Student
      Union
      General
     
     
      Election
      Candidates’
      Survey
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Candidates
      for
      Student
      Union
      Executive
      answer
      some
      questions
     
    
   
   
    
     
      BY
      BRUCE
      DAVISON
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Onz
      OF
      THE
      MOST
      FREQUENT
      (AND
      VALID)
     
    

    
     
      complaints
      about
      the
      electoral
      process
      at
      U.PE.I.
      is
      that
      people
     
     
      don’t
      get
      a
      chance
      to
      learn
      about
      the
      people
      running
      for
      office.
     
     
      The
      candidates’
      forum
      is
      seldom
      attended
      by
      more
      than
      about
      125
     
     
      students,
      and
      people
      don't
      often
      get
      a
      chance
      to
      meet
      candidates.
     
     
      Campaign
      posters
      seldom
      give
      much
      substantive
      information--
      I
     
     
      hope
      this
      article
      can
      help
      provide
      that
      information.
      Voting
      is
      this
     
     
      week,
      Monday
      and
      Tuesday
      nights,
      Wednesday
      and
      Thursday
     
     
      during
      the
      day,
      in
      the
      Library
      on
      Monday
      and
      Tuesday
      and
      also
      in
     
     
      the
      Cafeteria
      and
      Blanchard
      Hall
      Wednesday
      and
      Thursday.
      Read
     
    
   
   
    
     
      this
      article
      before
      you
      vote.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      following
      are
      how
      the
      six
      candidates
     
     
      running
      for
      executive
      positions
      answered
      a
     
     
      survey
      I
      distributed.
      The
      only
      changes
      I
      have
     
     
      made
      are
      concerning
      spelling
      and
     
     
      capitalization.
      The
      questions
      on
      my
      survey
     
     
      were:
     
    

    
     
      1.
      Why
      are
      you
      running
      for
      this
     
     
      position?
     
    

    
     
      2.
      Ifelected,
      what
      will
      your
      objectives
     
     
      be
      for
      your
      term?
     
    

    
     
      3.
      Please
      list
      any
      experience
      you
     
     
      have
      had
      in
      on-campus
      organizations
      or
     
     
      what
      other
      work
      you
      have
      done
      while
      at
     
     
      UPEI.
     
    

    
     
      4.
      Ifelected
      are
      you
      prepared
      to
      put
     
     
      your
      duties
      ahead
      of
      your
      academic
      work,
      at
     
     
      least
      sometimes?
     
    

    
     
      5.
      How
      important
      do
      you
      think
      the
     
     
      UPEISU’s
      lobbying
      work
      with
      government
     
     
      is?
      What
      should
      our
      objectives
      be?
     
    

    
     
      6.
      How
      do
      you
      view
      the
      autonomy
      of
     
     
      CIMN
      and
      the
      X-Press?
     
    

    
     
      7.
      How
      do
      you
      propose
      to
      keep
     
     
      Student
      Council
      and
      the
      rest
      of
      the
      Student
     
     
      Union
      informed
      of
      what
      you
      are
      doing
      on
     
     
      their
      behalf?
     
    

    
     
      8.
      What’s
      your
      favourite
      breakfast
     
    
   
   
    
     
      cereal?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Andrew
      MacPherson:
      President
     
    

    
     
      1.
      ‘‘Iam
      running
      for
      SU
      president
      because
     
     
      I
      feel
      I
      have
      the
      experience
      and
      the
      ability
      to
     
     
      be
      the
      spokesperson
      for
      the
      student
      body
      at
     
     
      UPEI.
      My
      involvement
      in
      students
      affairs
     
     
      since
      I
      have
      beena
      student
      UPEI
      has
      convinced
     
     
      me
      that
      students
      must
      speak
      out
      for
      our
      well
     
     
      being
      because
      no
      one
      else
      is
      going
      to
      do
      it
      for
     
     
      us.
      I
      guess
      this
      is
      my
      main
      reason
      for
      putting
     
    
   
   
    
     
      8
      X-Press,
      March
      29,
      1994
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Andrew
      MacPherson,
      Candidate
      president
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      name
      forward
      for
      the
      position.”’
     
