#upei su

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UPEI SU (Tribal) Council Finally Votes Someone Off

By Connor Simpson

The UPEI SU broke from tradition and finally impeached someone today. David Parker, one of a hundred Arts Reps, was impeached for missing too many council meetings. Josh Coles, who broke the news on Twitter, said it was "the first time in a bazillion years" that a councillor had actually been impeached.

Councillors traditionally never get impeached. You'd be hard-pressed to find a student currently at UPEI who could remember the last time someone was impeached. Maybe a grad student could, but it's a real MAYBE.

Jarrod Farria, then Executive VP, was almost impeached two years ago, but the decision was reversed when he explained he couldn't make his deciding meeting because of Visa troubles when re-entering the country.

Parker missed four meetings out of a possible nine. A councillor is automatically put up for impeachment if they miss three meetings in a row, or four total.

The vote to impeach Parker was 14-4, and the poor guy will forever be known as the first councillor the SU's impeached in nearly a decade.

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List of Candidates in the 2012 SU Spring Elections

President

Coles, Josh (fb group) VanGerven, Kate (fb group)

Vice-President of Activities

Beaton, James (fb group) Fullerton, Brittany (fb group) Millington, Jon (fb group)

Executive Vice-President

Danielle MacDonald (fb group)

Ombudsman

Curtis Moerike

Science Representative

Lucas MacArthur Emiley MacKinnon Michelle MacDougald Sylvie Morin Matthew Rice Shelby Russell Jonathan Stochless

Arts Representative

Kelsey Cormier Travis Gordon Chelsea Merry Sara Reeves Amy Doyle Oliver Bork

Valedictorian

Katie Killen (morning) Sarah O'Donnell (morning) Hannah Waxer (morning) Amy Wilson (afternoon)

Nursing Representative

Amanda Johnsten

Graduate Student Senate Representative

Bob Deziel

Graduate Student Representative

Heather Wotton

Business Representative

Justin Lank

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Our Student Union is Behaving Like a Bunch of Wonderful Shit Disturbers

In a move that makes our heart swell and our smiles stretch, the UPEI SU executive have called out the provincial government for not fulfilling their election promises to students. The Liberal government promised to supply fourth-year students a $2,000 bursary during the last election, similar to the one in place for the first year students, by 2012. They got elected, 2011 became 2012 and it hasn't been mentioned since. Via the SU's press release, the Liberal party detailed promise to students: 

The new George Coles University Graduate Scholarship will reward that commitment to education - by providing a further $2,000 bursary to final year students in programs equal to or exceeding four years.  The target date for introduction of this enhancement to Island [sic] is 2012 - so all Islanders currently enrolled in the final year of a four year degree program will be eligible for this scholarship award.

And this is the statement, again via the press release, from our venerable leader Rob Livingstone calling out the provincial government. 

We’re concerned graduating students will be left out in the cold. The cost of post-secondary education is already expensive. For many students, these two-thousand dollar bursaries are the difference between starting your career off debt-free or struggling to pay off outstanding student loans. I’ve had many current fourth year students inquiring about the bursary, wondering if they will be getting it before graduation or missing out on it entirely.

Missing out entirely, indeed. The provincial news cycle has been slow since the beginning of the new year, the only exception being the ongoing battle between PRRO and pro-lifers. The initial press release was put out around 10:30, and by noon CBC was already on campus looking to talk to fourth year students. The executive confirmed to us that the Guardian has also come calling. Get your popcorn ready. This is just the beginning. 

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Presidential Candidate: Rob Livingstone

For students at the University of Prince Edward Island, February is a month characterized by Valentine’s day, mid-terms, and the excitement of spring break. Silly love songs aside, the month also hosts one of UPEI’s most important events. That’s right -- it’s election time. By this point, you’ve been bombarded by a slew of campaign posters, dangerously large banners, and yes, even cardboard cut-outs (!). Up for grabs are the Student Union executive positions of VP Activities, VP Executive, and President.  

Rob Livingstone, a fourth-year chemistry major, is running for re-election as Student Union President.

Having previously served two years on council as a Science Representative, Livingstone reigns as the SU President of the 2010-2011 academic year, and looks back positively on his experience to date.

“I think the past year has been very good,” says Livingstone. “The experience was a good one, and I’m excited to be running again.”

While students may not have noticed any significant changes since his election, Livingstone notes that efforts have been focused on enhancing the Student Union from within.

“Some people may say that there hasn’t been a lot going on, but most of the changes were internal,” Livingstone notes, “We’ve created a VP Communications, and implemented a councillor’s checklist. The report section of our council meetings has gone from 15 minutes to close to an hour.”

The position of Vice President Communications, as well as the councillor’s checklist - a kind of safeguard to ensure that students elected to council are in fact performing designated duties - were both planks of Livingstone’s 2010 campaign platform. The 2010-2011 academic year has also seen the creation of the Graduate Student Committee, which boasts a $3,500 budget for graduate student research, conferences, and events. 

