Tag: elections

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Vote for this election’s socialist candidate

Graphic by Ana Bilokin

Québec solidaire is the most morally conscious party in the upcoming election

While the other major parties appeal mostly to the majority—the white, middle class of Quebec—Québec solidaire is dedicated to protecting visible minorities and lower-income people. They have been consistently open about the core of their plan: to increase taxes on corporations and the mega-rich, and increase social services for the lower classes. They’ve stated that they will raise taxes for citizens earning more than $97,000 per year, and lower taxes for those earning less than $80,000, while those between these income brackets would see no change.

With this new tax system as well as other initiatives—such as lessening our dependance on big pharmaceutical companies by buying drugs in bulk and selling them to individual citizens at a lower rate—Québec solidaire said it will free up $12.9 billion in taxpayer money to invest in public programs.

One of the party’s goals is to make dental insurance free and accessible to all. Their mandate is to offer a 100 per cent rebate for people with low income and citizens under 18 who visit the dentist. Other citizens will get an 80 per cent reimbursement on cleanings and preventive care, and 60 per cent for curative care.

The party will launch an inquiry into systemic racism in the province, and will implement a strict quota to ensure visible minorities represent 25 percent of new employees in Quebec businesses until an overall representation rate of 13 per cent is achieved. They also plan to gradually change the organization of our educational system, from kindergarten to university, to make it free for everyone in the next five years.

These are only a few of the party’s plans, but I hope it gives a sense of their core values. Other initiatives that I don’t have the space to list here have demonstrated the party’s unwavering dedication to issues of environmental sustainability, women and LGBTQ+ community, Indigenous peoples, immigrants and Quebec’s homeless population.

They believe that these ambitious goals are incompatible with the values and organization of Canada’s federal government, and so they are promising a referendum in their first term. While I am personally not sure where I stand on this, I would be very surprised if the overall vote was in favour of separating Quebec to be its own country, so it is not an issue that I am particularly concerned about.

Many of the party’s critics claim their figure of $12.9 billion in savings is an overestimate, but in my opinion the actual figure is less important than the intention behind it. The bottom line is that Québec solidaire is going to take from the rich and give to the poor. If you are among the higher-income classes, it is not in your self-interest to vote for this party. But self-interest is the very mentality that Québec solidaire attempts to confront. They are more interested in the communal good, and that is what sets them apart from other parties in the race.

Another common critique of the party is that they are going to drive wealthy people and corporations out of the province. Although, in my opinion, this is probably not true. Assuming it is: What makes that such a bad thing? Why do we insist on protecting the interest of the wealthy over the survival of the poor? To preserve jobs? Are we really so dependant on corporations that we need to keep their profits in the millions or billions so their CEOs can buy yachts, private jets or a Westmount mansion while we work all week to barely make rent?

If many corporations did leave the province under Québec solidaire’s government, wouldn’t smaller businesses step up and take their place? We should be saying good riddance to massive corporate hierarchies rather than begging them to stay.

The biggest problem Québec solidaire faces in this election is that the majority of its support comes from the demographic that is least likely to vote: young people. Our parents and grandparents will continue to vote Liberal as they always do, therefore it is up to us to go out and make our voices heard.

Quebec residents can vote in the LB building at Concordia on Sept. 25, 26, and 27, but only from their electoral district on Oct. 1.

Graphic by Ana Bilokin

 

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Voicing our votes

Archive Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth

Well, we’re back folks. This week’s editorial may seem pretty uncontroversial, but it is important nonetheless. The Concordian would like to remind all of you Quebec residents out there that you should definitely vote in the upcoming provincial election. There are plenty of reasons to go vote, including exercising your right to freedom while we’re not yet living under a fascist regime.

The main reason is this: voting is fun! Go out and vote, tell your friends, hell, make an event for you and some people you know to go to the polling station together. Talk about the candidates while you wait in line, socialize, network, exercise your skills in the art of virtue signaling. Voting is really as much about the journey as it is the destination.

It is easy to feel small and insignificant next to the scale of the faceless, multinational capitalist machine that is our contemporary society. But one way of confronting that is to pull up your bootstraps, go out, and be a responsible citizen.

As important as your vote is in the singular goal of electing a new political leader, it is also powerful as a statistic. If politicians see that a higher percentage of young people are voting, or whatever other demographic you’re from, future political platforms will be more tailored to your priorities and ideologies.

Politicians will see that x number of young people/students voted, what their political ideologies are, and future political campaigns will be tailored to that new information. Your vote has a direct impact in letting the powers that be know what you want.

You might feel like there’s no point in voting because none of the running candidates have your interests in mind. While there may be some truth to this, the best way to change that is to let them know that you are watching and you are invested enough to vote. If you really dislike all of the candidates, you can vote “no preference,” which still gets your opinion out there.

There’s really no excuse not to vote, especially if you claim to care about political issues. We get the whole day off from school (though sadly, the make-up day is on a Sunday), so you might as well use that time to do something productive that will make you feel accomplished and fulfilled. To find out where to vote, all you have to do is go to electionsquebec.qc.ca and enter your home location. It will provide the exact address, dates and times you can vote. If your riding isn’t in Montreal, use this as an excuse to go home for a bit. Like, “Yeah, I’m totally not homesick at all I’m just going home to vote,” in case you need to save face or protect your rep.