    

    
     
      2.
      ‘‘My
      primary
      objective
      for
      the
      coming
     
     
      year
      if
      elected
      president
      include
      actively
     
     
      lobbying
      both
      the
      provincial
      government
      and
     
     
      the
      university
      to
      keep
      tuition
      at
      an
      affordable
     
     
      rate
      and
      to
      bring
      student
      loans
      up
      to
      a
      level
     
     
      which
      allows
      accessability
      to
      university
      to
      as
     
     
      many
      students
      as
      possible.
      Another
      goal
      Ihave
     
     
      for
      the
      coming
      year
      is
      to
      get
      the
      construction
     
     
      of
      anew
      student
      centre
      at
      the
      top
      of
      the
      priority
     
     
      list
      for
      future
      development
      at
      UPEI.
      A
      student
     
     
      centre
      is
      vital
      the
      growth
      of
      the
      university
     
     
      community
      and
      unfortunately
      the
      barn
      does
     
     
      not
      fulfil
      these
      needs
      adequately.”’
     
    

    
     
      3.
      ‘Involvement
      in
      on-campus
      activities.
     
     
      Frosh:
      -advertising
      manager
      for
      the
      X-Press,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Student
      Handbook
      and
      the
      yearbook
      -writer
     
     
      for
      the
      X-Press
      -member
      of
      the
      UPEI
     
     
      Debating
      Society
      -student
      representative
      on
     
     
      UPEI
      Senate
      -volunteer
      for
      the
      UPEI
      White
     
     
      Ribbon
      Campaign
      -volunteer
      at
      CIMN
      radio
     
     
      -member
      of
      the
      UPEI
      Engineering
      Society
     
     
      Sophomore:
      -Vice-President
      Internal,
      UPEI
     
     
      SU_
      -National
      Executive
      representative
      from
     
     
      PEI
      on
      the
      national
      executive
      of
      the
      Canadian
     
     
      Federation
      of
      Students
      -member
      of
      Debating
     
     
      Society
      |
      -member
      of
      the
      UPEI
      Orientation
     
     
      Committee
      -member
      of
      the
      UPEI
     
     
      Accessability
      Committee
      -volunteer
      for
      the
     
     
      White
      Ribbon
      campaign
      -occasional
     
     
      contributor
      to
      the
      X-Press
      -member
      of
      the
     
     
      UPEI
      Engineering
      Society”’
     
    

    
     
      4.
      ‘‘As
      VPI
      an
      National
      Executive
      Rep.
     
     
      have
      occasionally
      had
      to
      put
      my
      position
     
     
      ahead
      of
      my
      school
      work
      and
      I
      will
      continue
      to
     
     
      make
      these
      sacrifices
      if
      elected
      president
     
     
      although
      I
      believe
      we
      are
      still
      students
      trying
     
     
      to
      get
      a
      quality
      education
      so
      these
      sacrifices
     
     
      must
      be
      weighed
      very
      carefully.”’
     
    

    
     
      5.
      ‘‘As
      I
      have
      previously
      stated
      I
      think
      this
     
     
      work
      is
      among
      the
      most
      important
      things
      we
     
     
      do.
      This
      is
      a
      perilous
      time
      for
      students
      in
     
     
      Canada
      because
      of
      the
      attack
      of
      government
      at
     
     
      all
      levels
      on
      social
      programs.
      A
      major
      threat
     
     
      to
      students
      is
      the
      propose
      income
      contingent
     
     
      loan
      repayment
      system
      which
      is
      being
      looked
     
     
      into
      in
      New
      Brunswick
      right
      now.
      I
      won’t
      go
     
     
      into
      precise
      detail
      here
      but
      this
      system
      would
     
     
      allow
      universities
      to
      increase
      their
      tuition
      fees
     
     
      astronomically.
      This
      is
      just
      on
      example
      of
      the
     
     
      threats
      to
      accessibility
      to
      auniversity
      education
     
     
      which
      students
      face.”’
     
