On
      We
      y,
      Septe
      24,
     
     
      at
      12:30
      in
      the
      Courtyard
      of
      the
      SUB,
     
     
      there
      were
      the
      candidates
      speeches
      for
     
     
      the
      upcoming
      Student
      Union
      Bi-
     
     
      Elections.
      In
      all
      there
      are
      20
      people
      run-
     
     
      ning,
      and
      the
      majority
      of
      them
      had
      an
     
     
      opportunity
      to
      say
      one
      minute
      worth
      of
      |
     
     
      stuff;
      just
      enough
      time
      to
      say
      who
      they
     
     
      were.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      First
      the
      current
      SU
      officials
     
     
      gave
      their
      own
      speeches,
      followed
      by
      a
     
     
      quick
      rundown
      through
      the
      candidates
     
     
      who
      were
      in
      attendance.
      The
      Courtyard
     
     
      was
      fairly
      full,
      and
      just
      like
      the
      speeches
     
     
      last
      year
      there
      was
      a
      huge
      empty
      space
     
     
      in
      the
      middle
      of
      the
      room,
      with
      every-
     
     
      one
      packed
      off
      to
      the
      sides.
     
    

    
     
      But
      after
      the
      Representative
     
     
      speeches
      were
      done,
      the
      big
      speakers
     
     
      came
      on
      stage.
      These
      were
      the
      guys
     
     
      (and
      gal)
      running
      for
      Executive
      Vice
     
     
      President.
      This
      is
      the
      position
      which
     
     
      was
      left
      vacant
      last
      year
      when
      a
      candi-
     
     
      date
      (and
      winner
      of
      the
      election)
      with-
     
     
      drew
      her
      name
      after
      being
      accepted
      to
     
     
      law
      school.
      In
      the
      meantime
      an
      interim
     
     
      Executive
      VP
      was
      appointed,
      and
      now
     
     
      it's
      time
      for
      the
      position
      to
      go
      to
      the
     
     
      vote.
     
    

    
     
      Three
      of
      the
      four
      people
      run-
     
     
      ning
      for
      the
      position
      gave
      speeches.
      Jeff
     
     
      Grandy,
      Nick
      MacDonald,
      and
      Aimee
     
     
      Arsenault
      were
      the
      three,
      (Nick
      Policelli
     
     
      did
      not
      attend)
      and
      Jeff
      Grandy
      headed
     
     
      off
      the
      speeches.
     
    

    
     
      Jeff
      is
      in
      his
      fourth
      year
      of
      busi-
     
     
      ness
      at
      UPEI,
      and
      he
      wants
      to
      reduce
     
     
      both
      the
      tuition
      and
      the
      debt
      load
      of
      stu-
     
    

    
     
      dents.
      To
      do
      this,
      he
      wants
      to
      take
      a
     
     
      -
      more
      “holistic"
      approach,
      and
      stated
      that
     
     
      the
      province
      continues
      to
      pour
      massive
     
     
      amounts
      of
      money
      into
      UPEI,
      yet
     
     
      tuition
      continues
      to
      rise.
      Thus
      students
     
     
      should
      not
      have
      to
      unjustly
      bear
      the
     
     
      financial
      burden
      of
      the
      university.
     
    

    
     
      Next
      up
      was
      Aimee
      Arsenault,
     
     
      who
      is
      the
      current
      interim
      Executive
      VP.
     
     
      Her
      speech
      was
      centred
      around
      lowering
     
     
      tuition
      and
      the
      fight
      to
      do
      so,
      and
      she
     
     
      was
      full
      of
      ideas.
      She
      described
      her
      .
     
     
      ideas,
      such
      as
      building
      snowmen
      on
     
     
      University
      Avenue,
      and
      also
      of
      laying
     
     
      out
      the
      cost
      of
      one
      course
      in
      pennies.
     
