MacHall among biggest issues in annual Students’ Union election

By Lianelle Barraza, February 23 2016 —

Voting for the upcoming SU election will take place from March 1-3, bringing with it a new wave of candidates, posters, platforms and promises.

Aside from the 12 positions that have already been acclaimed, students can vote for a total of 29 candidates for nine open SU positions. Three candidates — Nick Boots, Jordan Grant and Stephan Guscott — are running for SU President. Candidates and their platforms can be found on the SU website.

Second-year international business and international relations student Rushil Krishna said he is interested in the SU election. He believes it’s important for students to know about campus affairs.

“I want an SU who is going to be accountable and engaging to students,” Krishna said. “I want to vote for candidates who not only listen to student opinions, but actually address them.”

One of Krishna’s biggest concerns is accurate student representation. He said that with the current mediation between the university and the SU, his vote will go to candidates who are willing to listen to students.

“It is important to have representatives who are accountable and reflect the needs of students,” Krishna said. “The MacHall dispute makes this year’s election more interesting because I want to see how candidates decide to address the issue of MacHall’s management.”

Co-Chief Returning Officer Nolan Hill said that the election offers a chance for students to vote for officials who will best represent their needs next year. Hill claims student engagement in the election is high. He expects high voter turnout this year, and believes the SU has made it easy for students to learn more about the election process.

“The elected members of the Students’ Union do all kinds of work throughout the year to serve and represent the student body,” Hill said.

Second year biological sciences student Agnes Visan said that although she is interested and wants to give an educated vote in the election, she is not as informed as she would like to be.

“My interest in a candidate usually comes from their posters and their claims,” Visan said. “I think a lot of candidates have some refreshing and interesting ideas, and I especially like the lower parking price idea.”

Krishna said that he admires how candidates have brought new and interesting ideas, like lower parking prices. However, he thinks candidates may have trouble following through on their goals.

“To be honest, I look for a candidate who offers a realistic and solid plan.” Krishna said. “What I’ve noticed is that many candidates have brought forth many idealistic goals, but I want something that can really make my student life here better.”

Correction: The original version of this story contained a quote that was misattributed to Nolan Hill. We apologize to our readers for this error.