Page
      4
     
    
   
   
    
     
      March
      16,
      2009
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ELECTION
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PANTHER
      POST
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cullen
      bringing
      students
      into
      decision
      making
      process
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Post
      staff
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      third
      year
      Arts
      student
      here
     
     
      at
      UPEI,
      Tim
      Cullen
      is
      one
     
     
      of
      the
      candidates
      this
      year
     
     
      for
      Student
      Union
      President,
     
     
      so
      we
      sat
      down
      with
      him
      to
     
     
      gain
      some
      perspective
      on
      his
     
     
      campaign.
      A
      double
      major
      in
     
     
      Political
      Studies
      and
      French,
     
     
      Cullen
      had
      spent
      a
      year
      away
     
     
      from
      UPEI
      at
      the
      University
     
     
      of
      Ottawa
      and
      hopes
      to
      bring
     
     
      some
      of
      his
      experience
      to
      the
     
     
      table.
     
    

    
     
      “T
      couldn’t
      be
      happier
      that
     
     
      I
      made
      the
      choice
      to
      come
     
     
      back.
     
    

    
     
      .“T’ve
      always
      planned
      this
      as
     
     
      something
      I
      wanna
      do,
      lead-
     
     
      ing
      into
      my
      final
      year.
      And
     
     
      so
      here
      I
      am,
      it’s
      election
     
     
      time
      and
      I’m
      running
      for
     
     
      president.”
     
    

    
     
      “{It’s]
      a
      big
      part
      of
      my
      plat-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Post
      staff
     
    
   
   
    
     
      If
      you
      ask
      Ali
      Fatehi,
      student
     
     
      engagement
      is
      needed
      at
     
     
      UPEI.
      In
      fact,
      it’s
      a
      big
      part
     
     
      of
      his
      platform.
     
    

    
     
      In
      his
      run
      for
      the
      top
      spot
      in
     
     
      the
      UPEI
      Student
      Union
      he
     
     
      says
      that
      a
      vote
      for
      him
      will
     
     
      be
      a
      vote
      for
      “A
      united
      stu-
     
     
      dent
      voice,
      a
      strong
      student
     
     
      Union.”
     
    

    
     
      He
      remained
      relatively
      un-
     
     
      der
      the
      radar
      for
      much
      of
      the
     
     
      student
      elections,
      choosing
     
     
      not
      to
      immediately
      put
      up
     
     
      any
      posters
      to
      bring
      in
      aware-
     
     
      ness.
      It
      was
      by
      no
      means
      an
     
     
      act
      of
      lazimess.
      The
      Presi-
     
     
      dential
      contender
      apparently
     
     
      was
      looking
      out
      for
      the
      envi-
     
     
      ronment
      when
      choosing
      not
     
     
      to
      post
      anything
      throughout
     
    
   
   
    
     
      form...working
      on
      bringing
     
     
      students
      into
      the
      decision-
     
     
      making
      processes,
      the
      Stu-
     
     
      dent
      Union
      really
      involving
     
     
      them
      a
      lot
      more,
      and
      that
     
     
      the
      Union
      I
      think
      needs
      to
     
     
      be
      more
      proactive
      in
      going
     
     
      out
      and
      making
      sure
      that
      the
     
     
      students
      are
      involved,
      not
     
     
      waiting
      for
      them
      to
      come
      to
     
     
      us,
      should
      they
      choose
      to
      be
     
     
      involved.
      And
      part
      of
      that,
     
     
      obviously,
      means
      increased
     
     
      communication.”
     
    

    
     
      “T
      would
      like
      to
      meet
      on
      a
     
     
      regular
      basis,
      with
      the
      presi-
     
     
      dents
      of,
      potentially
      an
      Arts
     
     
      society,
      the
      president
      or
      ex-
     
     
      ecutive
      of
      the
      Business
      soci-
     
     
      ety,
      the
      Science
      societies,
      of
     
     
      the
      Graduate
      Student
      Asso-
     
     
      ciation,
      of
      the
      AVC,
      and
      talk
     
     
      to
      these
      people.
      Because
      we
     
     
      have
      council,
      in
      one
      respect,
     
     
      but
      these
      are
      all
      very
      diverse
     
     
      students.
      All
      involved
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Fatehi
      wants
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      school.
      As
      the
      days
      wore
     
     
      on,
      however,
      Ali
      began
      post-
     
     
      ing
      his
      face
      on
      UPEI
      walls
     
     
      and
      really
      started
      pushing
     
     
      for
      his
      cause.
     
    

    
     
      His
      Facebok
      site
      has
      an
      im-
     
     
      pressive
      number
      of
      people,
     
     
      and
      his
      stances
      on
      issues
      are
     
     
      just
      as
      impressive:
     
    

    
     
      “Increased
      _school/varsity
     
     
      spirit.”
     
    

    
     
      “Increased
      funding
      for
      stu-
     
     
      dents.”
     