    

    
     
      6.
      ‘‘Ihave
      worked
      diligently
      asthe
      executive
     
     
      member
      responsible
      for
      these
      organizations
      to
     
     
      ensure
      their
      autonomy
      from
      student
      council
      as
     
     
      much
      as
      is
      possible
      at
      a
      university
      of
      our
      size.
     
     
      We
      do
      not
      want
      to
      see
      a
      situation
      were
      the
      X-
     
     
      Press
      and
      CIMN
      could
      be
      closed
      for
      criticizing
     
     
      the
      actions
      of
      the
      Student
      Union.
      Campus
     
     
      media
      and
      student
      government
      must
      have
      a
     
     
      safe
      separation
      for
      the
      health
      of
      both
      of
      their
     
     
      organizations.’’
     
    

    
     
      7.
      ‘Open
      lines
      of
      communications
      a
      vital
     
     
      to
      operation
      of
      any
      elected
      body.
      If
      elected
      I
     
     
      would
      like
      to
      see
      the
      number
      of
      general
     
     
      meetings
      held
      each
      year
      increased
      from
      2
      to
      4.
     
     
      I
      would
      also
      like
      to
      see
      the
      student
      union
     
     
      information
      desk
      in
      the
      pit
      be
      put
      back
      into
      use
     
     
      in
      some
      fashion.
      These
      two
      things
      are
      only
      the
     
     
      first
      step
      toward
      a
      more
      accessible
      Student
     
     
      Union
      but
      this
      is
      obviously
      one
      of
      my
      main
     
    
   
   
    
     
      priorities.’’
     
     
      82
      Cottee:’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Patricia
      Embleton:
      V.P.
      External
     
     
      1.
      ‘‘To
      improve
      communication
      between
     
     
      external
      organizations
      and
      the
      Student
      Body
     
     
      and
      also
      to
      better
      represent
      the
      student
      body
      o1
     
     
      the
      student
      union.”’
     
     
      2.
      ‘‘-
      better
      communication
     
     
      promotion
      of
      campaigns
      on
      campus”’
     
     
      3.
      ‘‘[positions
      held
      on
      campus]
      -Senate
      rq
     
     
      -Sexual
      Harassment
      Committee
      -
      debatin
     
     
      [society]
      |
      -
      Student
      Academic
      Appeals
      ;
     
     
      Presidential
      Search
      Committee’
     
     
      4.
      ‘‘I
      hope
      to
      find
      a
      balance
      betw
     
     
      academic
      and
      student
      unions.
      I’m
      sure
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
            
     
     
          
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      mor
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Patricia
      Embleton,
      Canidate
      VP
      External
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      will
      be
      times
      when
      S.U.
      willneed
      tocome
     
     
      but
      I’m
      sure
      that
      there
      will
      be
      times
      when"
     
     
      academics
      will
      need
      come
      first.
      So
      as
      n0!
     
     
      sacrifice
      one
      for
      the
      other
      I
      hope
      to
      find
     
     
      balance.””
     
    

    
     
      5.
      ‘I
      feel
      it
      is
      very
      important,
      in
      that!
     
     
      one
      of
      strongest
      means
      of
      communication
     
     
      the
      gov’t.
      Our
      objectives
      should
      be
      to
      be
     
     
      education
      =>
      increase
      funding
      and
      get
      help
     
     
      our
      students.”’
     
    

    
     
      6.
      I
      view
      the
      autonomy
      of
      CIMN
      and
      the
     
     
      Press
      essential
      in
      the
      quality
      of
      the
      produ
     
     
      we
      get
      from
      them.’’
      ;
     
    

    
     
      7.
      ‘*V.P.’s
      give
      reports
      at
      every
      meé
     
     
      but
      besides
      that
      I
      would
      like
      to
      see
      artic!’
     
     
      the
      X-Press
      and
      on
      CIMN
      (updates,
      that