The UBC Spectator

President's Platt-form: See what I did there?

2010-03-30T13:27:00.001-07:00

When I initially contacted Brian Platt, asking him a few questions about his Presidency and the direction he wants to take it in, I was preparing an article about the election and had contacted various other sources, including Ryan Trasolini, so that I could provide a well balanced analysis of how the contest got so close between the three candidates, as well as where the AUS will go from here. While I was preparing this article, Ryan Trasolini filed a complaint stating that there were problems with the count. After a recount, it was confirmed that the initial count was indeed valid.

There are now rumours swirling that Ryan Trasolini is going to attempt an appeal to the Student Court, which may or may not do anything.

In the meantime I wanted to share Brian Platt's responses to my questions, because though the article that I was planning on writing can't really happen anymore, I think it is worthwhile to take a look at the person who is going to be the next AUS President, barring any new complications. My prediction is that Brian Platt will stay President, given that both the initial count and the recount revealed the exact same results, and that rumours sometimes are just that, rumours and not fact. So congratulations President Platt, I wish you good luck.

Given that you won by one vote, that of the Elections Administrator, how consultative do you think you need to be with the student body at large in AUS decision making?

The AUS' problem is that the student body in general doesn't CARE about anything the AUS does. So to be honest, consultations are pretty far down my list of concerns. What we need to do is make the AUS relevant to Arts students, to get them coming out to events, to make sure they know what the AUS is and why it's important to exercise your right to vote in the elections. And I feel like I have a pretty good grip on how to accomplish this.

I'd be more worried about my slim margin of victory if something more than a tiny fraction of Arts students actually voted in the election.

Is there a place for your two opponents in the AUS, and if so what do you see their role as being?

The only thing I care about is that the person serving in a given position is capable and hard-working, and that they care about doing their job well. If Mike or Ryan want to stay involved, then I welcome that--but on those conditions, of course.

The corollary to that statement is that I'm also not afraid to tell anyone, regardless of their "political standing", that I think they're wrong for a certain job and I don't want them to have it.

What are the major failures of last year and how do you plan to solve them?

Well, a month ago the AUS suddenly found itself with a large budgetary surplus to get rid of, and they chose to do so by spending a whackload of money on the elections week. Most of those events were quite poorly attended, and it makes me shudder to think about how much student fee money was churned through for such a small return.

But the AUS should never have been in that position in the first place. Either they had a very bad plan from the start, or there was an absymal failure to follow a good plan. I understand it's easy to sit back and criticize from the outside, but I tell ya, I'm not the only one who feels this way. A lot of AUS Councilors do, too.

Under my Presidency, every single dollar of what we take from Arts students will be squeezed for all it's worth. I will always keep in mind that I have been trusted with hundreds of thousands of dollars of other people's money, and will act accordingly.

Will you bring fun back to the AUS?

Oh hell yes. We will set the tone early. You won't recognize the AUS next year. Trust me.

Shortest Scandal Ever

2010-03-23T20:33:00.001-07:00

According to reliable sources, Brian Platt remains the incoming AUS President. The votes stand. Nice mustache.

AUS Presidency Controversy

2010-03-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

Ryan Trasolini has filed a complaint over his loss to Brian Platt by one vote, that of the Elections Administrator Matthew Naylor.

In an open letter written by Trasolini he claims that the votes for the position of AUS President were miscounted, and that a discrepancy exists between the reported tally of the Elections Committee and that of the totals approved by scrutineers Ignacio Rodriguez and Nathan Tippe. Scrutineers oversee the counting of the ballots as candidate's representatives to ensure that the handling of ballots is done in a fair and impartial manner, and is reflective of the correct total. Ignacio Rodriguez was the scrutineer for Mike Silley, who was 16 shy of the total of the two tied candidates. Nathan Tippe was the scrutineer for Trasolini. Brian Platt did not have a scrutineer present at the time of ballot counting.

Both Rodriguez and Tippe had signed a document prior to the official announcement of the results stating that they agree with the totals given. Prior to his announcement that he will have to cast the tie breaking vote, Matthew Naylor presented the audience of a dozen or so people in the Gallery with the signed statement from the two scrutineers that the totals were fully representative of the votes cast, though it is important to state that scrutineers oversaw the paper ballot counting, and electronic votes were sent to the Elections Committee after approval from Chris Eaton, Academic Governance Officer. The document was written by Ignacio Rodriguez and was meant to certify that the scrutineers believed the vote counting was done properly.

Trasolini claims he should have won with a total of 204 votes to Platt's 202, stating that the two scrutineers both believe that Trasolini was 10 votes ahead of Platt in paper ballot counting, giving him a victory of 2 votes once the 8 vote lead by Platt in nline ballots is reduced. Upon being contacted for comment, Ignacio Rodriguez said "as a scrutineer I watched the counting of paper ballots, as I have said I believe that was handled properly and correctly. When adding up the total, the calculations were based on a Ryan Trasolini being 10 votes behind. Obviously if this was incorrect then the results would change. I have complete faith in the EA [Elections Administrator Matthew Naylor] to rectify any unintentional mistakes."

Matt Naylor: The Decider

2010-03-22T17:59:00.000-07:00

Because my computer is about to run out of batteries, I will keep this brief. Brian Platt and Ryan Trasolini were tied after votes were counted for position of AUS President, and Matt Naylor, AUS Elections Administrator cast the final deciding vote. His vote was for Brian Platt, our new AUS President.

Excited for Constiuency Election Results? Too bad.

2010-03-19T14:57:00.000-07:00

According to sources, the constituency results (at least in full) will be delayed until Monday at the earliest due to there not yet being a list of eligible voters made available to the respective Elections Administrators from the Registrar's office. Once the list is available, votes can be counted and full results released.

We're crossing our fingers.

GO VOTE!

2010-03-19T14:10:00.000-07:00

This picture is something that is awesome. Awesome like democracy. Voting ends today at 5 pm, if you haven't voted yet, please do.

Information on voting is available here.

Interview with SUS AMS Hopeful Karen Lee

2010-03-19T01:08:00.000-07:00

What do you seek to accomplish as SUS AMS Rep?

This past year, I have been increasingly active in the AMS and have experienced the barriers that discourage students from getting involved. Trying to get involved is intimidating and finding information on how council works is not that easy. As SUS AMS Rep, I would like to continue my work as a member-at-large on the Student Life Committee and Document Access Working Group to make information more accessible to students and to find more ways to engage students.

What do you think the biggest problem facing the AMS is today?

There are a number of issues facing the AMS today, but I think the biggest problem is the ongoing structural deficit. The AMS is neither broke nor in debt, but its spending cannot be sustained for more than 5 years. Fortunately, I have witnessed current councilors and committees working hard to fix this problem. Due to their hard work, I am confident that this problem will be resolved before the AMS sustains any serious financial damage.

What is your greatest strength? What is your greatest weakness?

I think my greatest strength would be my passion for student involvement and engagement. I feel that UBC has lost the school spirit and pride that was present in the past. Many students today are no longer aware of the goings-on on campus. I feel very strongly about this because I was able to make the transition from un-involved to involved. Since this personal change, I have been able to encourage many people to care and to stay informed on AMS and campus issues today.

For my greatest weakness, I will have to admit that my knowledge of the AMS is not as thorough as I would like it to be. This is why I have been attending council meetings, multiple committee meetings and talking to councilors to learn as much as I can. I have learned a lot in the past year but there is still much more to learn. I can only hope that my thirst for knowledge can be quenched as a SUS AMS Representative.

AMS Council: Monday, March 15. (Emergency meeting)

2010-03-15T16:32:00.000-07:00

Continuing coverage of the elections irregularities and other AMS business

(Sort-of) Emergency AMS Council Meeting - March 15

Interview with Another Re-Election Seeking SUS Councillor, Maria Cirstea

2010-03-14T23:51:00.000-07:00

What would you consider your greatest accomplishments as a SUS representative to the AMS?

My first term as an AMS councilor was a learning experience. I had the opportunity to learn about how the council works and how the more experienced councilors did business. However, I have not only learned about how the council functions, but also about the deficiencies we had this past year. Although Council responded quickly to the UN fiasco, I feel we could have taken a more proactive approach earlier in monitoring the AMS executives to prevent these kinds of problems.

That being said, I’ve had a few big accomplishments this year. I have been nominated and served repeatedly as the equity rep in nearly all council meetings, and as such, have dealt with any issues brought up in order to unify council. Additionally, as the year progressed, we took on a new committee structure and I became actively involved in establishing the function of a couple of them.

I look toward being one of the more experienced councilors, and taking more of a leadership role in the upcoming year.

Why do you feel Council elections are important?

The AMS Council is the highest body in our student society. We need an effective council if we want to see improvements in the AMS. I feel Council elections are important because this is the body that is meant to work for us as students to improve our time here. We need to have strong, vocal people that aren’t afraid to ask questions and fight for students. We also need people that are aware of the issues that students face and know how to effectively deal with them. Each student is different and each student is faced with different problems. I would like to see them all take a few minutes to get to know about the candidates and vote for the one that would best be able to lobby for what their main struggles are, because having people who know how to do this is what makes Council strong.

What do you hope to achieve should you be re-elected?

The new committee structure gives the council more power, and allows for increased involvement by councilors. I look to use my experience to push for change in three areas.

First, I believe there is a constant need to bring forth equity issues, as well as environmental sustainability. I look forward to the systemic discrimination report that will be released in a month or two, and see what recommendations are made in the report. As a member of the Business Facilities Committee, I intend to ensure that waste from our businesses is minimized, and to further push for more sustainable programs.

Second, I intend to push for fiscal responsibility in the council and the executive. Economic sustainability has been ignored in the last year. The current structural deficit puts the longevity of the AMS in risk. We need a financially healthy society if we are to expect the AMS to maintain the current level of services it provides.

Lastly, I will bring forth a more cooperative approach in dealing with the executives and other council members. A single vote in the council will be ineffective if it doesn't have the support of the council. A more collaborative approach will enable us to make a greater positive change. As we saw last year, divisive politics is ineffective.

Why should students vote for you?

My main motivation for running is the belief that I can be a more effective councilor as a result of my experience. The council has the power to make the most important decision for our student society, and I believe that we need people who understand the issues that we will be facing in the upcoming year.

I plan to use my knowledge and experience in the AMS to push for several issues that I believe are the most important in shaping our future. I want to fight for equity and environmental sustainability, for fiscal responsibility, and for a more inclusive and collaborative approach at the council. I believe these will determine the future of the AMS, and its ability to effectively serve students in the future.

Interview with Re-election Seeking SUS Councillor, Ignacio Rodriguez

2010-03-13T22:06:00.000-08:00

Ignacio Rodriguez has been serving as a SUS representative to the AMS for the past year, after failing to win the position of VP External against Tim Chu. Despite the initial loss, Ignacio, or Iggy as his friends call him (a nickname that he shares with both Jerome Iginla and Michael Ignatieff), remained involved in the AMS, and created a reputation for himself as a thoughtful yet outspoken Councillor.

Ignacio Rodriguez agreed to give Spectator some of his time, in order to provide us with an interview.

What would you consider your greatest accomplishments as a SUS representative to the AMS?

I believe it was council's response to the crisis last year. Myself, along with the other science representatives and reps from other faculties, engaged in an unprecedented process of student consultation in order to ensure that we knew how students wanted us to proceed. I was really proud of the level of student consultation achieved.

Why do you feel Council elections are important?

The AMS is a massive endeavour. The response to the events last year clearly showed that students care about how the AMS is being run, and want to ensure that the executive is held accountable for their actions. The most effective way to do this is to vote to ensure that strong representatives who will stand up for the needs of students are elected.

What do you hope to achieve should you be re-elected?