     
      She
      also
      brought
      up
      the
      issue
      of
      safe
     
     
      walk,
      and
      also
      the
      problem
      of
      student/
     
     
      Student
      Council
      Representative
      commu-
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Three
      of
      the
      four
      candidates
      for
      Executive
      VP
     
    
   
   
    
     
      nication,
      and
      has
      several
      ideas
      to
     
     
      increase
      student
      access
      to
      their
      reps.
     
     
      Nick
      MacDonald
      was
      up
      next,
     
     
      and
      he
      set
      out
      from
      the
      start
      with
      an
     
     
      impressive
      list
      of
      student
      activities
     
     
      which
      he's
      been
      involved
      in.
      He
      feels
     
     
      that
      he
      can
      take
      the
      knowledge
      which
      he
     
     
      has
      learned
      from
      across
      campus,
      and
     
     
      help
      apply
      it
      to
      the
      Executive
      VP
      posi-
     
     
      tion,
      which
      he
      believes
      is
      a
      position
     
    
   
   
    
     
      which
      is
      working
      and
      needs
      a
      high
      level
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      professionalism
      to
      work.
      If
      elected,
     
     
      he
      promised
      to
      have
      another
      wall
      of
     
     
      debt
      campaign,
      to
      look
      into
      the
      safe
     
     
      walk
      program,
      to
      fight
      tuition
      and
      debt
     
     
      load,
      to
      look
      into
      a
      better
      used-book
     
     
      notice
      board,
      and
      he
      also
      promised
      to
     
     
      reevaluate
      the
      way
      in
      which
      the
      faculty
     
     
      of
      the
      year
      is
      chosen.
     
    

    
     
      After
      the
      speeches
      a
      series
      of
     
     
      questions
      came
      from
      the
      crowd,
      with
     
     
      most
      of
      them
      coming
      from
      Brandon
     
     
      MacKenzie.
      The
      most
      pointed
      question
     
     
      was
      on
      the
      SU's
      continued
      relationship
     
     
      with
      the
      Canadian
      Federation
      of
     
     
      Students
      (CFS),
      and
      in
      my
      opinion
     
     
      Aimee
      and
      Jeff
      came
      out
      anti-CFS,
     
     
      while
      Nick
      initially
      made
      himself
      seem
     
     
      anti-CFS,
      but
      was
      the
      only
      one
      who
      said
     
     
      that
      there
      may
      be
      value
      to
      CFS.
     
    

    
     
      After
      a
      few
      more
      questions,
      a
     
     
      member
      of
      the
      crowd
      asked
      the
      candi-
     
     
      dates
      a
      question
      which
      was
      more
      direct-
     
     
      ed
      at
      the
      current
      SU.
      She
      stated,
      as
      I
      can
     
     
      best
      remember,
      that
      she
      had
      been
      at
     
     
      UPEI
      for
      ten
      years,
      and
      during
      that
      time
     
     
      she
      has
      seen
      the
      same
      sort
      of
      people
      get
     
     
      up
      and
      make
      speeches
      and
      get
      elected
      -
     
     
      and
      then
      they
      do
      nothing.
      They
      make
     
    
   
   
    
     
      OO
      Os
     
    
   
   
    
     
      promises
      but
      nothing
      ever
      gets
      done,
     
     
      and
      she
      asked
      what
      in
      the
      past
      ten
      years
     
     
      has
      the
      Student
      Union
      really
      done
     
     
      beside
      make
      promises
      and
      hide
      in
      their
     
     
      offices?
     
    

    
     
      For
      this
      the
      Student
      Union
     
     
      President
      Brandon
      MacKenzie
      took
      the
     
     
      stage,
      and
      answered
      her
      question,
      and
     
     
      later
      on
      gave
      me
      (and
      every
      one
      in
     
     
      earshot)
      his
      finished
      response,
      which
     
     
      follows:
     
    

    
     
