Online Exclusive: SU VP op-fi forum

By Christina Lam

Depending on the results of the Students’ Union operations and finance commissioner election, the future may be very blue for patrons of MacEwan Student Centre.

During the forum for op-fi Commissioner candidates, held Thur., Feb. 8, the questions posed ranged from the light hearted, “What color should be Mac Hall be painted?,” to the serious, and main issue of student space development.

Candidate Alex Judd listed improving existing student spaces on campus, the travel and conference fund as well as advertisement space for services already provided for the students as her choices when broached with the question of where SU funding should be allocated.

“The Students’ Union is a bottom-up organization,” said candidate Allan Bailey. “We need to act upon what the students want. I think there’s been too much funding given to the common areas such as the Kinesiology Atrium that people don’t really use.”

Justin Bumstead also advocated more efficiency in funding student spaces, stating that some now serve no funcion. He also emphasized the reduction of class sizes and efficient spending as key focuses for SU monies.

“The Students’ Union should invest, instead, in creating further positions of on-campus employment to improve the quality of student life,” said op-fi candidate Bryan Campbell.

Commisioner candidate Tommy Ng also cited alternative projects such as the proposed campus run universal card system-in addition to the expansion of Mac Hall-as worthy of SU funding.

As for their answers to the question regarding the colour MSC should be painted, the five commissioner candidates’ choices ranged from blue to the color of Allan Bailey’s eyes. They were, however, able to agree upon on thing: the students have had more than enough of purple.