Vote to speak and have your voice heard. Vote to shift the structure of the society that we live in. Vote to move toward an idealized, socialist utopia. If nothing else, vote to gain a sense of superiority over those who didn’t vote. That’s always fun.

Archive Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth

 

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Put down your textbooks and vote

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

Put down your textbooks and vote

Will you walk past the polling stations set up around campus from March 27 to 29 or cast your vote for the new Concordia Student Union (CSU) executive?

With finals on the horizon, student union elections likely sit near the bottom of many students’ priority lists. This is counterintuitive. For any student hoping to flourish in university and make the most of their experience at Concordia, the CSU election is arguably the most important election to participate in.

With more than $6.5 million in revenue from fees in the 2016-17 academic year alone, it’s clear the CSU has the money and resources to significantly impact the university experiences of the more than 35,000 undergraduate students it represents. By casting a vote in the CSU election, students can have a real say in how the student union is governed and how those resources are distributed.

But it’s not just about the money. The CSU and other student associations are often the ones directing the university administration’s attention to serious problems on campus. Most recently, the CSU successfully demanded the right to recruit the undergraduate members of the Task Force on Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Violence, and is continuing to advocate for more student seats on the task force. The CSU also hosted a congress on Feb. 28 to give all students the opportunity to voice their concerns and suggestions for policy changes about how sexual misconduct on campus is dealt with.

It is the CSU’s top mandate to defend the rights of students and ensure our voices are heard. This is at the heart of their past and present campaigns for paid internships, climate justice and fossil fuel divestment, anti-austerity and ending tuition hikes. Services provided to students through the CSU range from the health and dental insurance plan to the legal information clinic to the daily free lunches offered at the Loyola Hive Café. The Housing and Job Resource Centre (HOJO) helps students find jobs and educate themselves on tenant and workers’ rights. The Student Advocacy Centre promotes student rights and assists students with issues of academic misconduct or violations of the Code of Rights and Responsibilities.

Among the responsibilities of the new CSU executive will be ensuring a smooth beginning for its downtown daycare centre and the successful completion of the $14 million housing co-operative.

Regardless of your outlook on student politics, it’s nearly impossible to be an undergraduate at Concordia and not be impacted in some way by the CSU. As with any other election, it is important to participate in the democratic process. Unlike other elections, however, your vote carries weight. You are one of 35,000 students, rather than one of about seven million eligible Quebec voters or one of over 25 million eligible Canadian voters.

So put down your textbooks, close Facebook, grab yourself another cup of coffee and take a minute to learn about the candidates and their platforms. What changes do you want to see on campus? Who’s advocating for the things you care about? Who do you want to be your voice for the next year?

Now, more than ever, there is proof that students can make an impact when they stand up and speak up for what they believe in. Students are no longer expected to follow the status quo and accept their circumstances. It may not seem like much, but casting a vote from March 27 to 29 is a step toward making Concordia a more engaging, safe and positive place for everyone.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth

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Jonathan Roy named ASFA president

Former ASFA president Jonathan Roy. Photo by Alex Hutchins

Candidate Jad-Faraj Abi Semaan disqualified for alleged electoral misconduct

 

 

Jonathan Roy was named the new president of the Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA) on Nov. 24 following the disqualification of candidate Jad-Faraj Abi Semaan.

“After careful consideration, following multiple credible complaints of electoral violations, a decision was taken to issue a disqualification of a presidential candidate, Jad-Faraj Abi Semaan,” wrote ASFA chief electoral officer (CEO) Ekaterina Roubanov in a post on the group’s Facebook page on Friday.

“ASFA strives for a fair election process, therefore sanctions are applied when rules and regulations are not followed,” Roubanov wrote.

Roy received 267 of the 491 votes cast by students during the by-election held between Nov. 20 and 22. Abi Semaan received 175 votes, and 44 students abstained.

In a statement to The Concordian, Roubanov said a total of eight people complained about Abi Semaan’s conduct. These complaints were in regards to Abi Semaan’s presence around polling stations during the election and “telling people to vote for him, and talking about his campaign on Nov. 20 and 21,” she said.

Abi Semaan categorically denied all the charges made against him, claiming they are “not based in reality.”

“The spirit of this election was me running against the entire ASFA establishment and the resources they have,” he said. “I made sure my campaign was based on positivity and respect, and unfortunately I did not receive the same thing from the other side.”

According to Abi Semaan, at least three people, some of whom he knew personally, shared material related to his campaign on social media after the campaign period ended, but he contacted them and the posts were taken down “within minutes.” He denied having encouraged anyone to share campaign material.

On Tuesday, the day before the election ended, Abi Semaan said he met with the CEO to discuss her concerns, and he felt the matter had been settled. However, he said he received an email from Roubanov two hours before the polls closed on Wednesday telling him that she had reopened the case and he had been disqualified.

Abi Semaan said he filed a complaint to contest the decision with the Concordia Student Union Advocacy Centre and the Dean of Students. “Even though I didn’t win the election, at this point, I’m contesting the decision based on values,” he said.