I hope to continue my work to tackle what I consider the AMS three largest problems. These are a lack of accountability and transparency within the Society, our ongoing structural deficit, and our damaged external relations.

In particular, I would like to continue my work as the chair of the Document Access Working Group to ensure that students have easy access to all the documents pertinent to the running of society to all students.

I would also like to continue the work I am currently doing with the University and External Relations Committee to rewrite our policy manual, and to ensure that lobby days, one of the AMS's most important tools for lobbying the provincial government takes place next year.

Why should students vote for you?

I bring a combination of experience and vision to the position. Having served as a councillor for the past year I have been working with people around the council table, as well as on two committees, the Legislative Procedure's Committee and the University and External Relations committee. I have numerous projects underway which I would like the opportunity to see through to completion. Also, I have a vision of the goals that I would like to accomplish in the next year for the benefit of all students. Realistic goals that I believe can be accomplished in the next year.

I think one of the most important attributes for a Councillor is to have is a clear understanding of the role and abilities of the AMS, and I think that this is one thing that I bring to the table.

Where’s Fox News and their “fair and balanced” approach when you need it?

2010-03-12T11:48:00.001-08:00

Not being a Commerce student, I’m not going to say one way or the other how I’d vote on this referendum because it’s not my money on the line (although it’s probably abundantly clear where I stand). I will, however, say that I’ve so far been really disappointed at the disproportionate levels of visibility in the “yes” and “no” campaigns, with the former being a preposterous team effort by the Commerce Undergraduate Society and their crafty Dean.

With the benefit of a website (remarkably prepared before CUS officially took a stance on the referendum), and Dean Dan parading from classroom to classroom at the admitted behest of CUS, it’s essentially impossible for any Commerce student to have not been inundated with “information” on the referendum that is, in reality, just one side of the debate. Hell, they even hosted an event about this “exciting” project. (And were somehow allowed to say “beer” which is unusual)

Scare tactics are abundant, as evidenced from the FAQ:

11. What will happen if the fee doesn’t go through?
The government has no money to offer us and will likely not have any in the near future. According to the way UBC’s building upgrade funds are rationed out, we are one on a long-list and would be waiting several years before we saw any money. The only option remaining for the Dean will be to cut costs elsewhere inside the faculty’s operations. Examples of areas that could see budget cuts: class sections that are not essential to completing degrees, Commerce elective courses, low-demand concentrations, extra sections that allow double-majors, student development services, BCC contributions, contributions to student activities, CUS contributions, etc.
For now, the option has not been fully developed (remember, this issue is only a few weeks old) and the areas that would suffer have not been determined. We hope to not have to have these difficult discussions and make these difficult decisions.

and later…

When the accreditors return in 2013, we need to show them that we’ve responded to their areas of focus and renovated the facilities to a state that is representative of the learning environment needed for students at a top business school. If we lose this accreditation, we will no longer be considered for certain business school rankings such as the Financial Times and Business Week, which would in turn affect the opportunities available for students…They have clearly indicated that Phase II needs to be completed.

Without presenting any documentation whatsoever that losing accreditation is actually a risk, the Dean still manages to get away with this scare tactic. At the media debriefing, when asked if access had been granted to the reports by EQUIS and AACSB, the accreditation bodies, the CUS executive merely said “No, we’ll ask about it.”

Perhaps it would have been prudent to assess if Dean Dan’s argument that accreditation is at risk actually held water, but unfortunately we just don’t know. We can take him at his word though, since he’s totally neutral.

And if this were a true FAQ, I’d expect one of the questions to be “Why did the Dean decide to go ahead and erect a multi-million dollar building with absolutely no guarantee of funding, and resistance from the government? Isn’t he a Commerce Dean?”

Even the ballot is insanely one sided, giving you a visually appealing check mark if you do as they wish, or a scary red X if you stray from your sheep duty of doing as the Dean says.

The dissent on this referendum has been visible in facebook threads

I happily refer anyone who is interested in seeing some arguments against the fee to Alex Lougheed’s wonk-tastic post on UBC Insiders (though more charts and graphs would be awesome).

Or, if you want to hear some oh-so compelling reasons to shell out an average month’s rent for something that isn’t your responsibility to pay for, take a listen:

Tom Dvorak - Sauder Building Referendum 2010 from Commerce Undergraduate Society on Vimeo.

To conclude, I urge all voters to not assume that the very visible sources of information on the referendum are in any way impartial. Do some research on your own, read other students’ takes on the issue, and form your own opinion.

Interview with Unopposed Candidate for AUS VP Finance

2010-03-11T15:04:00.001-08:00

Obi-Wan Kenobi is running unopposed for AUS VP Finance, after his only opponent was disqualified for failing to appear at the All Candidates Meeting. This means there will be a yes/no ballot question next to Obi-Wan Kenobi's name.

Thankfully we have in Obi-Wan an experienced representative, who will be able to take his experiences from the Jedi High Council and apply them to issues facing the AUS.

Spectator met with Obi-Wan Kenobi for an interview today, to gauge his reaction at his lack of opposition and what he plans to do as VP Finance.

Spectator: Thank you for taking this time to sit down with us Mr. Kenobi. With the relief of the Arts County Fair debt, Arts essentially has received an additional $30,000, however several arts students have expressed that they don’t feel services have increased despite the new funds being available. How do you respond?

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Patience. Use the force. Think.

Spectator: So does that mean you’d want a more consultative approach? Or perhaps students taking the lead and identifying services they feel are missing, and bringing forward plans to deal with them?

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Don’t do anything without consulting myself and Council.

Spectator: Some students believe that there needs to be more fun on campus, going so far as to identify a War on Fun at UBC, and the failure of Arts Week has made some think that the AUS has improvements to make in this department. How do you respond?

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Be mindful of your thoughts Anakin. They’ll betray you.

Spectator: My name isn’t Anakin, but I’m more confused about the rest of your comment to be honest. Do you believe students are wrong to think that the AUS should make improvements to some of the failures of last year, such as Arts Week?

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Anakin! Don’t let your personal feelings get in the way!

Spectator: I don’t believe I am, also I'm still not Anakin. I’m trying to express what numerous individuals have told me regarding what they’d like to see happen next year. I might add that you’re the one raising your voice.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: If you spent as much time practicing your saber techniques as you did your wit, you'd rival Master Yoda as a swordsman.

Spectator: Alright...Quite honestly, I’m so thoroughly bewildered by your responses, I believe I’ll vote no on the ballot, since I can’t imagine you’d be any better as VP Finance than you are as an interviewee.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: You want to vote yes.

Spectator: I want to vote yes.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: You think I’ll be an excellent VP Finance.

Spectator: I think you’ll be an excellent VP Finance.

[Editors Note: Interview may or may not be based on actual events]

What do you think?

2010-03-11T00:38:00.001-08:00

March 3 AMS Liveblog!!

2010-03-03T17:52:00.001-08:00

Elections drama, International seat drama, and various other forms of drama! All live!

Below the chat window is the text of the presentation by Isabel Ferreras, Elections Admin.

AMS Meeting: March 3. Elections, Intl seat, etc.

TO: AMS COUNCIL

FROM: ISABEL FERRERAS, ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATOR

RE: PRELIMINARY REPORT TO COUNCIL ON INVESTIGATION INTO VOTER IRREGULARITIES

Introduction

As you know, the AMS has been investigating a voter irregularity which came to light after submission of the Elections Report to Council on February 10, 2010.

The Elections Committee has obtained preliminary findings from its external forensic investigator which indicate that the voter irregularity in question had no effect on any of the AMS Executive positions.

We have directed the investigator to continue with its investigation as there are certain other issues which came to light which warrant further attention.

As a result, I am only able to provide this preliminary report to Council.

Background

As you know, on February 10, 2010, I submitted my Report to Council on the 2010 Elections Results (in accordance with Section IX, Article 7, Section 10 of the Code of Procedure).

On February 17, 2010, I was contacted by Mark Latham, the sponsor of the voter funded media contest, concerning an irregularity in the pattern of the votes. Mark noted that, with respect to the voter funded media contest, there had been a significant number of votes occurring at the end of the election and that numerous votes had been cast from the same IP address. I reviewed the elections results and confirmed that a significant number of votes had been cast from the same IP address immediately before the ending of the election.

On February 19, 2010 I notified the AMS’ General Manager, Ross Horton, as well as Chris Eaton, UBC’s Academic Governance Officer & Triennial Returning Officer, given that two sets of UBC positions had been filled as a result of this electoral process.

The AMS retained FDR Forensic Data Recovery Inc. to provide forensic preservation and analysis of the AMS’ 2010 Elections Results. FDR is a recognized industry leader in computer forensics, data preservation and data recovery with a reputation for prompt and responsive service.

On February 25, 2010, Mr. Horton advised the Executive that AMS was investigating a voter irregularity. To avoid any potential conflict of interest of elected Executive members, it was agreed that Mr. Horton would continue to be responsible for directing the FDR investigation, in consultation with the Elections Committee and AMS’ legal counsel.

On February 26, 2010, the AMS released a communication to its membership indicating that we were investigating this voting irregularity.

Role of Elections Committee and Elections Administrator

In keeping with my role as Elections Administrator, I have been involved in the investigation.

The Code states that it is my responsibility to provide a report to Council on the election, including the results.

However, in this case, where the previous report that I submitted may have been wrong on the basis of a fraud or error not earlier brought to my attention, I am advised by legal counsel that it is my obligation to consider the information concerning the voter irregularity and to take all reasonable steps to provide a revised report to Council as soon as possible.

I also understand from AMS’ legal counsel that the law does not require a standard of perfection. In other words, the Elections Committee is not obliged to guarantee that the elections results are perfect. Rather, an election result may only be rejected where a substantial irregularity is shown to have occurred and there is a determinable and material effect on the elections results.

As discussed below, the preliminary information suggests the voter irregularities identified to date did not affect the outcome for any of the AMS Executive positions.

Preliminary Results of Forensic Analysis

In its preliminary analysis, FDR has determined the following:

There is a security vulnerability in the voting system such that an eligible student could submit an unlimited number of votes on behalf of any student number including ineligible student numbers.

731 votes were cast from one IP address between 12:44:33 and 16:00:00 (the “Suspect Voters”)

18 of the Suspect Voters contain ineligible student numbers which is indicative of fraudulent activity.

In the University Board of Governors ballot section there are 4 hidden fields which are not displayed: board1, board2, board4 and board8. Within the Suspect Votes, there were 58 votes cast for board2 and 75 votes for board8. This data anomaly is not possiblethrough the normal voting process.

FDR has therefore concluded that the 731 Suspect Voters are not legitimate.

The AMS has no information (from FDR or any other source) indicating any connection between any persons who ran for election or participated in the voter funded media contest and the Suspect Voters.

By “backing out” the 731 Suspect Voters from the election results, the Elections Committee has determined that there has been no effect on the election results with respect to any AMS positions.

However, there is an effect on the voter funded media contest. For referendum questions, only the successful question was affected. This will be addressed in my revised report.

The only race which is effected by the removal of the Suspect Voters is the UBC Senate race. The AMS has shared the results of its preliminary investigation with UBC.

FDR’s preliminary analysis identifies a number of other instances of multiple votes submitted from one or more IP addresses. FDR has noted that such instances may not be suspicious as the IP address(es) may be routers, gateways or a public terminals. These instances of ‘Clump Voting’ are being investigated and will be reported upon in FDR’s report.

Continuing Investigation

We have directed FDR to continue to investigate whether there are other voter irregularities including:

analyzing material Clump Voting coming from the same IP addresses;

whether votes saved, but not submitted, were over-written by the 731 Suspect Voters.

Upon receipt of FDR’s report, the Elections Committee will present the results to Council and likely present a revised elections report.

