The SU is looking to fill some holes in its roster. Wednesday at noon, three byelection candidates vying for the position of operations and finance commissioner took to the stage with anger and optimism to outline their platforms.
“Students have been misled and bamboozled and none of us should stand for it,” said candidate Matt McMillan, upset about what he calls mismanagement of student funds. “Some of the quality money [funds the SU allots yearly to student initiatives] has gone to worthwhile endeavors, but it’s also gone to things like Bermuda Shorts Day. $90,000 of Students’ Union money shouldn’t be going towards that.
“Some of our money also goes to Students’ Union retreats,” he said. “Our money goes to pay their room service and their hotel fees and, as a student, I’m outraged by this.”
Second-year political science major and member of the Residence Students’ Association Hardave Birk said he wanted to run to inform students about what goes on at the SU.
“Living in residence there’s a huge number of students I see everyday and half of them didn’t even know about the election,” he said.
Birk also hopes to heat the bus stops around campus, as well as improve the sustainability of food services in MacEwan Students’ Centre.
If elected, CJSW co-web co-ordinator Mitchell Bundy wants to see environmental and community improvements, including a plate exchange system in MSC, lowering paper use for posters and the creation of a student-run deli.
“I encourage the wise spending of [SU] money, not necessarily reducing fees. There are a lot of great projects going on, I’d like to see these continue,” said Bundy.
Students’ Union president Charlotte Kingston asked the candidates a few targeted questions, including the budget of the Students’ Union and the percentage of student fees in relation to that, something none of the candidates could answer, though Birk came close.
Voting runs Oct. 20 to 22 on campus and online for the position of operations and finance commissioner, as well as a faculty representative for the Schulich School of Engineering.