Abi Semaan said the CEO claimed she had video evidence of him hanging around polling stations. “When I asked her for the evidence, she refused to give it to me,” Abi Semaan told The Concordian. He argued that any video evidence held by the CEO “is illegal” because he did not consent to being recorded.

Roubanov confirmed that she received “credible proof” of Abi Semaan’s conduct, however details of this evidence are confidential due to Abi Semaan’s contestation. “The matter has been passed to the [ASFA] judicial committee, and no further commentary will be issued pending J.C.’s statement,” she said.

In a statement to The Concordian, Roy said he respects the decision of the CEO. “I am still very happy with the results of the ballot, and am excited to get to work for our students,” he said.

Featured image by Alex Hutchins.

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Highlighting unseen animal cruelty in our city

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

How the election could help Quebec move towards a better system for animal welfare

Citizens of Montreal, we have a problem. It’s time we talked about how our city handles animal welfare because the current way is completely unacceptable.

Over the summer, news outlets went wild over the calèche horse that collapsed in the Old Port. I am the first to admit utilizing animal labour for our own monetary gain is horrible. But what about the animals we interact with on a daily basis? What about stray dogs and cats we see on the streets?

It starts with shelters. It’s great that we have them here in Montreal, however, the public is ignorant about how the city deals with shelters and animal services. Montreal is split into boroughs which are all responsible for their own dealings in animal services. To clarify, animal services can include things like how the boroughs deal with surrendered pets, strays and cleaning up roadkill. According to the Montreal SPCA website, their services include investigations and inspections, foster programs, lost and found animals and the TNRM program (trap-neuter-release-and-maintain) for stray cats.

In our city, animal services are taken care of either by the non-profit Montreal SPCA or the for-profit privately contracted and operated “shelter” Le Berger Blanc Inc. To differentiate, non-profits are mission-based and ultimately service the animals, whereas Le Berger Blanc wants to make money from adopting out animals.

Each borough in the city chooses either the Montreal SPCA or Le Berger Blanc in a sort of “bidding-war” to see who takes care of animal services. The provider who gives a better bid (less costly, offers certain services, etc.) is contracted and has full reign over animal services in that borough.

This system is incredibly out-dated and, according to former Minister of Agriculture Pierre Paradis in a Montreal Gazette article, “Quebec is about 20 years behind the rest of the civilized world” in terms of how the province deals with animal welfare. Not to mention our province is considered “the animal abuse capital of Canada,” according to the same article.

A large part of the problem is Le Berger Blanc Inc. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because they were caught in a big scandal in 2011. A documentary was released showcasing an undercover Society for the Protection of Animals (SPA) worker’s time “employed” at Le Berger Blanc facilities, where he recorded the abuse and murder of animals at this so-called “shelter.”

The documentary, Le Mauvais Berger Blanc, was broadcasted by the Radio-Canada program Enquête, and honestly, the video is brutal. Throughout 26 minutes, you see footage of the mistreatment in these “shelters.” Workers blatantly lied to patrons searching for their lost pets, illegally performed euthanasia that caused animals pain and threw half-living animals into garbage bins. The director of the shelter, Pierre Couture, and his wife, Murielle De Lasalle—who is also Le Berger Blanc’s operations director—were confronted with the footage. They were in disbelief and supposedly unaware of their employees’ actions.

While the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association stipulates that euthanasia be conducted by a trained veterinarian in a manner “that is quick […] and causes the least possible pain and distress,” the documentary shows the exact opposite. In one case, footage captures a general employee at Le Berger Blanc euthanizing a dog by repeatedly stabbing it with a needle. In another case, a cat, whose lower torso is totally paralyzed, drags its legs across the floor in an effort to escape. Another cat runs hysterically back and forth in a cramped cage, and an employee laughs when the animal’s paralyzed leg gets caught in the cage’s bars. The expression of a dog standing among a sea of dead canine bodies as it waits for its turn still haunts me to this day.

Le Berger Blanc has changed for the better since the scandal in 2011. According to a Montreal Gazette editorial in February, strict new conditions specified that “healthy animals are not to be euthanized […], operations will be subject to spot checks and camera recordings must be made available upon request.”

But do we still want a corporation with such a history of animal cruelty to be responsible for our city’s animal services?

As a society, we need to re-evaluate how our city deals with animal services. Le Berger Blanc is not looking for long-term or big-picture solutions to rectify animal welfare issues in Montreal. This corporation does not care about problems like the overpopulation of cats, breed-specific bans, lack of education on animal behaviours and needs or respecting animal rights—they are simply looking to make money. For this reason, the upcoming municipal election is an important one for animal welfare.

We have a mayoral candidate whose platform actually mentions animal welfare measures, including protecting animals in our city rather than treating them as objects to gain profit from. Projet Montréal’s platform on animal welfare plans to “prohibit the transfer of lost or abandoned animals to laboratories for research or commercial purposes. Make it mandatory that they be transferred to rescue organizations instead […] provide support for animal sterilization […] support education programs in schools to educate young people about the responsibilities of animal owners.”

These kinds of actions would really lead Montreal in the right direction towards adequate animal service policies and, hopefully, to a complete overhaul of the city’s current system. We should be looking to other cities and the success they’ve had.