~~Davis:6401609.3~~

Next Steps

25. We have asked FDR to make recommendations in their final report regarding steps which may be taken to avoid the repetition of the security breaches and irregularities identified in the AMS Electronic Elections process.

Thoughts from a Commerce and CUS alum.

2010-03-02T15:06:00.000-08:00

The following is from a letter sent to the current CUS president by Commerce graduate Peter Rizov (BCom 2008), who was involved in CUS during his time at UBC. It is being published with his permission. I feel it is essential to include Peter's assessment of the situation as the referendum that will soon be facing Commerce students (and only about 200 are needed for quorum) due to the obvious fact that many of the students eligible to cast a ballot in the referendum were not at UBC during the initial discussions of how the building was to be funded. Perspectives from students present in the discussions are vital to allow current students to cast informed ballots. And as a Poli Sci student, I'm a big fan of informed ballots.

--------------------------------------

Dear Connor,

It has recently come to my attention that the CUS leadership is considering (or perhaps already decided) to seek, via referendum, to levy the $500 fee, originally proposed nearly four years ago, to part-finance the completed and ongoing Henry Angus renovations. Connor, I urge you, before making any decisions and before making up your mind, to get informed as to what happened four years ago and to not let Dean Dan (and REDACTED) be your only sources of information on the matter. You must understand, Dean Dan's job is to look out for the interests of the Sauder School of Business and Dean Dan is admirably adept at doing his job. He's an intelligent man, a persuasive speaker, and an outstanding marketer. However, your job is to look out for the interests of the students (current and future), not the school. As such, it is incumbent upon you and the rest of the CUS to do your due diligence in finding out the facts. Then, based on the facts, you should work to inform the students of Sauder and allow them reach their own conclusion. That is your duty to your constituents as President of the CUS.

You might be wondering why I'm emailing you. Why does this guy care? Who is this weirdo? These are all very reasonable questons, and I'll address them in reverse order:

1. I am a Sauder alumnus who graduated in May of 2008. During my time at UBC I was Editor-in-Chief of the Cavalier, sat on CUS Council, worked to plan and propose the recent CUS constitutional reform, and served in various capacities at the AMS and beyond.
2. I care because I was there when this fee was discussed the first time. I still recall the biased, manipulative, and downright unfair actions of the CUS leadership at the time. I recall how they worked with, perhaps even for, the Dean to ram the referendum down the throats of the student body.
3. I am emailing you because I still care. I want UBC and Sauder to be world class schools. I want them to achieve renown and success. However, I also want them to act in a fair and just way with regards to that which makes them what they are: their students. In my opinion, this wasn't the case in the 2006 referendum and it certainly doesn't seem to be the case now.

Anyway, enough about that. What I'm simply asking of you now is to get informed. Know the facts and know your responsibilities. I've seen CUS presidents in the past act as shills for the Dean. I didn't like to see it then, and I certainly wouldn't like to see it now. As such, I hope that you, and the BoD will take the time necessary to carefully study the facts of the matter and not let Dean Dan push you around. again, he's a persuasive man with a strong agenda. It's up you to stand up to him. That's what your constituents elected you to do.

As for how to get facts on this case, there are a number of sources that are still publicly available:
1. UBC Insiders: http://blogs.ubc.ca/ubcinsiders/2010/03/01/cus-board-to-vote-on-500-building-fee-referendum/. These guys have rock solid credentials. Together, they know more about how this university operates than, I think, anyone else on campus.
2. The original facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&ref=search&gid=2211453331. Yes, we live in a brave new world where nothing ever goes away. Take a look.
3. I'm attaching an op-ed I wrote to the Ubyssey at the time. While I'm certainly biased, I think accurately represented some of the complexities of the situation.
4. Ask the Dean in public. Make him go on record and tell you why he needs this money. Make sure he justifies and explains himself to the students and alumni like me, not just to you in some closed-door meeting or to select individuals of his choosing.

Most importantly, please remember, that you don't work for Dean Dan. You work for the students. In my day, the CUS Executive forgot this. As such, they became not the champions of the student interest, but actively sought to sell the new building project to their own constituents. But what if you don't believe me? Well, here are the notes from the October 18, 2006 CUS Exec Council Meeting pertaining to the building referendum (this is all [or at least should be] CUS public record, so I have not redacted any names; I've highlighted what I think are particularly revealing passages):

d. Building stuff from here
• Mike donating $500 to building fund
• Mike – send in updates
• Gary – thought the forum went well
• Connie – Dean Dan avoided a lot of questions
• Mike – should be less of a sales pitch and more of “it’s a good idea”
• Mike – on behalf of a student “it sounds like your assuming that this is a negative idea….your already very defensive”
• Mike – need to come up with a strategy to present to third and fourth years
• Paul – need to inform the students but don’t need to go into depth regarding sales pitch
• Mike – try to avoid the fact of mentioning noise and putting forth the sales
• Paul – make it clear by highlighting benefits
• Gary – make a presentation that will be 10 minutes long to present
• Mike – presentation by Monday

I hope you'll agree with me in suspecting that by this point the CUS was no longer a fair arbitrator of a student referendum. Instead, it had become a marketing tool working for the Dean in persuading students of the merit of the building and working to downplay their reasonable fears and objections. As such, the referendum had become an unfair marketing campaign which saw the likes of Dean Dan, the entire CUS executive, and influential alumni like Mr. REDACTED operate a slick marketing machine with the sole goal of convincing students to levy a $500 per year fee on future Sauder students.

I'll wrap this up by saying this: I've been gone from Sauder, UBC, Vancouver, and even Canada for nearly two years. However, that time has not in the least bit diminished my attachment toward my campus, my community, and my school. As I said, I still care and, while I care, I'll act. It has been said that "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Well, sir, I certainly do not intend to do nothing. And I strongly urge you not to either.

Thank you for your time.

Regards,

Peter Rizov
BCom '08

Voting Irregularities in AMS Elections

2010-02-26T15:08:00.000-08:00

The following news was passed onto our editors recently:

Voting Irregularities: AMS Launches Independent Investigation
Friday, February 26, 2010

The Alma Mater Society of UBC Vancouver (AMS), UBC’s student union, has discovered voting irregularities in its January 2010 elections and referenda. The AMS is taking this issue very seriously and is taking the necessary measures to deal with this matter. An independent auditor has been hired to conduct a thorough investigation.The AMS will be unable to release any further information until the investigation is complete. The AMS’ primary concern is serving students. As such, the organization will operate business as usual.

We'll try to keep abreast of the news as it arrives.

$39M Missing for Sauder School of Business

2010-02-11T12:35:00.000-08:00

(left: the proposed vision for the completed Angus renovations)

The renovations being made to the Henry Angus Building are resulting in some financial difficulties for the School of Business, as $39 Million necessary for the project is absent. A tuition increase was supposed to begin after the completion of the project fell through, however this did not arise and funding for the project must now be found elsewhere. Commerce students have been surveyed asking if a rise of student fees by $500 would be accepted by them in order to complete renovations on Angus. There has been speculation that a referendum would be held asking for students to allow the $500 increase in commerce fees for the next 25 years.

Interview with Newly Elected Senator Spencer Rasmussen

2010-02-09T00:24:00.000-08:00

Given that Senate is more academically oriented than other governing bodies at UBC, how do you plan to include the issue of sustainability within Senate discussions?

I ran for Senate to advance sustainability precisely because it’s our university’s academic governing body, not in spite of this. For a university, sustainability is a both an opportunity and an obligation, and there exists incredible potential to achieve this vision. UBC’s academic role is a crucial part of this potential. Right now, most assignments, essays and papers are seen only by one’s prof and one’s recycle bin. Were our learning harnessed to create sustainability solutions, we would not only get a more sustainable campus, but a more meaningful education.

Research is a similar story. At its worst, it’s simply tossed down from the Ivory Tower in the hope that someone somewhere will make use of it. Instead, we could partner with the community to address sustainability challenges and use our campus as a “living laboratory” for sustainability solutions.

This is why the Sustainability Academic Strategy working group made recommendations in areas of teaching and research as well as operations when outlining the future of sustainability at UBC. Specifically, measures outlined include the creation of up to a minor in sustainability in every degree program and the development on interdisciplinary research projects focused on UBC’s operations. The implementations of these and other proposals outlined in the strategy will be my top priority over the coming year.

Sustainability must be a part of UBC’s academic role, not simply to its operations. The task of advancing sustainability is not simply about “greening” our operations and offering a few sustainability courses. It is about harnessing and connecting our academic and operational assets, linking them to the wider community, and addressing the profound sustainability challenges we face.

Recently there have been criticisms lobbed at various candidates throughout the AMS elections that support a Platinum Plus LEEDs rating for the new SUB, claiming that the appearance of such a rating is the primary goal, and that rather than trying to achieve a more sustainable campus life candidates would use this to pay lip service to the environmental movement on campus. Others have argued that while not the only way in which UBC can be greener, such a rating would be the result of real efforts which are very worthwhile. Do you have any thoughts on this? Do you believe a Platinum Plus LEEDs rating is necessary to promote sustainability?

The design and construction of the new SUB is guided by its sustainability charter which states “[t]he new SUB will serve as [a] platform for learning and action around sustainability, promoting positive social change, responsible behaviour as local and global citizens, and adaptive patterns of sustainable life all within a vibrant UBC campus community.” And so it should. The LEED rating system is a measurement tool of a building’s environmental performance, accounting for such factors as energy efficiency and materials use. A more comprehensive standard, the Living Building Challenge, will also guide the process.

The critics are right that the simple achievement of a LEED Platinum standard should not be a goal in and of itself. The appearance of such a rating, however, is not the only motivation for going through the LEED process. As an international standard, it can be helpful for communicating expectations to architects and contractors. Furthermore, LEED can set the bar for environmental performance and allow the AMS to experiment over and above this standard.

While I’m not an expert in green building or the SUB Renewal process, conversations with those who are have led me to believe that LEED is an important tool in the creation of a genuinely sustainable Student Union Building. But by no means should we stop there. I sincerely hope that Ekaterina Dovjenko, this year’s incoming VP Administration, will live up to the ambitious vision set out in the sustainability charter.

The idea of modifying the policy on exam hardships has been raised over the course of the election. Do you believe that the current policy is adequate or would you support altering it?

If there’s one thing that sucks more than exams, it’s having three in two days. Back in first year I remember having 3 exams within 26 hours. I emailed someone in the naïve hope that UBC would bend just a little. “The policy is very clear,” I was told, “Exams can only moved if three or more are scheduled within 24 hours.” How silly of me to expect sympathy.

Year after year, student senator candidates campaign on this issue. Year after year, nothing happens.

This past year, student senators succeeded in learning why. Basically, in order to extend the hardship period, more make-up exams would need to be scheduled. To do so, we need more exam slots. And to get more exam slots, we need either a longer exam period or more finals in the early morning or late evening.

Presumably, exams at 7pm on Christmas Eve aren’t what advocates of a longer exam hardship period have in mind.

It’s time for us to move on to more important issues.

Discussions for a Credit/D/Fail system for certain classes on Senate has resulted in an expected report on the implementation thereof to be made available in October 2012. What are your thoughts on Credit/D/Fail?

In short, it’s a great idea. Credit/D/Fail allows students to take challenging elective courses without worrying about their GPA. A math major with a penchant for eighteenth century poetry can take that English class she’s always wanted to and still get into grad school. It’s regrettable, however, that it’s taking so long.

What are some specific plans you have for your senate year other than promoting sustainability?

I have a strong conviction that elected representatives must be accountable to their constituents. Accountability to students will be a top priority over the coming year.