Having successfully achieved the goals set out in his previous presidential campaign, Livingstone is looking forward to reaching new heights in the 2011-2012 academic year. He believes his previous experience in the position could be an advantage over fellow candidates Megan Jennings and Amanda MacKinnon.

“There is a learning curve to being President,” Livingstone says, “and it takes a while to become familiar with the history of the SU in recent years, and what past Presidents were working to achieve. I wouldn’t have to do that again.”

“This could get projects off the ground earlier.”

And Livingstone certainly has projects. If re-elected, Rob hopes to make use of the opportunity to continue several projects that will not have time to be completed by the end of his current term. These projects include the establishment of an Undergraduate Committee - similar to the GSU - to fund conferences, events, and research for UPEI’s undergraduate students, exploring the establishment of a smoothie and sandwich kiosk in the W.A. Murphy Student Centre, and continuing to build on the various SU businesses such as Mickey’s Place, the Yearbook and the Cadre newspaper.

Livingstone also hopes to continue the revitalization of The Wave, and has already devised a new management structure that will come into effect at the end of the current school year.

“By the end of this year, a new Wave manager will be hired as a full-time employee that will oversee the bar on a day-to-day basis,” Livingstone says. “I want to see The Wave off to a solid start next year - start off strong, and keep on going.”

In what may arguably be his presidency’s greatest contribution to UPEI students, Livingstone and his fellow Student Union executive members are currently in the process of researching co-corruicular records - university-sanctioned documents that display a student’s extra-curricular activities. These would be attached to academic transcripts sent to graduate schools. A formal proposal is currently in the works.

“It’s something we’ve been exploring for a few months,” Livingstone stated, “and if I was elected again, I would love to see it implemented.”

Hey, you can’t argue with success. So read those posters, appreciate the effort it took to hang those banners so damn high in the Student Centre, and ... well, avoid the cardboard cut outs. Those are just plain weird. But in the words of SU presidential candidate Rob Livingstone: “just get informed, get out there, and vote!”

by Lindsay Handren

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VP Executive Candidate: Josh Coles

Despite only being in his second year at the University of Prince Edward Island, Josh Coles brings a wealth of experience and involvement to his campaign for the position of Executive Vice-President. Since enrolling in the school a couple of years ago, Coles has made a particular effort to stay involved in as many areas of university life as possible. He cites this level of involvement as one of the many reasons he is qualified to take over the position of Executive VP.

“At this point, I kind of have things figured out [around campus]. I want to take advantage of that and put it to use.”

Josh’s time at UPEI has included an endless stream of involvement in school-related activities. In his first year, Josh took on a lot of responsibility, becoming a First-Year Representative on student council and writing as the “Relationship Rabbi” for The Cadre. Since then, Josh has taken on even more responsibility. Most notably, he became involved with Integrated Communications and the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), working towards improving student engagement and academic involvement on campus. Aside from his work with NSSE, Josh has been involved with Student Services, giving campus tours and serving as a leader during New Student Orientation week. He has also moved on from his role as First-Year Representative to become an Arts Representative on council.

The position of Executive Vice President is one that revolves mainly around lobbying on a federal, provincial, and municipal level to address issues concerning tuition, subsidies, etc. Through organizations like the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations, students from most major schools are able to team up in an effort to increase the quality of university life for students. Because lobbying is such an important part of the Executive Vice-President’s job, Coles freely admits that it limits the sort of promises that he can make as a candidate.

“It is hard to make promises for this position,” says Coles. “Realistically, your major goals and duties concern lobbying and raising money.”

However, this limit does not prevent Coles from expressing a number of issues he would like to pursue if given the opportunity. These issues include the U-Pass and the Brown’s Court fence, to name a few. Concerning the U-Pass, he would like to get the bus system running on Sundays. With the increasing amount of students that rely on the bus system, Coles would like to see – at the very least – a limited run on University Ave. There is also talk of a five dollar increase on the cost of the U-Pass. Coles hopes to prevent that, if given the chance. On the Brown’s Court fence, Coles would like to continue the work that current Executive Vice-President, Kyle Murnaghan, has done. Ideally, he would like to work towards increasing the hours that the fence is open, if unable to have the fence removed entirely. 

That being said, Coles wants to make it clear that he is not building a campaign around such issues as the Brown’s Court fence. If elected, his focus will be on what is best for the student body, whether that be dealing with lobbying issues or an inconvenient fence.

by Spencer Phillips

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VP Executive Candidate: Ali Younis

Having cut his teeth with the Student Union working at The Wave for the last three years, Ali Younis feels ready for a bigger challenge. A third-year business student, Younis is running for the Vice President Executive position in the Spring 2011 elections. He says that his years working within the student union make him well-suited to the job.

“I’ve been around for a few years, and I’ve spent some time around the offices and seen the executive working up-close. I know how the executive works,” said Younis.

Because of his time working at The Wave, Younis’ face is a familiar one to many students on campus. He has worked there doing both security and promotions, and, from working closely with former VP Activities Shawn Younis, has had a hand in many important decisions about events happening at the bar in the last few years. Ali Younis said that his positive attitude and willingness to take on responsibility have been major assets while working within the student union.