Calgary’s model is a perfect example. Bill Bruce, the former director of Calgary animal and bylaw services, developed a model that requires owners to properly train, sterilize and exercise their pet, provide it with adequate medical care and ensure the animal is not a threat or nuisance to the city, according to an article in the Calgary Herald. In an interview, Bruce explained that his model is about shifting “away from the animal control model to the responsible pet owner model. [It is about] empowering people to be great pet owners.”

There’s a lot of work to be done in our city, but this is more than just a pet owner’s problem. This is an everyone problem. This is about looking at the bigger picture and seeing animals as more than just property, but as sentient beings. We need to eliminate the use of Le Berger Blanc, which is only concerned with profit—not the welfare of the animals it is responsible for.

We need to care. We need to act. We need change.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin

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ASFA responds to election scandal

Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA) increases funding for election security. Photo by Kirubel Mehari

Student association will increase budget to ensure poll security

The Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA) has increased funding for election security in the wake of last year’s invalidated elections.

At a regular council meeting on Sept. 22, the council moved to increase the elections operations budget by $7,000 to hire more security. The new elections operations budget of $16,000 will be divided evenly between the election and by-election held during the 2017-18 academic year. The motion passed 24-1 with three abstentions.

Interim ASFA President Julia Sutera Sardo endorsed the motion. “Having been VP Internal in the past, I know how contentious elections can be, especially with ASFA,” she said. “If we want to move forward, I think this is a great direction.”

“Our goal this year is to stick to procedure to guarantee ASFA elections run properly,” Interim VP of finance Francesco Valente told the The Concordian.

A lack of security at polling stations contributed to ASFA’s general elections in March being invalidated. Starting in the 2015-16 academic year, ASFA chose to increase the number of polling stations around campus, but did not increase the security budget. According to Valente, the original 2016-2017 election operations budget of $4,500 per election was no longer adequate.

According to ASFA’s website, this lack of security led to “several security breaches.” These included several ballot boxes being left unsealed with only one person to supervise them, The Link reported in March. Section 232-F of ASFA’s standing regulations states that, “Ballot boxes must never be left with one person unless sealed.”

Furthermore, according to section 232-B of ASFA’s standing regulations, “Every ballot box must be accompanied by a campus security guard from the moment they leave the strong room in the morning of voting to the time that they are returned each evening.” According to The Link, this regulation was violated as well.

Valente said he doesn’t know why security was not increased to match the new demand.

Since the elections were invalidated, each council member is officially only serving in an interim capacity. In order to keep their positions, they will have to be re-elected during the fall by-elections, which are scheduled for Nov. 20 to 23.

Valente said $3,360 is the “absolute minimum” additional funding required for each election to ensure proper security. This funding will be used to hire security guards for the polling stations.

The money needed to increase the budget will come from the Member Association Special Projects Fund (SPF), which currently stands at about $32,300. Valente said any money that is left over after each election will be returned to the SPF.

According to Valente, this budget is only for ASFA elections. Member Association (MA) elections, during which executives for each MA are elected, are not mandated to implement the same security measures.

Photo by Kirubel Mehari

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The Concordia Student Union’s brand new council of executives

Graphic by Florence Yee

Newly-elected coordinators discuss their plans for the next school year

The Concordia Student Union (CSU) has a new council of executives for the 2017-2018 school year.

The elected students are Omar Riaz (general coordinator), Leyla Sutherland (student life coordinator), Soulaymane Al Alaoui (finance coordinator), Devon Ellis-Durity (sustainability coordinator), Maria Gabriela Polanco (Loyola coordinator), Veronika Rydzewski (internal affairs coordinator), Asma Mushtaq (academic and advocacy coordinator) and Ahmed Badr (external affairs and mobilization coordinator).

Riaz, Al Alaoui and Rydzewski took the time to speak with The Concordian about their upcoming mandate and projects within the CSU.

The incoming general coordinator has been involved in student politics for as long as he can remember. “I remember being a student ambassador in elementary school, which is when I got interested in being involved in the decision-making process that affects students and everyone around,” Riaz said. This passion continued in CEGEP, where he became president of the Vanier College Student Association during his second year. “For my time as president with my team, we were able to accomplish great things that are still incorporated at the CEGEP,” he said.

Omar Riaz (general coordinator) Photo courtesy of Omar Riaz.

Riaz joined the CSU team this year as a councilor, while also sitting on Concordia’s Senate. “My experience has been positive enough that I wanted to stay with the CSU. I think they do a lot of great things,” he said. “I also think that you have to be part of the decision-making to help make a change.”

For the upcoming school year, Riaz said he is aiming for more transparency. “I think that everything we do and decide should be available to students,” he said. He intends to create a new Facebook account dedicated to publishing CSU-related content, such as finances and summaries of meetings. “The CSU has an account already, but it’s just to make it more personal towards the students,” Riaz said. He also mentioned he would be holding Facebook Live events in order to answer students’ questions and concerns.

“[During the campaign], the first Facebook Live we did was in a staircase, which shows that no matter where we are, we will make ourselves accessible to the students,” Riaz said.

He and Al Alaoui, along with Polanco and Badr, originally ran together as part of Team Embrace ConU, but both said they are absolutely looking forward to working with members of Team Connect. “I am more than happy to support them and help them accomplish their goals,” Riaz said, adding that he no longer represents Team Embrace ConU, but rather all of the students at Concordia.