It’s easy for student senators to work in isolation from those who elected them seeing as many students have never heard of the Senate, much less understand what it does. I’m planning on turning my facebook campaign page into an updates feed where I can keep students in touch and discuss important issues as they come up. I’ll also be holding regular office hours after my term starts.

As much as possible, I’d like to connect students to body whose decisions affect their academic lives. I’ve outlined a few ideas for how to accomplish that, and I’m open to further suggestions.

Voter Funded Media Results

2010-01-30T19:22:00.001-08:00

The Elections Committee’s sent out the breakdown for the one-time Voter Funded Media contest and the tabulated results are shown below:

	$0	$500	$1,000	$1,500	$2,000	Total	Prize Money
AMS Confidential	5595	737	312	82	188	6914	$1,000
Geoffs Place	6253	420	127	28	86	6914	$500
The Radical Beer Tribune	5118	602	379	271	544	6914	$1,900
Social Capital	5314	601	356	268	375	6914	$1,600
UBC Insiders	5393	758	364	120	279	6914	$1,200
The UBC Spectator	5112	730	377	212	483	6914	$1,800
Totals:	32785	3848	1915	981	1955	41484	$8,000

So thanks to VFM, all of your media have received their registration fees back ($150) and netted a hefty return on investment. What are they going to spend it on? Who knows.

But if they were smart, the boys of VFM might want to invest in starting a boy band group…think of the possibilities…

Just sayin’.

Democracy Fail

2010-01-30T13:19:00.001-08:00

Blake Frederick was not impeached after all, with a computer error resulting in a misreading of the referendum results. Only 71% of students having voted for him to be impeached. His over-extended stay will continue for the next two weeks most likely, as many observers have stated he is likely not going to resign, even after Council wanted it, and 71% of voting students wanted it.

What actually passed was a resolution supporting the lowering of tuition and an increase in government funding.

The Vancouver Sun has already reported Blake's departure, as did all UBC media outlets in a frenzy of excitement and intrigue. Retractions galore will commence in the next day or so I believe.

Whether one agrees or disagrees with the removal of Blake Frederick, there are emotions running high as the barrage of text messages I received indicates. I suggest just taking a breath, and laughing it off, because there's nothing else to do at this point.

That’s a Wrap!

2010-01-29T19:03:00.000-08:00

The 2010-2011 AMS elections have come and gone and the people (at least all 6925 of them) have spoken.
Your 2010-2011 AMS executive team will be led by Bijan Ahmadian. Ben Cappellacci takes over the Academic & University Affairs from his commerce classmate, Johannes Rebane, while Elin Tayyar clinches the Finance portfolio over the Invisible Man. Ekaterina Dovjenko succeeds Crystal Hon as resident queen of the SUB (both old and new) and Jeremy McElroy rounds out the team by taking on the External portfolio.

Your senators-at-large comprise a good mix of old and new: Johannes Rebane and Joël Mertens bring a wealth of experience to the table while AJ Hajir Hajian, Spencer Rasmussen and Nader Beyzaei infuse the team with new blood.

The departing Michael Duncan and Bijan Ahmadian yield their seats on the Board of Governors to the one-two punch of the eloquent Azim Wazeer and the effervescent Sean Heisler.

~~None of the referenda met quorum (meaning their items automatically fail) except for referenda question 2, specifically “~~~~Do you support the removal of Blake Frederick from the office of President?~~~~” which passed with quorum (76%). After a hitherto celebrated career in public office, Blake Frederick now departs after a tumultuous year.~~

To those who voted for the UBC Spectator, I extend to you my personal thanks. Your faith in us is what keeps me going and I hope that the UBC Spectator will continue to serve students as they see fit.

Check out how the referenda question votes fared after the jump!

Here are the results for the referenda questions. Keep in mind that quorum is 3716 "Yes" votes out of 46,438 AMS members.

1. Do you support the amendment of the AMS Bylaws as presented, based on the recommendations of a consultant hired to review the operations of Student Court and of a special AMS joint committee, for the purpose of revising the rules concerning Student Court?

Yes votes = 3191
No votes = 1011
Quorum not met.

2. Do you support the removal of Blake Frederick from the office of President?

Yes votes = 3542
No votes = 1432
Quorum not met.

3. Do you support the removal of Timothy Chu from the office of Vice-President External?

Yes votes = 3323
No votes = 1558
Quorum not met.

4. Do you support the AMS establishing a $5.00 refundable Engagement Levy to help improve student engagement by encouraging voter turnout and funding engagement related projects?

Yes votes = 1773
No votes = 2933
Quorum not met.

5. Do you support indexing the current and future fees of the AMS to the Canadian Core Consumer Price Index (CCCPI)?

Yes votes = 2014
No votes = 2240
Quorum not met.

6. Do you support the amendment of the AMS Bylaws as presented, for the purposes of enabling Student Council to remove an individual from a position as an officer of Council, and other amendments as outlined?

Yes votes = 2906
No votes = 1169
Quorum not met.

7. Do you support an increase in student fees beginning September 2010 of $1 per part-time student and $2 per full-time student per semester to be directed to the Access UBC Association of Disabled Students for the purpose of increasing accessibility, participation, and inclusion for all people with disabilities on campus and in society?

Yes votes = 2244
No votes = 2457
Quorum not met.

8. Should the AMS actively lobby for reduced tuition fees and increased government funding?

Yes votes = 3844
No votes = 910

9. Should the AMS create a voting seat on AMS Council for students with disabilities by amending Bylaw 5.2(a)?

Yes votes = 2475
No votes = 1906
Quorum not met.

Interview Series: Jeremy McElroy

2010-01-29T01:54:00.001-08:00

The last one in our series, but perhaps the best (that’s up to you to decide), the mysterious Mr. McElroy answers our questions!

1) If you had to select a song to represent your campaign, what would it be and why?

Calvin Harris – Ready for the Weekend

This song is a fantastic mix of electro, funk, and disco and has nothing at all to do with politics or the AMS, but it gets me in the mood to get stuff done, and I guess that’s why it represents my campaign. It’s fun, it’s honest, and it makes you want to dance, all qualities I hold in the highest regard.

2) Which world leader or politician embodies your leadership ideal? Why?

Many leaders have done a great deal of fantastic things, and some would even embody certain leadership qualities that I value, but I would have to say Bill Clinton (as cliché as it sounds). He came forward with an idea that the American people were apprehensive about, healthcare reform, and tried to conduct as much public consultation as possible before making moves. He also had the gall to do what needed to be done (raising taxes) because he knew that the betterment of the nation superseded public opinion polls, and I respect that. He also respected the wishes of Congress and the Senate, which I commend him for.

3) What inspired you to run in the AMS elections? Why are you qualified for the position for which you are running?

I have served as an Arts Representative on AMS Council for the past year and this has both inspired me, and given me the experience necessary, to run for this position. This year has not been the brightest mark on the External Office’s record, and I feel that this was the result of an executive that put personal political views ahead of those of the rest of the student body, and the result of a system that allows the Executive far too much unrestricted power.

I feel that I am the best candidate for this position because I will respect the will of the students of UBC, I will respect the will of Council, and I will represent students the way they want to be represented. I have said it before, the External Office is innately political, but should never be partisan. I feel that the projects I wish to take up this year, mainly the establishment of an organization of independent schools to effectively lobby the provincial government, are more carefully thought out, and infinitely more feasible than the plans of my fellow candidates. I was inspired by the need for reform within the External Office, and the need for increased student participation in the external policy of the AMS, and I feel I am the best qualified to accomplish these goals.

4) What are your current affiliations and how might they affect your performance if you are elected?

I currently have no political affiliation. I signed up for the federal Liberal Party in 2009 in order to learn more about the internal operations of political parties in Canada, being a political science student and political nerd. Last year there was a national leadership convention in Vancouver, which was a rare occurrence and an excellent learning opportunity for those interested in the way Canadian government actually works, and how policy comes into being. I have not renewed my membership because I believe that being nonpartisan is essential in being an effective VP External. My previous affiliation will not affect my performance if elected because I would take my direction from Council and the student body alone. There is no room for partisanship in lobbying for the betterment of the student experience.

5) If you are not elected, what do you plan to do after the AMS elections? How will you continue to stay involved?

If I am not elected I will finish my last few classes and graduate. I have had a varied and exciting experience at UBC, and have been extensively involved with the AMS up until this point. I will continue to stay involved with the UBC community as an alumnus and Ubyssey/VFM addict. I am not ready to leave this beautiful campus, nor am I ready to leave the AMS just yet.

6) What does the AMS mean to you?

The AMS is a very unique student union. Most Canadian SUs operate more in the way of our undergraduate societies, most certainly not tackling projects like the U-Pass, Medical and Dental Plan, Resource Groups or Services. Many SUs barely run any businesses, and those usually lose money unlike ours. To me the AMS represents a better university experience. The AMS shows the world that students in British Columbia are incredibly accomplished and professional and deserve to be recognized as such. The AMS means a great deal to me, and it saddens me to think that many students at UBC don’t recognize the importance of its existence, of the integral role it plays on this campus. To me the AMS means a complete education.

So Good You'll Bleed from the Mouth

2010-01-27T13:30:00.000-08:00

And Matt Naylor did.

Many words have been used to describe the strong tradition of Jello Wrestling during the elections at UBC, words such as "Epic", "Hilarious", "Gross", and perhaps most fitting "Unsafe". Since the best things in life can often lead to bodily injury (consider swimming, gliding, mountain climbing, skiing, and other things I would do more often if I were less lazy), I'll ignore that aspect of Jello Wrestling.

Though I did not manage to see every match, there was one that fully encompassed all aforementioned words, and that was Jeremy McElroy versus Matthew Naylor. JMc wore a blue space suit with police tape as a belt, demonstrating how truly fashionable he can be when he isn't wearing his brown "old man blazer" as dubbed by Alex Lougheed. Chairman Naylor preferred to show off his macho side, going shirtless and towering a full foot over his opponent in a manner reminiscent of Vladimir Putin's PR photos.

The tension was palpable as these two bearded behemoths approached each other. Each viewed the other with both respect and contempt, with only one goal in mind: to take the other's sock off in a vat of Jello.

McElroy lunged first, but Naylor's size prevented McElroy from even approaching his foot. McElroy attempted to jump over Naylor, but as they repeatedly clashed both were thrown to the ground and Naylor climbed over McElroy as though he were Aaron Palm charging at the Knoll. JMc knew he was in trouble, so he began to blind and gag our dear Chairman by splashing Jello into his face. He came free and for the next 3 minutes an all out brawl ensued where they each overtook their opponents legs and were yanking at the desired sock, pulling their Excalibur not from a stone, but from the dangling foot of a 20-something year old man covered in green goop. Eventually, they both tore the sock away at what appeared to be the same moment, though Naylor was crowned the winner by a split second. As he emerged, it was clear that in the course of the battle, he had cut his lip, so that he had battle wounds to go alongside that dearest of trophies, McElroy's sock.

Certainly neither can be satisfied at not being known as the out and out winner of such a match, and so this writer believes we will see these modern day Gladiators in the ring once more.

Interview Series: Ekaterina Dovjenko

2010-01-27T00:07:00.001-08:00

Despite technological troubles, Ekaterina Dovjenko (candidate for VP Administration) prevails with her interview here:

1) If you had to select a song to represent your campaign, what would it be and why?

I had a very hard time deciding on a song because my campaign has been such a whirlwind, moving from very exciting moments to extremely stressful ones. I think the song that best represents my campaign is the musically post-modernistic piece Party in the USA (replace USA by AMS) by Miley because it artistically embodies my internal struggle with finding myself in an entirely new situation.

2) Which world leader or politician embodies your leadership ideal? Why?

