Student’s Union General Election 2020: Full Supplement
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, or the most hated, depending on your point of view. Posters plaster the walls, the science link tunnel turns into a giant fire hazard, student politicians hand out candy in exchange for your time listening to their spiel and awkward clapping ensues every time someone gives their pitch at the front of your classroom.
We love the Students’ Union election, which is one of the reasons why we make this supplement. The candidates are passionate about serving the student body and bringing change to campus and we’re passionate about informing students about who’s running, what they want to do if they’re elected and how likely it is that they’ll actually get those things done.
On Family Day weekend, we compiled a panel of our staff and interviewed (almost) every candidate in this year’s SU election. Each interview follows the same format — we gave each candidate three minutes to pitch their platform, then spent 10 minutes asking them questions. After that, we write up profiles to help inform students about those running.
This year, we heard more than we ever wanted to about CASE competitions — it seemed many of the candidates have the idea to expand their use to multiple faculties. Thankfully, we didn’t hear nearly as much about food options as we have in previous years, or grandiose, sweeping promises to renovate MacHall and student spaces.
We also heard plenty about mental health. It’s an issue that many students care deeply about and feel isn’t being addressed on campus. Some candidates seemed to throw it in their platform as a buzzword to pay lip service to an important issue, while others clearly thought very deeply about it.
With significant cuts to education happening and recent tuition increases, this year it is more important than ever to vote for the representatives you feel can best advocate for student interests. The vice-president external will be integral in bringing the student voice to government.
The vice-president student life will have to deal with the ever-present BSD, the albatross that hangs around the neck of the portfolio. It’s an unenviable position to be sure.
This year, we interviewed candidates for faculty representative positions as well. We felt it was important to expand our coverage. Student elections are important, and as campus media, we play an important role in bringing you the information. If we can play any part in bolstering voter turnout, that makes us happy. We did not discuss the Senate race as we have a conflict of interest and we have not featured acclaimed candidates. Look to our website and future issues of the Gauntlet in print to read about these positions.
Don’t just read our candidate profiles and endorsements. Read the candidates’ submitted platforms on the SU website, attend some forums and ask candidates questions yourself. Make sure to vote through your myUofC student centre from March 3–5.
Visit the links below to read about each candidate.
Faculty of Arts representatives
Faculty of Science representatives
Faculty of Nursing representatives
Schulich School of Engineering representatives
Haskayne School of Business representatives
Cumming School of Medicine Representatives