Soulaymane Al Alaoui (finance coordinator) Photo courtesy of Omar Riaz.

Al Alaoui said win or lose, he and Riaz want to speak with everyone who ran about their platforms. “Everyone has their ideas of what makes things better,” he said. He plans on meeting with the other candidates to implement their ideas. “It would be a shame for these ideas to go to waste. We want to foster the idea that, even if you lose an election, your ideas don’t end there.”

The newly-elected finance coordinator has already contacted the current finance coordinator, Thomas David-Bashore, to learn about the position in more detail when it comes to budgeting and finances in general within the CSU. “I just want to have a better understanding and take his insight, to grow the position, if you will. Tweak it to make it better,” Al Alaoui said.

He also plans on working alongside the Senate. “They are the highest academic body at Concordia, and we have the same goals to make everything better,” he said. “It wouldn’t make sense for there not to be a collaboration.”

Veronika Rydzewski (internal affairs coordinator) Photo by Ana Hernandez.

Rydzewski, who was originally part of the Team Connect alongside Sutherland, Ellis-Durity, and Mushtag, said she is “excited to be working with [Riaz] and [Al Alaoui]. I think that when you look at their platforms and their campaign, they did a wonderful job.”

Rydzewski is currently a CSU councillor, and sits on the student life committee, the clubs committee and the policy committee. “As internal affairs coordinator, I will help out students with their clubs by improving them, and also I will be bringing new clubs,” she said. “I plan to create more student spaces on campus as well.” She also insisted it was important that students participated in the elections and said she is grateful for everyone who voted. “I encourage students to get informed in any ways that they can,” she said.

The Concordian also asked Riaz about his thoughts on the sanctuary campus referendum question that passed. “I think the CSU did a great job this year when the [Canadian Border Services Agency] was on campus. [The CSU] questioned them and found out what was going on and why they were there. I would love to continue to increase our efforts into making both campuses safe,” he said.

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UPDATED: Official Results: Concordia Student Union elections

Graphic by Florence Yee

CSU CEO announces the official results to the elections this morning

UPDATED:

The official results for the Concordia Student Union elections were posted on the CSU CEO’s Facebook page this morning. According to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Stephani Moukhaiber, 1076 students voted.

The executives elected for the school year 2017-2018 are:

  • Omar Riaz (general coordinator)
  • Leyla Sutherland (student life coordinator)
  • Soulaymane Al Alaoui (finance coordinator)
  • Devon Ellis-Durity (sustainability coordinator)
  • Maria Gabriela Polanco (Loyola coordinator)
  • Veronika Rydzewski (internal affairs coordinator)
  • Asma Mushtaq (academic and advocacy coordinator)
  • Ahmed Badr (external affairs and mobilization coordinator)

Riaz, Al Alaoui, Polanco and Badr were all running as part of Team Embrace ConU.

Sutherland, Ellis-Durity, Rydzewski and Mushtag were running within Team Connect.

All referendum questions also officially passed. Students agreed for the council of executives to have non-hierarchal positions, meaning that the general coordinator will have the same authority as the other coordinators. Students also voted for Concordia University to become a sanctuary campus, meaning that the student body will not be collaborating with the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) to give out information on any past and current faculty, staff and students.

The fee levy proposals for the fall semester of 2017 which passed include:

  • A decrease in the CSU Clubs fee of six cents per credit
  • An increase in the CSU operating fee of five cents per credit
  • An increase in the undergraduate Housing and Job Bank (HOJO) fee of three cents per credit
  • An increase in the Advocacy fee of two cents per credit
  • An increase in the Concordia Greenhouse fee by 12 cents per credit for undergraduate students
  • A decrease in the Student Space Accessible Education and Legal Contingency (SSAELC) fee of four cents per credit.
  • To transfer four cents per credit from the Student Space Accessible Education and Legal Contingency (SSAELC) fee to the CSU Operating fee to pay for the operations of the Dish Project. This project is a student-run service at Concordia that provides free dishware to student and community around Concordia.

The Concordia Student Union have also been mandated after the elections to work with the Concordia University Administration towards integrating sustainability and indigenous studies courses in all undergraduate programs.

ORIGINAL:

The unofficial results for the new Concordia Student Union (CSU) representatives were published this morning on the CSU’s newly-elected Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Facebook page.

The  executives elected are:

  • Omar Riaz (general coordinator)
  • Leyla Sutherland (student life coordinator)
  • Soulaymane Al Alaoui (finance coordinator)
  • Devon Ellis-Durity (sustainability coordinator)
  • Maria Gabriela Polanco (Loyola coordinator)
  • Veronika Rydzewski (internal affairs coordinator)
  • Asma Mushtaq (academic and advocacy coordinator)
  • Ahmed Badr (external affairs and mobilization coordinator)

The results are deemed unofficial due to the winning margins being by less than 50 votes. Due to this, the votes will be subjected to a recount in the presence of the CSU’s judicial board.

For the referendum question, “Do you, as a member of the CSU, approve of the by-law changes that will render the executives to a more non-hierarchical structure?” the majority voted yes. Since the vote passed, the new council will be acting as a non-hierarchal union.