I do not really have one particular politician that completely embodies my ideal but there are a few that I admire for various reasons:

Ghandi because he is a fellow INFJ (Editor’s note: I’m an INFP!) and I respect his quiet, non-violent approach to enacting positive change

Putin because he is scary and has Russian women swooning over him AND because he has a song!

Blake from TOMshoes because he perfected the social enterprise.

Obama because his election campaign was an amazing marketing feat and because he’s Obama.

Hillary Clinton because girls all over the world look up to her as a great female leader.

Al Gore because he managed to overcome loss and bring attention to global warming on a world-scale.

3) What inspired you to run in the AMS elections? Why are you qualified for the position for which you are running?

INSPIRATION: I am a strong believer in the potential that the AMS has to a) create engaging and sustainable space with the New SUB b) increase student engagement through clubs and c) become a better-run organization.

I am running in the AMS because as corny as it sounds, I want to help students and do good.

QUALIFICATIONS: For the past three years, I have sat on CUS council and AMS Council and have had hands-on experience with governance, motions and AMS processes. I have created initiatives, lead and managed large teams and chaired meetings. I am currently the Chair of the Business and Facilities Committee (BAFC) at the AMS and deal specifically with items that relate to the VP Admin portfolio.

4) What are your current affiliations and how might they affect your performance if you are elected?

I am affiliated with a sorority and Greek life. I’m also a commerce student affiliated with the CUS. If I do get elected, I only see these affiliations helping me better understand the student body.

5) If you are not elected, what do you plan to do after the AMS elections? How will you continue to stay involved?

I plan to bug the elected AMS executive and constantly make fun of them through blogs...j/j Most likely, I’d continue to Chair the BAFC until March and then focus on the summer where I would join my best friend in a microfinance volunteer assignment in Shri Lanka.

6) What does the AMS mean to you?

Tough question! The AMS, to me, is a community, a business, a lifestyle, a home, an advocate, a friend, a monster, a genius, an NPO, and a memory. It’s far too complex and awesome to be one single thing and quite frankly sometimes I love it and sometimes I don’t (especially after a six hour long Council meeting).

Spectator Endorses....

2010-01-26T14:34:00.000-08:00

The following post is a collaborative post, composed of the endorsements and reasons therefore, of all four individuals making up the Editorial Board of The UBC Spectator.

President

1./2. Bijan Ahmadian and Natalie Swift

3. Sean Kim

4. Pak Ho Leung

While it may seem like a bit of a cop out to have Bijan and Natalie tied for what may be the most contentious race of the election, the blame falls squarely on even numbers. Two of our Editors voted for Natalie and two voted for Bijan.

Natalie is a very nice person, she’s friendly, approachable and she genuinely cares about students. Natalie would doubtless work very hard for students, and her time as the President of a Student Union at an Ontario college would provide her with a well of experiences to call upon. She’s a reasonable person and would likely be able to unite any Executive that she is given. One criticism that she has repeatedly had to answer for is her tendency to abstain on key votes on Council. She has said this was a result of her not agreeing with the wording of motions such as the one urging the AMS to leave CASA, the federal lobbying body which we were a part of. The problem is that the frequency of her not agreeing with the wording of these motions is too high for someone that is meant to be a leader and a visionary, particularly considering that a portion of these votes were largely contentious and important in determining priorities. The President should have confidence in abundance, and though arrogance can be very harmful as this past year has proven, a lack of decisiveness can similarly be harmful.

Bijan is experienced, he’s intelligent, he’s capable, and he has a close relationship with the University that accompanies his approach of working with the University in order to achieve goals that are in the interest of all stakeholders at UBC. After a year in which the President of UBC, Stephen Toope, even questioned the ability of the AMS to function properly after a series of stunts that at best were embarrassing and at worst were actively harmful, we need someone who can rebuild these relationships, something Bijan seems more than able of doing. Many students, including his opponent Natalie, have criticized Bijan for putting the University’s interests ahead of those of the students. There is an uncertainty around whether Bijan is truly as in touch with student’s needs as he claims to be, and there is a sense among certain groups that his motives in running are suspect. There have also been concerns raised about his ability to work with whatever Executive was elected by students, in light of Natalie’s more open style.

Sean Kim seems very enthusiastic, but largely unprepared for the position which he is running for. His answers in debates rarely had to do with the question at hand, and he seemed to be confused as to the difference in things such as AMS fees and tuition fees, which the President should be well versed in. We hope that Kim very much stays involved, and joins the AMS, but at this time he is unprepared for the office of President.

Pak Ho Leung...is serious business...but ultimately a joke candidate.

VP Administration

1. Ekaterina Dovjenko

2. Michael Haack

Despite Michael Haack’s very impressive chalking, Ekaterina remains the best choice for the position as a result of her performance over the course of the campaign. She demonstrated a firmer grasp of the issues at hand than Michael, repeatedly outdoing his answers to questions during the debates, and her eagerness can hopefully be translated into an intensified commitment to her office. Haack and Dovjenko both have excellent platforms, have campaigned well, and would be outstanding choices for this position, however Ekaterina simply outperformed during the debates to put her over the top.

VP Academic and University Affairs

1. Ben Capellacci

2. Rodrigo Ferrari – Nunes

Ben clearly has put much effort into learning about the intricacies of this position, acquiring a huge amount of knowledge in a relatively short period of time. This ability to learn will bode well for him in his work with the AMS. While he was not outstanding during the entirety of the campaign, his ability to improve is commendable.

Rodrigo has been involved for a much longer period of time, but in that time he’s demonstrated that his ideological views often put him at odds with much of Council, and with students. One recalls the intense criticism he pelted Colin Simkus with, after Colin was a proxy during some of the UN-gate discussions while having a picture of himself and Gordon Campbell on Facebook. While Rodrigo appears more moderate during the election period, past experiences, including his participation in Trek Park, have indicated that he can be a radical force at UBC, which may not be what is necessary for this portfolio considering the work that is done under the University Affairs section. Perhaps in his current niche, he’d best be able to serve students at UBC, by acting as a voice of opposition and continuously reminding council of the presence of minority interests within the UBC community.

VP External

1. Jeremy McElroy

2. Stas Pavlov

3. Aaron Palm

4. Tim Chu

Prior to any explanations, it is important to note that there was also a disagreement in this case (not counting abstentions from voting on this race as a result of personal connections with the candidates). The debate here was present in the questioning of whether to place Tim Chu in third place, or in fourth place, behind joke candidate Aaron Palm. Though one Editor had wanted to put Aaron in last place, particularly since he is running on a platform of building an army to secede from Canada in order to pay fewer taxes, while simultaneously advocating for the destruction of all services and the building of a freeway to the houses of all students in lieu of a transit system, the votes on the Editorial Board ultimately decided that Tim Chu is the least likely to perform well as VP External. This opinion may have been fuelled from his performance this past year as VP External.

Jeremy McElroy has demonstrated a remarkable knowledge of the portfolio, creating a platform which encompasses the major issues and backs them up with statistics and research. During debates, he clearly demonstrated himself to be a superior speaker, to have well thought out responses, and to have the experience in the AMS to be able to support his claims of what he can do. His innovative approach to lobbying in the creation of a BC Coalition of Student Unions will likely impact not only UBC, but most if not all post secondary students in British Columbia, in a very positive way for years to come.

Stas in contrast prefers to focus solely on UBC, and demonstrates a lack of proper understanding of lobbying techniques by disregarding the effectiveness of more voices than just UBC’s. He seems genuine in his desire to reform the External office, but his platform is ultimately lacking when compared to Jeremy’s. It is vague and includes items which do not fall under the purview of the VP External. Stas has a bit of learning to do, however his dedication, intelligence, and willingness to get involved will likely come through over the next couple of years and hopefully he continues to stay involved.

VP Finance

1. Elin Tayyar

2. The Invisible Man

Despite the transparency offered by the Invisible Man, Elin remains the best choice for this position, largely because we can find him. He has already begun transitioning with Tom Dvorak, current VP Finance, and thus far seems to be capable of fulfilling his duties. We wish Elin luck in the year ahead.

Senate

Johannes Rebane

Joël Mertens

Ryan Bredin

Spencer Rasmussen

Alyssa Koehn

Honourable Mention: Nader Beyzaei, Gary Tse, AJ Hajian

There is no shortage of qualified candidates in this position. Johannes and Joël have an enormous amount of experience in the AMS, and would be assets to the Senate, while Ryan and Alyssa have consistently impressed Spectator throughout the campaign. While sick, and therefore unable to attend the debates, Alyssa even liveblogged along on Spectator’s site in order to be able to express her views to students. Spencer, as many people have said, is a one issue candidate, and that issue is sustainability. One of our Editors has had several classes with Spencer and she can attest that this is his passion. Hopefully he’ll be able to deliver results on this issue through his more specific focus, while others take on the more general responsibilities of the position.

While Nader, Gary and AJ worked hard enough to impress one editor out of the four, unfortunately when the votes were tallied their support at Spectator just wasn’t there, though all three would be great additions to Senate.

Board of Governors

Azim Wazeer

Sean Heisler

Honourable Mention: Guillaume Houle

Azim has a great deal of experience and has shown himself to be calm, cool and collected. These are qualities that are necessary for someone serving on BoG, as the student voice is the minority in these discussions and one needs to recognize that level headedness is vital to achieving results. This is why the reader will note that Blake Frederick is not on this list. Sean Heisler would also do an amazing job, which he has demonstrated through the hilarious addition of 2D Sean, a cardboard cut out that he sent along with his campaign manager to the debates while he was at an Engineering tournament in another province.

Guillaume is definitely the most boisterous candidate, he hasn’t demonstrated himself to be a good organizer over the past year while he was President of the AUS, however that is not necessary for a role such as this one. He bluntly stated that he wouldn’t work with Blake Frederick if Blake were elected to BoG, saying what perhaps everyone else was thinking but would never admit, however it is those types of statements that make one think he is simply not delicate enough in his approach for this job. Some would argue that having a bit of honesty is not a bad thing, but isolating yourself from the Board very well may be.

Interview Series: Rodrigo Ferrari-Nunes

2010-01-26T13:40:00.001-08:00

Today's interview: Rodrigo Ferrari-Nunes for VP Academic and University Affairs!

1) If you had to select a song to represent your campaign, what would it be and why?

It would be "Get Up, Stand Up" by Bob Marley. It makes you feel good and want to do something to make the world a better place by working for it – 'standing up' for the things that ensure you are not subjected to marginalization – 'your rights'. It says a lot without saying much, and this makes me reflect on the issue of how to translate complex information into plain language. It also embodies the spirit of the civil rights movement for me.

2) Which world leader or politician embodies your leadership ideal? Why?

If I were to choose someone well known from North America, it would be Jimmy Carter, the 39th US President (1977-1981). He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, and what really impressed me about him was that, at an advanced age – his late seventies – he was going down to Mexico to help people build their houses, but he did not just give them money or send them workers, he worked on building the houses with the people. A former American President who can be this down to earth is a rare sight. I find this sort of dedication to social justice is missing.

3) What inspired you to run in the AMS elections? Why are you qualified for the position for which you are running?

My 7 years of experience at UBC, my past involvement, my understanding of the decision-making process at UBC, and the plan that I have been developing in consultation with very studious UBC students for the last 3 years. At this particular moment in time – before going into a PhD research that will consume all of my attention – I can be available to implement a system of communication for students through the AMS that will improve our communications to levels previously unseen.

I have learned a lot in my experience with student government at UBC, and I have become determined to put myself in the service of all students, including graduate students, and those who may be considered in marginal positions. I believe that, for example, the AMS has not been able to reach out to UBC athletes and include them more in our consultations, and in our collective political communication strategy. We need to have more qualified individuals communicating our issues and collecting information on student life. I mention athletes, because some of the most important successes of the AMS under Mike Duncan, not yet mentioned in this campaign by any candidate as far as I am concerned, were related to sports – the lowering of the Student Rec Centre fees, and the campaign to instruct students on the consequences of joining NCAA division II. The campaign to inform students on the NCAA II issue depended on carefully collected and professionally presented information that was convincing and compelling. After Duncan, we never saw anything like it again. I will do my best to make sure that we aim for this standard and strive to move beyond it.

