ot
     
    
   
   
    
     
      New
      Student
      Union
      president
      elected;
      students
      mostly
      unaware
      of
      election.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Sarah
      Murphy
     
     
      NEWS
      EDITOR
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Few
      students
     
     
      seemed
      aware
      of
      this
     
     
      fall’s
      by-election,
      and
     
     
      even
      fewer
      voted.
     
    

    
     
      After
      last
     
     
      spring’s
      twenty
      five
      per
     
     
      cent
      voter
      turn-out,
     
     
      UPEI
      Student
      Union
     
     
      surely
      would
      have
     
     
      hoped
      for
      the
      same
     
     
      level
      of
      enthusiasm
      in
     
     
      last
      month’s
      by-elec-
     
     
      tion.
      But
      only
      eight
     
     
      percent
      of
      the
      student
     
     
      population
      stepped
      up
     
     
      to
      the
      ballot
      box
      to
      cast
     
     
      their
      vote.
     
    

    
     
      Jonn
     
     
      Desrosiers,
      newly
     
     
      elected
      Student
      Union
     
     
      President
      does
      not
     
     
      seem
      surprised.
     
    

    
     
      “T
      was
      kind
      of
     
     
      disappointed
      in
      the
     
     
      turn
      out,
      being
      just
     
     
      eight
      percent,
      but
      at
     
     
      the
      same
      time
      J
      think
     
     
      that
      is
      to
      expected
     
     
      when
      itis
      a
      by-elec-
     
     
      tion,”
      says
      Desrosiers.
     
     
      “The
      turnout
      justifies
     
     
      the
      time
      of
      year.”
     
    

    
     
      Desrosiers
     
     
      believes
      the
      cause
      of
     
     
      the
      low
      voter
      turnout
     
     
      my
      be
      he
      fact
      that
      the
     
     
      majority
      of
      UPEI
     
    
   
   
    
     
      students
      did
      not
      know
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      Andrew
      Peppin,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      former
      President
      had
     
    
   
   
    
     
      stepped
      down.
      Also,
     
     
      coming
      in
      as
      a
      replace-
     
     
      ment,
      Desrosiers
     
     
      realized
      having
      a
      preset
     
     
      agenda
      would
      take
      a
      lot
     
     
      of
      the
      excitement
      out
     
     
      of
      the
      campaign.
     
    

    
     
      “There
      was
      a
     
     
      week
      and
      a
      half
      of
     
     
      campaigning.
      But
     
     
      when
      you
      are
      coming
     
     
      in
      as
      a
      replacement
     
     
      there
      is
      an
      agenda
      set
     
     
      for
      you,
      and
      you
      really
     
     
      can’t
      say
      ‘this
      is
      what
      I
     
     
      plan
      on
      doing...’
      There
     
     
      has
      been
      six
      months
      of
     
     
      work
      done,
      since
      the
     
     
      former
      president
      had
     
     
      been
      sworn
      in
      in
      May.
     
     
      So
      he
      [
      Peppin]
      had
      all
     
     
      summer
      to
      set
      an
     
     
      agenda,
      all
      summer
      to
     
     
      get
      used
      to
      the
      system.
     
     
      When
      there
      is
      a
      by-
     
     
      election
      in
      October,
     
     
      your
      platform
      as
      such
     
     
      cannot
      be
      as
      genuine
     
     
      and
      precise
      as
      if
      you
     
     
      were
      running
      in
      last
     
     
      April’s
      election.”
     
    

    
     
      Stephen
      Lewis,
     
     
      VP
      Finance
      and
      acting
     
     
      Chief
      Returning
     
     
      Officer
      in
      this
      past
     
     
      election
      thinks
      turn-
     
     
      out
      might
      also
      have
     
     
      been
      affected
      by
      the
     
     
      positions
      available
      for
     
     
      students.
     
    

    
     
      “It
      was
      mostly
      -
     
     
      councillor
      positions
     
     
      and
      there
      was
      the
     
     
      President’s
      position.
      I
     
    
   
   
    
     
      am
      not
      saying
      that
      one
     
     
      is
      more
      important
      than
     
     
      another,
      but
      some
     
     
      people
      may
      feel
      that
     
     
      way.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Lewis
      realises
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      was
      kind
      of
      dis-
     
     
      appointed
      in
      the
     
     
      turn
      out...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -John
      Desrosiers
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Newly
      elected
      student
     
     
      union
      president
     
    
   
   
    
     
      unaware
      of
      the
      elec-
     
     
      tion.
      Allan
      McAlduff,
      a
     
     
      former
      councillor
     
     
      believes
      the
      Union
     
     
      should
      have
      advertised
     
     
      better.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      the
      election
      may
     
     
      have
      been
      a
      little
     
     
      unexpected
      for
      some
     
     
      students.
      Few
      students
     
     
      think
      an
      election
     
     
      would
      be
      necessary
     
     
      only
      a
      few
      weeks
      into
     
     
      the
      fall
      semester.
     
    

    
     
      UPEI
      students
     
     
      have
      been
      known
      for
     
     
      their
      lack
      of
      participa-
     
     
      tion
      in
      Student
      Union
     
     
      elections
      and
      to
      Lewis,
     
     
      this
      year’s
      turnout
      was
     
     
      not
      a
      great
      surprise
      or
     
     
      disappointment.
     