Approved fee levy changes include (as of fall 2017):

  • An increase of the fee levy for the Concordia Greenhouse by 12 cents per credit
  • A decrease in the CSU clubs fee by six cents per credit
  • An increase in the CSU operating fee by five cents per credit
  • An increase in the undergraduate Housing and Job Bank (HOJO) fee by three cents per credit
  • An increase in the advocacy fee by two cents per credit
  • A decrease in the Student Space, Accessible Education and Legal Contingency (SSAELC) fee by four cents per credit

In addition, both Concordia campuses will officially adopt the “Sanctuary Campus” status, meaning the university will not disclose any information about its current or past staff, faculty or students to the Canadian Border Services Agency, to protect them from the threat of deportation.

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ASFA’s new VPs discuss their mandate

Graphic by Florence Yee

Students from the faculty of Arts and Science elected their new representatives for the Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA) on March 24.

ASFA’s new executive team consists of Julia Sutera Sardo (President-elect), Christopher Czich (VP-elect of social affairs), Bianca Bruzzese (VP-elect of external affairs and sustainability), Gregory Bedell (VP-elect of Loyola and academic affairs), Steven Tutino (VP-elect of internal affairs) and Francesco Valente (VP-elect of finance). The position for VP of communications and promotions wasn’t applied for in time for the elections.

Sutera Sardo, Tutino and Czich spoke with The Concordian about their upcoming projects and expectations for the 2017-2018 year.

Sutera Sardo, who is in her third year of political science and community, public affairs and policy studies, is happy with the election results. “It’s very nice to know people believed in me to fill the role,” she told The Concordian. Sutera Sardo said she is planning a few changes for her upcoming mandate.

President-elect Julia Sutera Sardo. Photo by Chloë Ranaldi.

“I would like to add the advocacy committee to the bylaws,” she said. Despite having ASFA’s support throughout the year, neither the task force nor the advocacy committee—groups that denounce any form of racism or sexism—have been added to the bylaws. Adding these policies to their bylaws is a way of ensuring they are official, according to Sutera Sardo.

She also said she is currently thinking of ways to facilitate the electoral process for the future annual general elections, by-elections and upcoming referendum questions. She told The Concordian this idea arose after the most recent electoral period, when ASFA was forced to extend their voting period on March 24 in order to reach quorum.

The newly-elected president said she also wants to encourage Concordia to develop a family policy to ensure students who are parents in the faculty of Arts and Science have access to the same education and rights as everyone else.

She will also continue to advocate that ASFA’s member associations (MA) provide free menstrual hygiene products. Sutera Sardo initially presented a motion at ASFA’s council meeting on January 12 titled The Support for Individuals that Menstruate Position Motion. It requests that ASFA finance and supply feminine products in all MA offices for students in need.

She also wants to make ASFA more inclusive and more representative. “We have an anti-racism position, and a sanctuary campus position as well,” she said, mentioning that ASFA just recently added these to their bylaws. “[This academic year] was the year of stabilizing ASFA, and I think that 2017-2018 will be the year of reforming ASFA,” Sutera Sardo said.

Sutera Sardo also mentioned she wants to openly support student engagement within the university and campus politics. “If I wasn’t engaged my first semester, I probably wouldn’t be where I am right now,” she said. She said she was hopeful about ASFA’s future based on how many students were engaged and voted during the elections. A total of 459 students voted.

During his campaign, Tutino did a lot of posting and advertising through social media, even though he was the only one running for the internal affairs position. “I told my friends to vote, and engaged students in my class to do the same,” he said.

For his new role as VP of internal affairs, Tutino has already thought of projects he wants to accomplish next year. “I want to help with the lack of representation that some student associations might suffer from,” he said. The newly-elected VP is a theology major and is therefore familiar with the problems that the Theological Studies Undergraduate Student Association has experienced. “They have an association, but are not certified yet. They are not acknowledged by the university,” Tutino said, adding that it’s been an issue because the association should be taken into consideration like any other ones on campus.

VP-elect of internal affairs, Steven Tutino. Photo by Nelly Sérandour-Amar

He said he also wants to work with Queer Concordia and make them more visible on campus. “I want to hear their concerns, and I clearly don’t know all of the politics around it, but I want to create a dialogue with them and just speak with them,” he said.

Tutino plans to work on promoting gender advocacy on campus as well. “It was actually an issue for my campaign. People were wondering how can I make a poster with something that I’ve never experienced before,” Tutino said, remembering how people would question his knowledge on the matter. He believes gender advocacy should be more advertised and he wants to understand the issue more. “I’ve been going to meetings regarding the issue and I, myself, [want to help] with it,” he said.

Czich, the new VP of social affairs, is looking into organizing different events that would bring ASFA’s member associations closer. “I would like to do a [member associations] tournament, which means that basically each program goes head-to-head in different mental and physical challenges,” he said. Czich is also developing a few ideas for next year’s frosh. “I would like to collaborate with the CASA and other faculties for maybe some cinq à huit type of events,” he said.

The three VPs are confident working together will be a positive challenge, and that getting along with people from different backgrounds is part of the job. “If you’re committed to make an organization grow, then there should not be any problems,” Sutera Sardo said. “I’m also really looking forward to working in a non-hierarchal way because this is what ASFA is all about.”