4) What are your current affiliations and how might they affect your performance if you are elected?

I am affiliated with the Journalists for Human Rights, UBC Chapter, as the VP External. I think that my performance can only be improved with this important association. Broad international communications on human rights issues affecting the world are at the heart of the humanistic scholarship of our era.

5) If you are not elected, what do you plan to do after the AMS elections? How will you continue to stay involved?

I will be revising papers that have been selected for publication in peer-reviewed Anthropological Journals and which require my attention, get moving on funding applications; continue recording the album I am working on right now, and also reading and writing my thoughts on articles and books that pertain to my future academic career. I will be a student, most likely, for at least 4 more years, and I will try to stay involved by paying attention in the issues and trying to provide critical inquiry and feasible solutions to the problems I perceive.

6) What does the AMS mean to you?

The Alma Mater Society at UBC Vancouver, is an organization that belongs to UBC students and where students can belong and feel at home, find people that will care for their issues, and find opportunities to grow, get community experience and education. It is also the largest student union in Canada with over 47000 members, with about 10000 graduate students. Its membership reflects the complexity and variation represented at UBC, and, most importantly, the AMS is constantly evolving with your participation. That is, your involvement or non-involvement invariably shapes the organization. In other words, will you ALWAYS make difference when you take part in the AMS.

Editor's Note: I must apologise to Mr. Ferrari-Nunes who has been extremely obliging in his response to the interview. He's been cordial and fair in his communications with the UBC Spectator and I apologise to our readers for the delay in posting his interview.

Voting Predictions from Media Endorsements

2010-01-25T23:08:00.001-08:00

Using the endorsements of all four editors of the UBC Spectator (which will be made available tomorrow so stay tuned!) and endorsements made available at:

I’ve computed the hypothetical Condorcet winners (using the Ranked-Pairs method) for the AMS executive positions. Where there is a tie, random selection dictates the winner, as per the electoral guidelines.

For the purposes of calculation, I excluded those endorsements that were not ranked-ordered (e.g. AMS Confidential) because of the ambiguity of possible ranking (e.g. “I endorse Candidate X” could mean X>Y>Z or X>Y=Z which could affect the calculation).

Here are the results!

President – Natalie Swift (Forestry)
VP Academic and University Affairs – Ben Cappellacci (Commerce)
VP Finance – Elin Tayyar (Arts)
VP Administration – Ektaerina Dovjenko (Commerce)
VP External – Jeremy McElroy (Arts)

Of course, this is a highly contrived scenario and may or may not be indicative of what the results of the elections may be (remember Crystal’s “upset” over Tristan?), it’s still very interesting nevertheless.

At any rate, please make sure you get informed and get voting!

In Case You Weren't Aware...

2010-01-25T16:20:00.000-08:00

The AMS and constituencies have generally been regarded as a little bit "hacky", and this was made readily apparent on Friday night.

What happened on Friday night, you ask? I thought the "hackfest" beer garden was on Sunday. Friday was the birthday outing of one Jack Hind Smith, former AUS VP Academic and current UBC socialite. If you know Jack, you know that walking with him anywhere on campus necessitates an average of 5 conversations with different people between any two locations, delaying what would be a 5 minute walk to more like... 25.

The Friday outing was chock full o' hacks, with the following groups represented:

AUS
EUS
SUS
CUS
FUS (Natalie Swift and Co. showed up randomly, not for Jack's outing, but contributed to the hackery nonetheless)
Ubyssey
Elections Committee (at least 2, including our lovely EA)
AMS Executive Candidates (Ekaterina Dovjenko, Natalie Swift, Jeremy McElroy, Aaron Palm)
VFM (from RBT, AMS Confidential, yours truly, and UBC Insiders)

Suspiciously absent, however, was Mike Duncan, the true AMS socialite.

Liveblog! AMS Elections Debate: Pres, VP Ex, VP Academic

2010-01-25T09:48:00.000-08:00

Well, well, well. The final debate happens today at noon in the SUB Conversation Pit. The candidates for the positions of President, VP External, and VP Academic will be debating.

AMS Elections Debate: President, VP External, VP Academic.

Elections Link Redux

2010-01-24T21:22:00.000-08:00

The time to vote is about to dawn and you’re still in a tizzy over who to vote for? Have no fear, all university students have been trained to be good at skimming websites so feast your eyes on this cornucopia of links!

Happy voting and we’ll keep this page updated as we can.

Check our list of links after the jump!

President

Bijan Ahmadian
Facebook | Website
Sean Kim
Facebook
Pak Ho Leung
Facebook
Natalie Swift
Facebook | Website

VP Academic and University Affairs

Ben Cappellacci
Facebook | Website | Twitter
Rodrigo Ferrari Nunes
Facebook | Website

VP Finance

Elin Tayyar
Facebook | Website

VP Administration

Ekaterina Dovjenko
Facebook | Website | Twitter
Michael Haack
Facebook | Website | Twitter

VP External

Timothy Chu
Facebook
Jeremy McElroy
Facebook | Website | Twitter
Aaron Palm
Facebook
Stas Pavlov
Facebook | Website | Twitter

Board of Governors (2)

Blake Frederick
Sean Heisler
Facebook | Website | Twitter
Guillaume Houle
Facebook | Twitter
Azim Wazeer
Facebook | Website

Senate (5)

Nader Beyzaei
Twitter
Ryan Bredin
Facebook
Blake Frederick
AJ Hajir Hajian
Facebook
Alyssa Koehn
Blair McRadu
Facebook
Joël Mertens
Facebook | Website
Spencer Rasmussen
Johannes Rebane
Facebook | Website | Twitter
Miriam Sabzevaed
Aminollah Sabzevari
Facebook
Gary Tse
Facebook

Endorsements

Wanted: Maverick Sidekick

2010-01-24T19:44:00.000-08:00

Thank you to our anonymous Tipster for providing the UBC Spectator with this information.

Now I wonder who this could be... anyways, anyone who knows a Palin look-a-like help this poster out!

Meme Madness

2010-01-24T14:56:00.001-08:00

So to lighten up the gravity surrounding the AMS elections, I went to Meme Generator to try to come up with a few good ones.

They weren’t so good.

Surely you can come up with better ones. Submit them in the comments!

Platforms Made Simple

2010-01-23T23:57:00.001-08:00

Matt’s insightful guest post made me realise a few things, most of which is the fact that most students are not going to thoroughly sift through each candidate’s platform in any great deal. And why should they? Time is short, homework is plentiful and television shows are just a click away.

So I took the time to quickly glance over each candidate’s platform in its entirety to distil the key points each candidate wanted to make.

	Bijan Ahmadian	Sean Kim	Pak Ho Leung	Natalie Swift
Accountability and Governance	x		x	x
Advocacy and Lobbying	x	x	x	x
AMS Services				x
Arts County Fair			x
Career Services		x
Childcare				x
Equity				x
Food Options			x
Health		x
New SUB				x
Olympics				x
Quality of Instruction		x
Student Housing	x		x
Student Involvement		x	x	x
Sustainability				x
Transit	x		x
Tuition	x	x	x	x
University Reputation			x

Categories were determined ~~using a highly sophisticated computer algorithm~~ arbitrarily in a way that made sense to me. Where possible, platform points were taken from campaign websites. For candidates without campaign websites, platform points were taken from Facebook groups.

While platforms are a great way to see what a candidate knows and doesn’t know about the position (e.g. whether or not a platform point is even within the mandate of the position), I urge readers to take them with a grain of salt.

Platforms are non-binding and wide-ranging promises, typically made out of good intentions but sometimes not fully explored during time in office due to institutional inertia, bureaucracy or other such causes. I would not consider them good predictors of executive performance.

Check out the rest of the platform summaries after the jump!

VP Academic and University Affairs

	Ben Cappellacci	Rodrigo Ferrari Nunes
Academics	x
Accountability		x
Advocacy and Lobbying	x	x
Housing	x
Student Involvement		x
Transparency		x

VP Finance

	Elin Tayyar
Advocacy and Lobbying	x
AMS Businesses	x
Budget Deficit	x
Governance	x
Organizational Efficiency	x
Student Funds	x
Student Involvement	x
Volunteer Opportunities	x

*I’ve excluded the Invisible Man because I couldn’t find a platform…

VP Administration

	Ekaterina Dovjenko	Michael Haack
Club Administration	x	x
New SUB	x	x
Transparency	x	x
Sustainability	x	x

VP External

	Timothy Chu	Jeremy McElroy	Aaron Palm	Stas Pavlov
Advocacy and Lobbying	x	x
Childcare		x
Equity	x
Governance				x
Housing	x	x
Transit	x	x		x
Tuition	x	x	x	x

The Battle of the Enigmatic: Thoughts on the VP Academic Race

2010-01-23T16:40:00.000-08:00

The VP Academic & University Affairs race may be the least-talked about contests this year. Ben Cappellacci and Rodrigo Ferrari Nuñes are going head-to-head this year for the position. But with the attention going to other positions (hotly contested races in President, VP External, and VP Administration), this particular race has had relatively little spotlight.

As a candidate, Ben is dynamic, having served as a CUS Senator, Ignite! Conference director, and Safewalk Coordinator. He comes across as astutely business-minded (a good thing in my opinion) and he seems to have a grasp of the issues. He is well-spoken and confident and Ben may win this election if he reaches out well out of the Commerce faculty.

With regards to Rodrigo, I have observed something impressive about him thus far. He has reached out to a pair of blogs that probably do not share his beliefs - Foxtrot and Social Capital. He had a very constructive (shocking!) interview with the writers of Foxtrot and he wrote a thoughtful piece on internationalism in Social Capital. He has shown sincere passion for UBC students throughout his campaign.

The debate between the two, however, showed very few sparks and garnered less attention than the other debates. I hope this changes, though, as last year AMS followers were treated to a fun 4-way race featuring Mr Rebane, Ms Purewal, Mr Wood, and Mr Nogas. Numerous storylines dominated that election.

Best of luck to Mr Cappellacci and Mr Nuñes.

Interview Series: Bijan Ahmadian

2010-01-23T16:00:00.000-08:00

Bijan Ahmadian, candidate for AMS President and media darling, answers our interview questions. Check out what he has to say here (or drop by his Facebook group)

1) If you had to select a song to represent your campaign, what would it be and why?

“Let’s get it started!”

It’s a song I dance to in my videos on bijan.ca. I chose this because it signals starting a new way of relating the AMS to external organizations such as the University and the Provincial Government. I am going to start a re-building of relationships to ensure that students are treated with respect and included in decision-making.

2) Which world leader or politician embodies your leadership ideal? Why?

Despite some belief, I do not follow politics much. Most of my role models are in human rights and the arts.

3) What inspired you to run in the AMS elections? Why are you qualified for the position for which you are running?

I was originally just going to run for re-election for the Board of Governors. After seeing the irreversible damage that the poor AMS relationship with the University has caused, I decided to postpone graduation by a year, to fix that. Having served on the Senate and Board of Governors for three and two years in a row respectively, I have a track record of advocating for students and bringing tangible results for them. Highlights include Fraternity Village Issues, MBA Fees, and Viewing Exams Policy. More examples are posted under Achievements at bijan.ca.

4) What are your current affiliations and how might they affect your performance if you are elected?

As an out-going member of the Board of Governors, I have a good understanding of how the University works, and I know how to play the politics necessary to get things done for students. I have a track record supporting this and you can watch examples on bijan.ca under Achievements.

