UPEI's Student Union Nominees Get Warmed Up for Election
Last week students heard from the candidates of this year's student elections. The small crowd of listeners filled the tables at the Courtyard of the W.A. Murphy Building while students went to the stage to voice their campaign plat- forms, which ranged to getting more school spirit in the form of activities (and beer) and continuing to work with the provincial government to change students' financial situations.
Presidential candidate Brandon MacKenzie, who has worked as a political intern with a Member of Parliament, said he wanted to approach the problem of ris- ing tuition by working with the govern- ment instead of holding tuition freeze protests.
"We must recognize that students are not the only ones with a vested interest in post-secondary education," he said. "Despite our misconceptions, it is the provincial government that pays for rough- ly two-thirds of the cost of our post-sec- ondary education."
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He said that he wants to propose a plan that would see Islanders who stay in the province to work have their income tax payments directed at paying down their student loans.
"Such a plan, in practice, would build a skilled workforce on P.E.I. - and would help our Island in the long run."
The tuition freeze was also in the speeches of the other Student Council president candidates.
Donnie Killorn, who came out on stage wearing a poster and shorts, but quickly changed into warmer clothes, said, "It doesn't look like we're going to get a tuition freeze," adding, "Why does the government keep pointing the finger at the federal government?"
To help students, he proposes having the six month grace period that stu-
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dents take before beginning to make their first student loan payments extended to a full year. "We really, really need more time," he said. Krista Gallant, currently sitting as
_ Executive Vice-President on the Union,
said she has learned a lot from her position this year. She wants to increase school spirit - and student loan maximums.
"In eight years, the student loan maximum has not changed," she said, say- ing tuition, however, has risen 135 per cent in that time.
Gallant also wants to begin imple- menting Safe Walk, a proposed program that would see students afraid of walking home alone at night paired with a volun- teer.
"Almost every university has one," she said.
A student in the audience asked the candidates what their views are on hav- ing better access to secondhand books.
"Every year there's new books," said Gallant who proposed working with professors to see if they need to change books often.
Killorn suggested having a Website focussed on secondhand book sales that would be "more accessible for students," than the posters that often plas- ter bulletins at the beginning of semesters. MacKenzie suggested having a drop-off box for the posters that could be then added to the Website.
On the matter of Vice President, Michelle Trowsdale, a volunteer at the Woman's Centre, said she plans on work- ing hard in the position. She is also con- cerned the protests for tuition freezes are not working. The second candidate for the position, Patricia MacPhail, has been part
of New Student Orientation for four years, and on committees like the Tuition Freeze campaign. She said that even though stu- dents at UPEI may have the lowest univer- sity tuition in the region, students should still have a tuition freeze put in place. She also wants to help with Safe Walk.
Planning out how they will keep students entertained next year, the candi- dates for VP of Activities for Student Council said they will increase school spir- it.
"This [Student Centre] is kind of getting treated like a nunnery," Ryan Giddens said, adding he wants to motivate people with free stuff and discounts.
Candidate Aimee Arsenault said it's usually "pretty dead" in the Wave. "I
- want to fill that bar," she said. The most
school spirit she has seen at UPEI was dur- ing the New Student Orientation at the beginning of the year and she said she wanted to change that so it would last throughout the year.
Shelley MacNeil, who works at the Wave, said she would like to increase participation on school committees, per- haps even holding a committee day where students can be introduced to the variety of organizations in which they can take part.
On the matter of afternoon convo- cation valedictorian, Scott Flemming said: "Anyone who can best my ‘fro should give it a try," while Janet Roloson said she _ understood students go a long way to get to graduation, and wanted to incorporate that into her speech. Another candidate, Lennie MacPherson, said, "I'm very pas- sionate about this ... I'm an English student and I'm confident with my writing ability."
Advance polls will be open on March 10 and 11 while the regular polls will be held March 12 and 13.
Robichaud
Roloson
President: Krista Gallant, Donnie Killorn, Brandon MacKenzie
VP Executive: Patricia McPhail, Michelle Trowsdale
VP Activities: Aimee Arsenault, Ryan Giddens, Shelley MacNeil
Arts Representative: Kelley Butler, Shaun Coady, Chris Power, Sarah
Business Representative: Ellen Klein
Science Representative: Jeff Clow, Katie Younker
Nursing Represenative: Lindsay Currie
Senate: Cassandra Armsworthy, Laurel Murphy
Valedictorian: Morning - Chris Aitken, Paul Murphy
Afternoon - Scott Flemming, Christina Holloway, Lennie MacPherson, Janet