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News

Meet the candidates for ASFA’s 2017 elections

Graphic by Florence Yee

Between March 21 and 23, students can vote for who should run ASFA

Although the Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA) elections are just around the corner, many students are still unaware of who this year’s candidates are, or how they plan to lead and improve Concordia’s largest faculty association. Luckily, The Concordian has got you covered. Here are the profiles of candidates running for the VP positions for the 2017-2018 year.

Students in the arts and science faculty can cast their vote between March 21 and 23.

 

Julia Sutera Sardo

Julia Sutera Sardo

Position: ASFA president

Program: Political science & community, public affairs and policy studies

Year: 3

Why is she running?

I wanted to run as president because we’ve made some great strides this year, but we’ve also encountered issues. I feel that ASFA needs to continue paving the way for itself by making additional and significant changes to its structure. I’ve experienced ASFA from the viewpoint of Member Associations, and from the viewpoint of an Executive—I’ve also experienced it as an electoral officer. Because of this and having worked alongside MAs all year, I understand how both sides see each other, how they interact, what they need, and how to support them. I’m resolute to bringing forth informed policy changes on the behalf of the rest of the ASFA team and with their input.

Why should you vote for her?

My experience includes serving as VP of internal affairs and administration, which encompasses being a voting member of the Policy Review and Finance Committees. Additionally, I have taken on chair of the Advocacy and Internal Committees. I have been a CSU Councillor, a Member Association CEO and an ASFA DEO. My plans for the upcoming year include 1) A by-law reform that would make the ASFA by-laws more strong-form and to really ensure that they serve their rightful purpose. 2) Creating an appointments policy to facilitate the appointments process within the federation. 3) Assuring that menstrual hygiene products are available for free on campus for students. 4) Supporting the creation of a family policy at the faculty level, and 5) Filling the position of advocacy coordinator.

 

Francesco Valente

Francesco Valente

Position: Vice-president of finance

Program: English literature

Year: 3

Why is he running?

It’s because of joining school politics that I consider this to be hands down my favourite year of university. The 2017-2018 year will, hopefully and sadly, be my last year at Concordia, and I think being a part of ASFA’s executive team will be the most rewarding way to go out.

Why should you vote for him?

Obviously a literature student is not who you would typically expect to be running for ASFA’s VP of finance, but I hope to prove the stereotype wrong. This year, I had the privilege to be the VP of finance for CASE (Concordia’s Association for Students in English) as well as their councillor, where I sat on ASFA’s Finance Committee. I hope the student body will put their faith in me to fulfill the needs of this position.

 

Chris Czich

Chris Czich

Position: Vice-president of social affairs

Program: Communications

Year: 2

Why is he running?

I chose the position because it’s a domain I am quite familiar with, and I love the idea of bringing people together to have a good time—it’s what I’m all about. When I can make others happy, I am happy too.

Why should you vote for him?

Concordia students should vote for me because their satisfaction is my number one priority, and I feel my previous experience will help us create ASFA events that will give students a way to unwind from the stresses of university and an opportunity to meet new friends. As VP of the Communications Studies Student Association, I enjoy the group dynamic and working alongside people who are just as excited about making our events successful as I am. Overall, I want to make ASFA better than when I arrived.

 

Steven Tutino

Steven Tutino

Position: Vice-president of internal affairs

Program: English literature & theological studies

Year: 4

Why is he running?

I chose to run because I have the best interest of the faculty and university at heart. I built my way up by volunteering for groups on campus, such as CUPS, the Co-op Bookstore, the Student Success Centre and the Multi-Faith Chaplaincy. I also volunteered for the JMSB CASE Competition and the Alternative Spring Break Program. I always want to accomplish new things and this, by far, is arguably the biggest thing I am embarking on, ever, at least in my academic and professional life.

Why should you vote for him?

I’m extremely involved in all my accomplishments here at the university, both personally and academically. My involvement with Concordia has been extremely rewarding, and I want to strengthen bonds between member associations and make sure their voices are heard. I believe that working with MAs will help ensure a better, quality experience for each respective department’s students.

The answers have been edited for length and clarity. The Concordian reached out to Bianca Bruzzee, but she did not provide answers before the deadline.

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Concordia Student Union News

Meeting the candidates of CSU Elections

Team Connect for CSU

Concordians will vote for their next CSU representatives on March 28, 29 and 30

Undergraduate students from the university will be able to cast their vote on either campus for their new Concordia Student Union representatives between March 28 and 30. Most candidates are teaming up to bring their mutual ideas to life. The Concordian spoke to them about their plans.

Connect for CSU

Team Connect for CSU (pictured above) consists of Asma Mushtaq, Alex Milton, Marcus Peters, Devon Leigh Ellis-Durity, Leyla Sutherland, Veronika Rydzewski, Mustafa Bokesmati and Thomas David-Bashore. The team believes they have a very strong platform that speaks to the immediate needs of students. Projects such as updating the CSU website and advocating for international students are very important to them. Divesting and reinvesting in sustainability is also one of their main focuses. “Our projects will improve student life while continuing to implement sustainable and transparent practices within the union and updating documents and practices so that we are able to better serve students,” the team told The Concordian. The team plans to advocate for international students on campus, and prevent future tuition hikes. They hope to improve student engagement within the union by having stronger, more accessible and transparent communication with students.