5) If you are not elected, what do you plan to do after the AMS elections? How will you continue to stay involved?

I will go back to my original plans of graduating in 2011, and taking an articling position right away so I start my career as a lawyer, and then I’ll probably retire a year earlier than if I win AMS President. I’m postponing graduation and probably retirement because I’m truly passionate about making this campus a better place for students.

6) What does the AMS mean to you?

It means taking a leadership role in building the key relationships that will position students inside the decision making process on issues that affect them.

Interview Series: Aaron Palm

2010-01-23T12:00:00.000-08:00

Aaron Palm, formerly of Devil’s Advocate and maverick extraordinaire, is running for the position of VP External.

1) If you had to select a song to represent your campaign, what would it be and why?

Springsteen, Born to Run. The song is beautiful. Springsteen represents the working student struggling to pay tuition. And of course the song title lends itself well to campaign song.

2) Which world leader or politician embodies your leadership ideal? Why?

John Dickinson, probably one of the most hard core and yet obscure of the Founding Fathers.

3) What inspired you to run in the AMS elections? Why are you qualified for the position for which you are running?

The groupies.

4) What are your current affiliations and how might they affect your performance if you are elected?

My current affiliations are only to God and Country. Those will always come before the AMS.

5) If you are not elected, what do you plan to do after the AMS elections? How will you continue to stay involved?

Move to Peru and become a llama smuggler. I will stay involved through pirate radio broadcasts where I read my manifestos to any who are brave enough to listen.

6) What does the AMS mean to you?

Taxation without Representation!

Up next – Bijan Ahmadian for AMS President!

Interview Series: Ben Cappellacci

2010-01-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

This interview features Ben Cappellacci, current CUS Student Senator and Safewalk Coordinator. Ben is running for the position of VP Academic and University Affairs.

1) If you had to select a song to represent your campaign, what would it be and why?

The song would have to be something catchy and optimistic, probably Cobrastyle by the Teddybears ft. Mad Cobra.

2) Which world leader or politician embodies your leadership ideal? Why?

Without using a well worn cliché I think that Obama really embodies what a leader should be. He has gone into a position that needed a lot of work and was very broken and is slowly but actively turning it around.

3) What inspired you to run in the AMS elections? Why are you qualified for the position for which you are running?

I was inspired for many reasons but primarily because I want to use my expertise and experiences to improve the lives of students at UBC. Student government is an area that has always interested me and given my involvement in the CUS board and UBC Senate this seemed like a natural next step.

4) What are your current affiliations and how might they affect your performance if you are elected?

I have worked with the university as well as with student groups and from these experiences I hope I have learned objectivity enough to be able to make rational requests of the university on behalf of students.

5) If you are not elected, what do you plan to do after the AMS elections? How will you continue to stay involved?

I will maintain my current job with Safewalk and will most likely pursue involvement in AMS, CUS and UBC committees.

6) What does the AMS mean to you?

The AMS represents the potential for students to organize and accomplish amazing things. It truly is the voice of the students and many great things have the potential of coming out of it.

The next interview will be that with Aaron Palm. Stay tuned!

Liveblog! AMS Elections Debate: Board of Governors, VP Finance, VP Admin

2010-01-22T11:57:00.001-08:00

Time for another liveblog! The debate is from 12 - 1:30 today in the Norm Theatre.

AMS Elections Debate: BoG, VP Finance, VP Admin

Guest Post: How to Choose Your AMS Candidate in Seven Minutes (or Less)

2010-01-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

Today’s guest post is by Matthew Corker, a recent alumnus and prolific leader in the UBC community. He offers his insight into candidate selection for those who don’t have the time (or patience) to wade through the verbiage of candidate platforms.

Straight up: I haven’t read the platforms of the candidates running in this year’s AMS elections. I haven’t gone to any debates, visited their websites, or even joined one of the many “vote for me” groups on Facebook. But, most likely, neither have you. You believe you have better things to do.

So do I. (Plus, being an alumnus doesn’t let me vote.)

But voting is important, so let’s make the process of choosing who you should vote for painfully simple. (And, yes, I used this technique when I started as a student.)

Step 1. Check to see if they provided a blurb to the elections committee for you to read.

When you sign in to vote online, you are able to click on the candidate’s name to see a photo of them as well as a brief summary of their platform/themselves. If they don’t have a blurb, they probably have a good excuse why they didn’t meet the submission deadline. You’ll probably also hear more of their good excuses if you end up voting them in.

Step 2. Write down a list of 4 key words that resonate with you when you think of a strong leader/representative for students.

They could include things like: community, activist, together, fight, support, advocate, collaborate, against, challenge, work with, involve, repair, I, we, etc. Skim through the candidates’ summaries to see if they include any of the terms you wrote down. The language they use is a good indicator of the perspective they’ll bring to the table.

Step 3. Write down 2 issues you want to see resolved (or focused on) in the coming year.

This could include:

The south campus development
The new SUB project
Effective communication with students (aka no more UBC spam e-mails)
Tuition costs

Skim through the candidates’ summaries again to see their take on those issues. If they didn’t include anything on the issue you deemed important, move on. If you don’t have any “important issues” may I suggest drawing inspiration from what the students told UBC to focus on (through the 2008 NSSE survey):

Issues UBC needs to address inside the classroom:

Improving the quality of course instruction by professors
Ensuring a better fit between course content, assignments, and tests/exams
Increasing the number or variety of course offerings in your major
Reducing class sizes overall

Issues UBC needs to address outside the classroom:

Expanding and/or improving the quality of academic support services
Providing students with more opportunities to undertake research with faculty
Providing a better social environment for students
Improving the quality/availability of study spaces
Increasing contact with professors outside of class

Step 4. Skim for any previous AMS, Board or Governors, or Senate experience/exposure.

I second Geoff’s quote in this post: “If you want to take the job seriously, you have to get engaged with it before you get it.” Candidates should at least have some experience in or exposure to working with UBC’s administration or representing students at a high level. These are, after all, some of the highest positions in student government at UBC.

Step 5. Check out their pictures.

Ask yourself: “Would I feel comfortable approaching this person on my way to class?” You should be able to answer yes.

By this time, it’s probably been 7 minutes. Proudly click submit and go back to the “better things you have to do.”

I should note that some may judge these techniques as superficial and not based on enough information. I remind those people that humans have an amazing ability to make reasonably accurate judgment calls on very little information. (When a snowball is being thrown at your face, do you stop to ‘analyze the complexity of the situation’ or do you just duck?)

I would also like to remind those people that they don’t have to heed any of my advice when the time comes for you to vote. You can read the blogs, talk about it with your friends, and visit the candidates’ websites in advance to get more informed about the people that will be representing you on stage at Orientations in front of thousands of students and around the boardroom table with UBC’s decision makers.

It’s your call. It’s your 7 minutes.

Happy voting!

Full Disclosure: Matt Corker, BCOM’08, is an active blogger about community, leadership, and the odd UBC-related news at http://thatsacorker.com and follows the UBC blogosphere quite diligently. He was never involved in the AMS as a student, but was very involved in other organizations like UBC REC, Residence Life, JDC West, and Varsity Rowing. He now works with Alumni Affairs in the Faculty of Science at UBC (and also for NoMoSolo).

Liveblog! AMS Elections Debate: VP Admin, Board of Governors, VP Academic

2010-01-21T10:15:00.001-08:00

The debate today will be at 11:30 in the Norm. The Spectators will be joined today by Jeffrey Fong (from Social Capital), Iggy Rodriguez and Maria Cirstea (Science AMS Reps extraordinaire).

AMS Elections Debate: VP Admin, BoG, VP Academic

Interview Series: Sean Heisler

2010-01-20T21:03:00.001-08:00

Next up, Sean Heisler running for Board of Governors. From ~~Facebook stalking~~ my confidential sources, it seems that Sean will be away for much of the campaign period in Winnipeg competing in an engineering tournament.

Like Ryan Bredin, Sean’s also a native Calgarian (what’s in the water over in Alberta that makes them all want to run for elected office?). He formerly attended Queen’s University but is now happily ensconced at UBC studying integrated engineering. Sean’s got his fair share of fans, bit not quite as many as Johannes.

1) If you had to select a song to represent your campaign, what would it be and why?

The song would definitely be Defying Gravity, though I'm a little torn on choosing a version (Original Broadway Cast or the Kurt version from Glee) [Editor’s note: I put Sean to the choice and he picked the Glee version.] but that seems pedantic. It's a little less so the campaign, and a little more so my motivation and perspective. On the campaign side,it's pretty clear that "some things I cannot change", even on Board, but the big thing is that "until I try I'll never know". As well, I'm not a well known name right now, I appreciate that, so really I have a week to give try and create a profile for myself to rival some of the candidates who have been building their name for a year or more.But "it's too late for second guessing", and I just "need to trust my instincts, close my eyes and leap" - into AMS politics.

2) Which world leader or politician embodies your leadership ideal? Why?

Fritz Bowers. He's not a current leader but he's not too long passed. He was the city manager of Vancouver from 1977-1990, a city councilor, alderman, UBC Electrical Engineering professor, and on UBC Senate. Was someone who was meticulous, and actively non-partisan. He also had an analytical side (the engineering side) which brought a effectiveness and a vigor to the politics which would otherwise have been swamped inpolitical maneuvers. Also my grandfather.

3) What inspired you to run in the AMS elections? Why are you qualified for the position for which you are running?

My role on Senate and the Ministry of Education review was similar. I loved those roles; viewing issues through an academic lens helped me develop my skills in policy making in a committee-based environment. During these experiences, I realized more and more that my strengths were better aligned with governance, business policies and overall,the Board of Governors. The ability to work within an institution and incite positive change is what gets me out of bed in the morning, and is precisely what I want to do on Board – initiate positive change for students.

In terms of experience, they're all laid out here, and you're welcome to pull quotes from there. To summarize them, I've got experience on the UBC Senate, as well as with the Ministry of Advanced Education on a Business Process review, both of which have trained me in how to proactively interact with governing boards and high up University administrators. I have also had success in the Western and Canadian Engineering Competitions in debate, which highlight my ability to disassemble arguments, and truly analyze statements for rebuttals and refutations. Lastly, I'm very policy oriented and I've been involved in rewriting three separate policy manuals (EUS, GEERing Up! and Integrated Engineering Council) in the past year, proving I can understand and work with the types of documents that the Board will see.

4) What are your current affiliations and how might they affect your performance if you are elected?

I currently sit on Senate as the Student Senator from Applied Science,and it would positively affect my Board of Governors performance because it gives me the contacts and experience to interacting with university staff and administrators. I know which parties at UBC need to be contacted if I have questions, or who to ask for help on the initiatives I undertake. The two terms won't be significantly overlapping as my current term on Senate expires in April.

5) If you are not elected, what do you plan to do after the AMS elections? How will you continue to stay involved?

I'd look at running for Applied Science Senator again, though I definitely feel I can be more effective on Board, and I'd learn more from it.

6) What does the AMS mean to you?

The AMS represents the best intentions of the students of the past, and a commitment to move forward and make lives of future students better. When used as intended it has great potential to achieve these lofty goals, but all to often its purpose is diverted by personal agendas and ambitions; and thus we all must all be stalwarts to these intentions co-operatively, because the AMS is definitely NOT a place to flaunt your affiliations as it has been in the past (I think Dia's article through UBC Insiders sums this point up exceptionally well).

The next interview will be that of Ben Cappellacci, candidate for VP Academic and University Affairs.

Liveblog! AMS Elections Debate: Pres, VP Ex, VP Finance

2010-01-20T10:33:00.001-08:00

Joining us today will be Jason Ng, from Social Capital.