“I’m the kind of person that if the manager was busy and something had to be taken care of, people would come ask me for help,” Younis said. He added that he has done a great deal of work with The Wave beyond the responsibilities of the paid positions he has held. 

In terms of what he would do in the role of VP Executive, he plans to make UPEI’s international students a priority. Younis, who is from Dubai himself, has been involved with the Society of International Students and feels that international students’ interests could be better represented at UPEI. He feels he would be very able to lobby for those interests.

“I mean, the international students pay $11,000 in tuition every year, and the budget for the Society of International Students is sixty bucks,” he said. “Every society on campus could be doing more if they could get more money.” Younis says he plans to make funding for societies a priority, be it through organizing fund-raising events or through other channels. He’s also aware of other important issues to UPEI students, such as Brown’s Court fences and potential tuition increases.

Like his opponent in the race, Josh Coles, Younis admits that he has a lot to learn about just what exactly the VP Executive does. But he’s very willing to learn, both from experience and from talking to former Exec Vps, as well as current Exec VP Kyle Murnaghan, whom he commended for his work this year at the student union candidates’ debate.

Younis is determined to win the election, and says that what he looks forward to most of all is being a member of the executive team. 

“The executive are all really great people to work with. They work hard and they want to get things done on campus, so I’m excited to be a part of that.”

by Garrett Curley

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VP Activities Candidate: Brittany Banks

First off, what does the VP Activities do?

Essentially, they are in charge of being a liaison between the UPEI SU and every sub-organization on campus, of which there are many. They also have to take care of any UPEI SU concert, event, or activity occurring on campus. Clearly, this is a demanding job.

This position was filled by Shawn Younis for a number of years. During his tenure, the number of hours that this job was paid for was (rightly) increased, and the importance of this job has also increased over time. The reins were passed to Logan O’Brien after last year’s election for the position, and he is up for re-election this year.

Enter Brittany Banks.

“It’s the most visible [position] on campus. It affects student life,” she said recently of the VP Activities post. “I like building on others’ ideas, and creating ideas of my own”. 

Brittany is a full-time third year music student at UPEI. She is heavily involved with the daily life of students in regards to extracurricular events and campus government, and she feels that she can be more involved in both by taking up this position.

She is the current President of the Music Society, and having put on events with the music department (Musical Telegrams, the Annual Haunted House, a Christmas variety show for high school students), she has a background in the organization and planning of campus events.

When asked about improvements that she would bring in next year, she said the crux of her approach would be to have one separate large event per semester for both The Wave (one large live show a semester) and outside of a bar setting. The winter semester could include a winter carnival, for instance.

Describing herself as outgoing and easy to approach, she would also like to make sure she meets with all societies and sub-organizations early in the year, as well as helping each organization recruit new members of its own.

Citing low attendance, the Student Union recently made the decision to shut down The Wave on Monday and Tuesday nights. This was voted for unanimously in council, which includes Brittany, who represents students on council as a senate representative. 

“I’m for it, but only to the end of this year,” she said of the recent decision, adding that she used to have a tradition of attending Monday’s 1/2 price appetizers. Banks would like to see The Wave reopened on both days come September 2011, and would like to promote Thursday night open mic nights more thoroughly to increase draw to the bar. 

Finally, one of her other pet projects she would like to see happen is a Live Music Fridays series with local bands. This would occur both at UPEI and within the community as well.

by Brittany Banks

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Student Union launches new website for the D&D Club

University isn’t just about the classes. For many students, it’s also about the social experience. Many students have found their niche on the UPEI campus through societies and interest groups, but other than the occasional poster or Facebook event, it’s often difficult for the rest of us to connect the dots in order to get involved with these groups, let alone hear about them in the first place.  The UPEISU’s VP Communications, with the help of the expertise of Integrated Communications, has launched a new website to help solve this problem.

 “The idea for the site came from Dave Cormier, Manager of Web Communications and Innovations over in Integrated Communications. He and I both felt that there were huge opportunities for students to get involved on campus but no true means of communication for those opportunities,” says VP Communications Kate VanGerven.

The Society Site brings UPEI groups together in one online location. After students have logged on using their UPEI ID, they then have the opportunity to view and join societies on campus. For societies, it’s an opportunity to showcase their group and to advertise upcoming events on one large calendar.

“The calendar is something that will grow by leaps and bounds as societies continue to register and continue to add their events. It's all the stuff you have the option of getting involved in, in one central location,” says VanGerven.

Though the site was officially launched on January 13th, it has been in the works since October 2010. The work is not complete though.  VanGerven says the UPEI Society Site will continue to expand and grow according to the needs of UPEI students. 

“We definitely have a lot more we would like to do with it and students will see that as they continue to use the site. […] having the Student Union work with Integrated Communications is so important because we each bring different opinions to the table; that's really how this site has been built.”

You can log onto the new UPEI Society Site at societies.upeisu.ca.

by Brittany Banks

Full diclosure: Brittany Banks is a member of the UPEI Student Union.