    

    
     
      “Even
      on
      this
     
     
      campus,
      eight
      per
      cent,
     
     
      is
      a
      high
      voter
      turnout
     
     
      for
      some
      elections.”
     
    

    
     
      Several
      students
     
     
      were
      disgruntled
      at
      the
     
     
      fact
      that
      they
      were
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “T
      had
      no
      idea
     
     
      there
      was
      an
      election
     
     
      until
      I
      saw
      campaign
     
     
      material.”
     
    

    
     
      Other
      students
     
     
      believed
      that
      election
     
     
      results
      were
      unsatistac-
     
     
      tory
      and
      that
      therefore
     
     
      the
      results
      should
      not
     
     
      be
      approved.
     
    

    
     
      “Once
      they
     
     
      [students]
      saw
      that
     
     
      everything
      was
      done
      by
     
     
      the
      book
      they
      really
     
     
      didn’t
      have
      any
      prob-
     
     
      lems
      with
      it,”
      says
     
     
      Lewis.
      “I
      don’t
      know
      if
     
     
      they
      had
      an
      actual
     
     
      complaint
      or
      they
      were
     
     
      just
      trying
      to
      be
      diffi-
     
     
      cult.
      They
      didn’t
     
     
      actually
      say
      anything
     
     
      about
      the
      election,
      but
     
    
   
   
    
     
      they
      were
      concerned
     
     
      that
      there
      were
      not
     
     
      enough
      councillors
      this
     
     
      year.
     
    

    
     
      Lewis
      admits
     
     
      that
      there
      are
      fewer
     
     
      councillors
      than
      usual
     
     
      on
      this
      year’s
      council
     
     
      but
      that
      little
      action
     
     
      can
      be
      taken
      to
      solve
     
     
      this
      problem.
      The
     
     
      positions
      are
      likely
      to
     
     
      remain
      vacant
      until
      the
     
     
      next
      election,
      sched-
     
     
      uled
      in
      the
      spring
      of
     
     
      2000.
     
    

    
     
      “They
      [council-
     
     
      lor
      positions]
      were
     
     
      advertised
      twice,
      people
     
     
      had
      a
      chance
      to
      run
      for
     
     
      them.
      If
      they
      don’t
      do.
     
     
      it,
      we
      can’t
      go
      out
      and
     
     
      actively
      seek
      people
      to
     
     
      do
      the
      job,
      because
     
     
      they
      are
      elected
      posi-
     
     
      tions.
     
    

    
     
      The
      VP
      finance
     
     
      insists
      that
      students
      are
     
     
      well
      represented
      despite
     
     
      the
      small
      number
      of
     
     
      councillors,
      with
     
     
      representatives
      on
      the
     
     
      Senate,
      Board
      of
     
     
      Governors,
      and
      in
     
     
      various
      faculties.
     
    

    
     
      Desrosiers
      is
     
     
      optimistic
      about
      this
     
     
      year
      and
      is
      ready
      to
      get
     
     
      down
      to
      work.
     
    

    
     
      “T
      think
      my
     
     
      first
      agenda
      is
      to
      get
     
     
      accustomed
      to
      all
      the
     
     
      committees
      [and
     
     
      suborganizations]
      that
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      are
      already
      in
      place.
     
     
      Right
      now
      I
      am
      ina
     
     
      transition
      period,”
      says
     
     
      Desrosiers.
      “My
      main
     
     
      objective
      this
      year
      is
      to
     
     
      get
      people
      more
      aware
     
     
      of
      the
      student
      union.”
     
    

    
     
      Like
      many,
     
     
      Desrosiers
      hears
      the
     
     
      complaints
      of
      students
     
     
      who
      feel
      they
      do
      not
     
     
      have
      a
      voice,
      but
      who
     
     
      refuse
      to
      participate
      in
     
     
      student
      union
      activities
     
     
      and
      committees.
      His
     
     
      first
      goal
      for
      this
      term
     
     
      is
      to
      show
      these
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      that
      the
      union
     
     
      can
      give
      them
      a
      voice
     
    

    
     
      “Te
      [Student
     
     
      Union|
      is
      a
      friendly
     
     
      environment,
      and
      it
      is
     
     
      an
      advantage
      to
      the
     
     
      student
      to
      be
      more
     
     
      aware
      [of
      its
      opera-
     
     
      tions],
      explains
     
     
      Desrosiers.
      “I
      think
      my
      |
     
     
      second
      goal
      is
      to
      show
     
     
      to
      the
      students
      who
      are
     
     
      drive
      through
      students
     
     
      who
      come
      here
      do
     
     
      their
      fifty
      minutes
      or
     
     
      two
      classes
      a
      day,
      that
     
     
      there
      is
      more
      to
      this
     
     
      university
      than
      actually
     
     
      just
      parking
      your
      car
      1n
     
     
      a
      parking
      lot
      and
     
     
      complaining
      about
      the
     
     
      spot.”
     
    

    
     
      According
      to
     
     
      the
      Union,
      the
      new
     
     
      Student
      Centre
      will
     
     
      likely
      play
      a
      big
      role
      in
     
     
      this.
      END