      It
      is
      because
      of
      students
      like
      her
     
     
      who
      believe
      that
      the
      Student
      Union
      does
     
     
      nothing
      for
      them,
      who
      do
      nothing
      to
      get
     
     
      involved
      and
      seem
      to
      please
      themselves
     
     
      by
      bringing
      apathy
      and
      despair
      into
      our
     
     
      school
      that
      the
      initiatives
      we
      develop
     
     
      are
      faced
      with
      failure.
      I
      heard
      today
     
     
      from
      (her)
      that
      this
      one
      individual
      is
     
     
      upset
      at
      the
      Student
      Union
      for
      not
      effect-
     
     
      ing
      real
      change,
      ironically
      as
      she
     
     
      enjoyed
      a
      meal
      in
      the
      building
      that
      the
     
     
      Student
      Union
      lobbied
      for
      and
      paid
      to
     
     
      have
      constructed.
      I
      ask,
      where
      was
      she
     
     
      when
      we
      demanded
      the
      government
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Bec
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SU
      Bi-Election
      Speeches
      Commandeer
      Courtyard,
      People
      Eating
      Startled
     
    
   
   
    
     
      address
      our
      tuition
      concerns,
      where
      was
     
     
      she
      when
      we
      brought
      the
      leaders
      to
     
     
      UPEI
      to
      debate
      student
      issues,
      where
     
     
      was
      she
      when
      we
      worked
      so
      hard
      to
     
     
      present
      government
      of
      the
      day
      with
      our
     
     
      collective
      pleas
      -
      only
      to
      have
      so
      few
     
     
      rally
      in
      support.
     
    

    
     
      We
      most
      certainly
      do
      effect
      real
     
     
      change
      throughout
      the
      campus.
      Perhaps
     
     
      she
      may
      consider
      this
      when
      she
      gradu-
     
     
      ates
      and
      picks
      up
      a
      copy
      of
      the
      year-
     
     
      book
      prepared
      free
      of
      charge
      to
      her;
     
     
      perhaps
      she
      may
      think
      of
      this
      when
      she
     
     
      reads
      this
      issue
      of
      the
      Cadre
      or
      uses
      her
     
     
      student
      handbook
      to
      help
      plan
      her
      day;
     
     
      perhaps
      she
      may
      ponder
      if
      our
      services
     
     
      are
      there
      for
      her
      when
      she
      desperately
     
     
      needs
      medical
      coverage
      which
      our
     
     
      Union
      provides;
      perhaps
      she
      may
     
     
      remember
      us
      when
      she
      applies
      for
      a
      stu-
     
     
      dent
      loan
      and
      she
      notices
      that
      the
      maxi-
     
     
      mum
      has
      now
      doubled
      provincially.
     
     
      Maybe
      the
      next
      time
      she
      takes
      a
      new
     
     
      course
      at
      UPEI
      she
      may
      stop
      to
      think
     
     
      jor
      a
      moment
      of
      the
      time
      one
      of
      her
     
     
      peers
      has
      volunteered
      sitting
      on
      Senate
     
     
      committees,
      ensuring
      that
      students'
     
     
      opinions
      were
      heard.
      Perhaps
      as
      she
     
     
      enjoys
      some
      of
      the
      new
      additions
      to
     
     
      UPEI
      she
      may
      stop
      and
      wonder
      how
     
     
      many
      hours
      the
      Board
      of
      Governors
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      representatives
      had
      volunteered
      to
     
     
      ensure
      that
      our
      concerns
      were
     
     
      addressed.
     
    

    
     
      Finally,
      perhaps
      she
      may
      one
     
     
      day
      wonder
      about
      everything
      she
      missed
     
     
      while
      spending
      her
      days
      studying
      at
     
     
      UPEI,
      and
      when
      she
      does,
      I
      hope
      she
     
     
      remembers
      the
      faces
      of
      the
      20
      candi-
     
     
      dates
      who
      have
      voluntarily
      added
      their
     
     
      name
      to
      the
      ballot
      -
      all
      with
      sincere
     
     
      aspirations
      of
      giving
      back
      to
      the
      campus
     
     
      community
      we
      all
      love.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Brandon
      tells
      it
      like
      it
      is...
      ,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -:page
      [11]
      September
      29
      2003:.