including VP external Chad Walcott, and CSU councillor and student governor Cameron Monagle.
“She [Gill] is doing an excellent job…we do not need controversy and petty insults, we need a stable student body and we need to deal with serious matters,” said Walcott.
Cameron Monagle called Shavit’s allegations unproductive. “We have bigger fish to fry right now,” he said. Monagle proposed a motion that expressed the council’s support for Gill, which was passed unanimously.More updates to come.

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More election reform in store for ASFA

Following a contentious and often times confusing byelection last fall, the Arts and Science Federation of Associations is promising that things will go much more smoothly in their general election later this semester.

The ASFA council is set to vote this Thursday on a joint committee recommendation to bring back affiliations in elections, a suggestion originally made following last year’s general election by then CEO Nick Cuillerier that got tabled by council.

“The definition of affiliations as it stands now is that candidates run individually, but they can be affiliated or in support of other candidates, without forming actual teams,” said ASFA president Alex Gordon. “I think having affiliations in this general election will be an improvement compared to last year’s general election, because there won’t be as much secrecy among the candidates. They will be able to openly endorse other candidates and ultimately, affiliations will bring more exposure to the elections.”

The affiliations proposal is the sole electoral recommendation that council will deliberate on this week, despite the fact that ASFA’s judicial committee has suggested that other parts of Annex A, the document used to run elections, should be clarified, especially in light of October’s tumultuous byelection.

The Concordian broke a story immediately after that byelection revealing certain electoral violations committed by then CEO Marvin Cidamon, such as the failure to have executive summaries at every polling station when the polls opened, as well as hiring a former ASFA VP as a polling clerk. Also, while Cidamon did release the byelection results to the candidates, he did not provide them to the student press until he was asked.

The case was brought before the JC and Cidamon ultimately resigned. In its written decision, the JC calls for, among other things, the rule regarding the announcement of election results to be clarified.

Gordon indicated that there is not enough time, according to procedure, to act on the JC’s recommendations before the general election, but said he has confidence that the new CEO, Christopher Webster, appointed at December’s council meeting, will do his job properly.

“He’s very critical-minded, having seen the last byelection and I think he’s learned from the mistakes that were made then,” Gordon said. “Also, we [the executive] are more hands on deck this time and have a better sense of what to do for the next elections.”

 

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Who wants to be a CEO?

The Arts and Science Federation of Associations is searching for candidates to act as chief electoral officer in their next general election, but the controversy surrounding the resignation of their previous CEO has left students feeling hesitant to step up to the plate.
ASFA VP internal Schubert Laforest indicated at last Thursday’s council meeting that it has been “very difficult” to entice people to apply for the position in the wake of ASFA’s Oct. 12 and 13 byelections in which then-CEO Marvin Cidamon was found to have committed several electoral violations. Ballots were then required to be recounted in order to verify who won the elections and Cidamon ultimately resigned.
“I think that might have turned off a lot of people,” said Laforest, who is urgently trying to find a new CEO to avoid a repeat of these “technical hiccups” and begin planning for ASFA’s general elections, which are tentatively set for next February.
Laforest has so far received one response to the job opening. However, the potential candidate in question decided to drop out and not apply for the position just before the council meeting.
Cidamon’s election report, presented at council by Laforest, listed the overall cost of the October byelections as $4,477. According to this report, Cidamon himself received a docked pay of $350 for his services as CEO, though some council members expressed concerns over whether the former CEO received any money at all considering the violations.
“Originally the number was going to be $250,” said ASFA president Alex Gordon, describing the $350 as “a middle ground” decided upon by the financial committee. “It’s less than minimum wage.”
According to Gordon, the committee took into account the amount of work that Cidamon put into organizing the byelections, coupled with the fact that the hour-to-work ratio for the position is less than minimum wage.
“Regardless of what happened, we still should recognize that he did get the election done at the end of the day,” said VP finance Laura Gomez.
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