Team Unity

Amina Chemssy

Team Unity for CSU consists of two candidates so far: Eddy Kara, who is running for the position of general coordinator, and Amina Chemssy, who is running for the internal affairs coordinator position. The duo believe diversity is an essential part of Concordia’s student community. “It is important to welcome and be open to diverse insights and opinions,” they told The Concordian. “Only together can we achieve things for Concordia.” They plan on putting a Social Transparency Plan into effect, which they said will help with communication between students and the CSU. They will also put forward an Act of Concordian Equality which will ensure they are inclusive to all students at the school—everyone will be treated as equals. They also want to build trust between the CSU and students. They will do this by creating different projects to motivate students to believe in their own future. They hope to strengthen relations between the student organizations.

 

 

Agunik Mamikonyan

Agunik Mamikonyan

Agunik Mamikonyan is running as an independent candidate for the general coordinator position. “I didn’t want to make this election too political by being in a team,” she said. “I really want to make it about the students.” With the experience she has attained over the last few years, including being the general secretary for the School of Community and Public Affairs Students’ Association (SCPASA) and currently holding the position of vice-president of external and sustainability for the Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA), she believes she is qualified for the position. “The role I had with the SCPASA definitely helped me with building my leadership role. I can offer direction, facilitation and I guarantee that my team will be well-organized,” she said. Mamikonyan wants to be further involved with the co-op housings, and bring more diversity and structure to the student union. If elected, Mamikonyan said she will be transparent and dedicated to her work, her team and all students.

 

 

Embrace Con U

Embrace ConU

Embrace ConU consists of candidates Omar Riaz, Soulaymane Al Alaoui, Gabriella Polanco, Carlos Vasquez, D’Anté Hanna, Émilie Leduc and Ahmed Badr. The group of students came together with the goal of representing all students from the Concordia Student Union.“What makes us stand out is that we have a big stance on the lack of [faculty] representation in the CSU. We believe that, for the last three years, for example, the students from the John Molson School of Business have not been represented well by the student union,” said Al Alaoui, who is running for the position of finance coordinator. Embrace ConU is focused on three particular projects, which they call “pillars.” First off, the team has a strong focus on students and wants to make the university a more welcoming space for students by funding more clubs, student projects and faculty associations. The second pillar focuses on the university community and creating a sense of belonging for everyone at Concordia through different events and ensuring more open communication with heads of departments about student needs. Finally, the group plans to concentrate on economic and ecological sustainability, and building partnerships that will help the CSU grow, according to the team.

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News

CASAJMSB gears up for elections

Graphic by Florence Yee

The elections have been promoted via Facebook advertising

Between Feb. 13 and 17, students in the Commerce and Administration Students’ Association (CASAJMSB) will be given the opportunity to have their voices heard.

In the annual CASAJMSB General Elections, JMSB students will be able to elect their peers into positions within CASA’s executive team, including president, VP finance and VP events, among others. The positions for subsidiary presidents and independent directors are open as well.

Since Concordia only allows registered student groups to use the school’s bulletin boards, as stated on the school’s website, CASA has chosen to advertise the elections using Facebook posts and pre-election debates.

Benjamin Zoldan, a JMSB marketing student, believes the publicity for the elections has been effective this year. “I’m well aware of the upcoming elections. There’s a lot of news about it on social media so it’s pretty hard to miss,” said Zoldan.

The student turnout for last year’s elections represented only a small percentage of those able to vote. Of the 7,000 students who were part of CASA, only 488 students voted. That’s approximately 6.9 per cent of the association’s membership.

“Getting students involved with student governance is something that many, if not all business schools suffer with,” said Evan Pitchie, CASAJMSB’s current president. “In fact, this year as president and last year as VP External, I was fortunate enough to meet other student leaders from business schools all over Canada. Every year, one of the topics we discuss is how to get students more involved and engaged with the student association.”

Anojan Kanagalingam, a student in the accounting program, said more students need to get involved. “More students in JMSB should vote, in order to get a better representation of what they want,” Kanagalingam said. “Seven per cent is a horrible turnout ratio.”

In an attempt to increase student participation, online voting has been introduced as an option in this year’s election. By sending in their name, student ID number and a photo of their student ID card to cro@casajmsb.ca, students were able to vote from home, however, only between Feb. 8 to 9.

“When it comes to CASA’s implementation of an online voting system, I must admit that I thought the idea was good and definitely one to be explored,” said Pitchie. “That being said, I was against implementing it for this upcoming election.”

Pitchie said the proposal for an online voting system was brought forth to the board for the first time on Jan. 17, 2017, when awareness week—the first week of the election period—was happening just the following week. Pitchie said the decision was too rushed.

“My opinion is that [online voting] is one that could have been explored if this proposal had been presented sooner or if we slowly started working on its implementation now for the next election in 2018,” said Pitchie. He said due to a short time frame this was not possible. “I hope that next year’s board has the necessary amount of time to review and test something of this magnitude,” said Pitchie. He said at this time, he cannot comment on how many people signed up to vote online.

In-person polling stations will be open between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the JMSB lobby, at 1600 Blvd. de Maisonneuve West.

With files from Savanna Craig

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