    

    
     
      He
      also
      points
      out
      his
      global
     
     
      experience
      in
      his
      platform:
     
    

    
     
      “As
      a
      person
      who
      has
      lived
     
     
      and
      studied
      in
      4
      different
     
     
      countries
      on
      3
      different
      con-
     
     
      tinents,
      I
      am
      well-aware
      of
     
     
      the
      challenges
      our
      growing
     
     
      international
      students
      face,”
     
     
      he
      states
      on
      his
      Facebook
     
     
      site.
     
    

    
     
      The
      fourth-year
      Science
     
    
   
   
    
     
      council
      and
      they
      are
      fairly
     
     
      engaged,
      they
      have
      a
      good
     
     
      pulse
      on
      what’s
      happening
     
     
      within
      the
      faculty,
      the
      issues
     
     
      and
      concerns
      of
      students
     
     
      within
      the
      faculty.
     
    

    
     
      Engage
      these
      people,
      and
     
     
      they
      in
      turn
      can
      go
      out
      and
     
     
      engage
      other
      students
      around
     
     
      them
      for
      us,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      think
      people
      come
      here
     
     
      expecting
      [..]
      excellent
      rela~
     
     
      tions
      between
      students
      and
     
     
      professors,
      classrooms
      small
     
     
      and
      tidy.
     
    

    
     
      But
      I
      find
      that
      equates
      more
     
     
      sO
      as
      you
      reach
      your
      up-
     
     
      per
      levels
      here
      and
      so
      a
      lot
     
     
      of
      students
      discuss
      student
     
    
   
   
    
     
      retention
      as
      being
      a
      really
     
     
      difficult
      problem
      for
      us
      at
     
     
      UPEL.”
     
    

    
     
      “We
      need
      to
      reach
      out
      to
     
     
      these
      other
      student
      groups
     
     
      because
      they
      can
      help
      us
      cre-
     
     
      ate
      that
      sense
      of
      community,
     
     
      or
      “Panther
      Pride’,
      through
     
     
      student
      activities.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      that
      we
     
     
      can
      reach
     
     
      more
      people
     
     
      that
      way.
     
    

    
     
      “Communi-
     
     
      ty’s
      a
      really
     
     
      good
      word
     
     
      that
      you
     
     
      mentioned;
      I
     
     
      think
      that
      we
     
     
      lack
      a
      sense
     
     
      of
      commu-
     
     
      nity
      here,
     
     
      which
      is
      a
     
     
      little
      surpris-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Robertson
      Library
      Food
      for
      Fines
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘Do
      you
      have
      library
      fines?
      Would
      you
      like
      to
      help
      a
     
     
      fellow
      student
      or
      family
      on
      campus?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Bring
      1-
      5
      non-perishable
      food
      or
      grocery
      items
      (e.g.
     
     
      canned
      goods,
      pasta,
      light
      bulbs,
      toilet
      paper,
      etc.)
      for
     
     
      the
      Campus
      Food
      Bank
      to
      the
      Circulation
      Desk
      at
      the
     
    

    
     
      Library
      from
      Monday,
      March
      23
      to
     
     
      Monday,
      April
      20
      and
      we’
      ll
      deduct
      $2.00
      per
      item
     
     
      (up
      to
      $10.00)
      from
      your
      library
      fines.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ing,
      because
     
    
   
   
    
     
      more
      student
      engagement
     
    
   
   
    
     
      student
      has
      all
      ready
      made
     
     
      a
      dent
      in
      the
      UPEI
      Student
     
     
      Union
      political
      scene.
      He
      is
     
     
      currently
      a
      member
      of
      the
     
     
      Student
      Union,
      and
      has
      been
     
     
      the
      president
      of
      the
      Math
     
     
      Society,
      as
      well
      as
      the
      Vice
     
     
      President
      for
      the
      Physics
      So-
     
     
      ciety.
     
    

    
     
      But
      Ali
      now
      plans
      to
      make
     
     
      the
      jump
      into
      the
      president’s
     
     
      seat,
      hoping
      to
      bring
      about
     
     
      more
      student
      engagement
     
     
      around
      the
      school.
     
    

    
     
      Other
      points
      he’s
      made
      is
      to
     
     
      have
      the
      Wave
      open
      during
     
     
      school
      hours.
     
    

    
     
      Through
      this,
      he
      feels
      the
     
     
      student
      body
      will
      have
      more
     
     
      options
      in
      terms
      of
      food,
      and
     
     
      makes
      the
      point
      of
      stating
      he
     
     
      is
      the
      only
      candidate
      to
      make
     
     
      this
      promise.
     
    

    
     
      Other
      points
      include
      in-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Facebook
      group.
     
    

    
     
      creased
      funding
      for
      students
     
     
      and
      for
      students
      to
      be
      more
     
     
      informed
      on
      particular
      events
     
     
      happening
      around
      the
      school.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Photo
      courtesy
      of
      ‘Ali
      for
      Student
      Union
      ne
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ali
      points
      specifically
      to
      the
     
     
      UPASS
      vote.
      He
      feels
      the
     
     
      students
      should
      have
      been
     
     
      made
      more
      aware.