AMS Elections Debate: President, VP Ex, VP Finance

Interview Series: Ryan Bredin

2010-01-20T09:49:00.001-08:00

The first of our interview respondents was Ryan Bredin who gets first go with his interview! Ryan is (apparently) a Calgarian, running for Senate and, as he much emphasizes, not a hack. He’s currently a third-year Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Science student whose platform includes class sizes, defending budgets, class enrolment and no-hack stipulations. His Facebook group is located here.

1) If you had to select a song to represent your campaign, what would it be and why?

My song would be "That's the Way the World Goes 'Round" By John Prine. It is a folk song which is by definition not a music style everyone agrees with, but it does present the comical nature of life and this I feel embodies my campaign.

2) Which world leader or politician embodies your leadership ideal? Why?

I have yet to meet the "perfect politician" which could come close to being definitive of "ideal leadership". One must deal with their flaws as they arise, and strive to be better. A fictional character that embodies this is Captain Kirk from Star Trek.

3) What inspired you to run in the AMS elections? Why are you qualified for the position for which you are running?

If the past year has demonstrated anything, it's that the 'insider' element of student politics at UBC is totally preoccupied with personal quests for glory, petty politics and laying the groundwork for private political futures. I'm tired of these self-serving hacks and their inability to deliver positive results to students. UN complaints over human rights abuses? Expensive and unbelievable 'postcard campaigns'? We deserve better. I have no interest in a long-term 'political future', either federally or provincially. I just want to put to good use my skills, pragmatism and knowledge of the University by representing you in the Senate. If you are curious about my campaign platform, and the issues I intend to fix in the senate, please visit my Facebook group.

4) What are your current affiliations and how might they affect your performance if you are elected?

Currently I am not "affiliated" to any group. I intend to inform myself on the workings of senate, and then present the issues to my supporters. After consulting my supporters, I will make as informed and responsible decisions as possible.

5) If you are not elected, what do you plan to do after the AMS elections? How will you continue to stay involved?

I intend to do what every good university student does. Read the very sparse information on what the AMS is doing, and then give passionate opinions without all the facts (Good Job Guys).

6) What does the AMS mean to you?

Honestly, I can't tell what exactly AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness), commonly known as hypobaropathy has to do with Senate. Are we running a high altitude campaign?

Next up will be Sean Heisler, candidate for Board of Governors.

Liveblog! AMS Elections Debate: Senate

2010-01-19T09:30:00.000-08:00

Below is our liveblog coverage of the first round of AMS Elections Debates, taking place in the SUB Conversation Pit (that ugly part that looks like an airport waiting area) today at 11:30 am. The debaters will be the candidates for the five Senate positions up for grabs.

Joining as a contributor will be Geoff Costeloe, esteemed Senator and rival VFM candidate.

AMS Elections Debate: Senate

He Got It From His Mama

2010-01-18T23:41:00.001-08:00

There’s no question about it. We’ve already discussed how Johannes Rebane is ridiculously fierce. He’s apparently taken this idea and run with it because for his campaign this year, he’s forgone the geek chic specs and grandpa blazer for an edgier look this time. And I’ve got to say, having one’s GQ photoshoot pictures leaked is cool and all but reusing them is so not ferosh (yes, I had to look that one up).

If you haven’t seen it, his website makes clear his selling point this year. Yes, assuredly he’ll be posting a very thoughtful and insightful platform. But the point is that he’s discovered that he can really bank on that Kentucky-born, Estonian charm and a impish, boyish smirk this year to see him through elections.

And I’m not even sure I can say that it won’t work. With Tom Dvorak not seeking re-election, I’m sure the young ladies of Totem Park and Place Vanier will be seeking their new AMS calendar boy and Johannes is more than willing to fulfill the niche.

I’m sure Johannes’ supporters will tell me not to “hate the playa, hate the game.” To them, I say…

After the jump, a photo of Johannes I just recently discovered…

One of these things is not like the other.

What Caught Our Eyes Today?

2010-01-18T22:53:00.000-08:00

Campaign season is officially underway and here are a few preliminary observations on my part:

1) Sean Kim's Obama-esque posters are pretty cool. Very nice edge.

2) Jeremy McElroy's campaign pictures look awesome. A good mix of seriousness and friendliness.

3) Tim Chu has a pretty nice poster design himself.

4) Bijan Ahmadian has the best website of all the candidates thus far.

5) In the span of two hours, Ekaterina Dovjenko had 91 members in her Facebook group.

6) That was only Day One. I can't wait until debates start and interviews are posted!

And So It Begins

2010-01-18T09:20:00.001-08:00

Silently, almost imperceptibly so, as eight o’ clock rolled around this morning, candidates assuredly arose to face the growing tide. Campaign period has drawn nigh once again. To all candidates, I wish you luck and to voters, I hope you take notice.

Already, I’ve been inundated by invitations to some candidates’ Facebook groups. (Disclaimer: Assuredly, there exist more Facebook groups than listed here but I have not been invited to them.)

At the close of today, when more Facebook groups are available, I’ll post a link redux (just like last year) of day one of the campaign period. Keep posted to the link reduxes if you don’t have time to research or read too deeply, I’ll try to link to everything you need to know about candidates, at least marginally.

Stick close to the VFM outlets this year! If Alex’s tweet is any indication, the UBC Insiders should be kicking it into high gear to bring their insider knowledge to the masses. Newcomers and old-timers alike will be scrutinizing candidates like never before so keep abreast of news at it happens (perhaps with our handy sidebar?).

Let the Games Begin!!

2010-01-17T22:09:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not referring to the Olympics (which will be coming to Vancouver in less than a month!! w00t!).

Rather, I am referring to the start of campaigning season with respect to the upcoming UBC AMS Elections. In my second full year of being involved in student politics, I already foresee a trend that encompasses student government elections. Here are the notable three that we should all look out for:

1) Stupid "scandals" and character attacks - Cookiegate. Low-blows. Character assassinations. These are all prime examples of what happened last year. Cookiegate caught everyone's attention last year, but we all know that this was purely a bag of hot air. Individual reputations were targeted. Group A tried to link Group B to a slate, and vice-versa. Exciting fodder for the media, indeed, but useless events that really don't matter to anyone when we hit the workforce in a few years.

2) Debates - Campaigns are not made or broken in the debates, but they are certainly helped or hindered by debate performances. Someone who comes across as well-spoken and intelligent will definitely receive brownie points.

3) Ideological Lines - I'm sure we've all heard or used the term "Knollie" or "Naylorite" at one point or another in the last few months, especially after Blake and Tim's UN stunt. I think Justin worded the ideal situation best when he suggested to avoid blind use of ideological terms. Most of us probably are already in one ideological camp in student politics anyways, but this election, let's at least try to find truth by carefully scrutinizing candidate platforms.

Pragmatically, this is always hard, especially when we feel there are divisive candidates out there this year, but keep in mind you are all university students. We have all formed and developed critical thinking skills in UBC - hence, branch out! Read other candidate platforms, regardless if you don't plan on voting for her/him. Relying on one source or piece of information out there will produce dogma.

Best of luck to all candidates running in an election!

Referenda Frenzy

2010-01-16T21:46:00.001-08:00

Isabel Ferreras has emailed out this year’s confirmed referenda questions so check them out in their entirety. If you haven’t already heard about this year’s referenda questions, read Mitchell’s excellent post.

Be sure to get educated and informed so you can make the right choices regarding the referenda questions!

Do you support the amendment of the AMS Bylaws as presented, based on the recommendations of a consultant hired to review the operations of Student Court and of a special AMS joint committee, for the purpose of revising the rules concerning Student Court?
- This revision would make Court decisions binding as soon as they are sent to Student Council, increase the amount of the fine the Court could levy on individuals, require that the Court include judges from faculties other than Law, require that there be judges from at least two faculties hearing any case, eliminate alternate judges, remove the Court's power to interpret the AMS bylaws & its power to rewrite referendum questions, and set out new rules for referendum questions.
Do you support the removal of Blake Frederick from the office of President?
Do you support the removal of Timothy Chu from the office of Vice-President External?
Do you support the AMS establishing a $5.00 refundable Engagement Levy to help improve student engagement by encouraging voter turnout and funding engagement related projects?
- The levy would be refunded to any member who votes in the AMS Executive Elections in the same academic year.
- The levy would be indexed to the Canadian Consumer Price Index.
- Income would be placed in a fund that would be used to fund engagement related projects, and from which individual students may be granted funds.
Do you support indexing the current and future fees of the AMS to the Canadian Core Consumer Price Index (CCCPI)?

The CCCPI is about 2% per year.
This would not apply to fees that have already been indexed.
This would not apply to the fee for the Health and Dental Plan or to the U-Pass fee.
This would apply to the engagement levy if passed and to the following current AMS fees:

CPAC: $15
Bursary fee: $12
Intramurals and Athletics: $21
External and University Lobbying: $3.50
Resource Groups: $1.50
WUSC refugee students fee: $2.50
Student Legal Fund fee: $1
Student Services fee: $9
Sexual Support Services fee: $3
Operating expenses: $12.50
SUB Renewal Fee: $30 in 2009/10, increasing $10 a year up to and including 2016/17

This would NOT apply to any Constituency fees (Arts, Engineering, etc..).

Do you support the amendment of the AMS Bylaws as presented, for the purposes of enabling Student Council to remove an individual from a position as an officer of Council, and other amendments as outlined?
- The Bylaws would be amended as outlined in Bylaw Amendments 2010, which is available here.
Do you support an increase in student fees beginning September 2010 of $1 per part-time student and $2 per full-time student per semester to be directed to the Access UBC Association of Disabled Students for the purpose of increasing accessibility, participation, and inclusion for all people with disabilities on campus and in society?
Should the AMS actively lobby for reduced tuition fees and increased government funding?
Should the AMS create a voting seat on AMS Council for students with disabilities by amending Bylaw 5.2(a)?

Congratulations to the UBC Insiders who predicted them all correctly. I’m sure Neal Yonson is quite pleased with himself to here’s my digital hat-tipping!

Bijan Withdraws from Board of Governors Race

2010-01-16T17:08:00.001-08:00

Bijan Ahmadian has withdrawn his candidacy from the Board of Governors race which can only mean one thing – he’s rolling up his sleeves and digging in the trenches to tackle the AMS presidential race, all guns a-blazing. Able to now consolidate his resources and considerable influence upon one race, Bijan’s sure to be running a well-executed, focused campaign.

Having been a UBC student since time immemorial, Bijan undoubtedly brings with him years of experience with university administration and student politics but the nagging question remains – has he become too encumbered by the political baggage of yesteryear to effectively lead? Has his time here permitted him to gain meaningful insight into the needs of undergraduate students or has he simply lost the common touch? We’re looking forward to see his campaign answer those questions.

When asked about why he has chosen the AMS presidential race over the Board of Governors one, Bijan had this to say:

The flattering posting by the gorgeous ladies on the AMS Confidential blog made me reflect on the extent of my flexibility for running in both races, and I realized that I was bent on running for AMS President only.

Ricardo Bortolon Responds to the Radical Beer Tribune

2010-01-14T15:19:00.001-08:00

This following post was posted to Facebook in response to a post by the Radical Beer Tribune by Ricardo Bortolon, a member of the AMS Elections Committee. I have copied it verbatim with some minor formatting changes.

Matt, you're over simplifying some parts of code. Most notably, that "responding to a VFM about election plans" and "publishing letters to the editor in a VFM" must not be considered campaigning.

The former, which quite specifically qualifies the content of the questions that can be responded to, can be interpreted to imply that questions about campaigns would hence be considered campaigning.

Moreover, the latter, I think, was ensured to maintain accountability of the media to the public. Letters to the editor are intended to criticize the content of the newspaper, not to be a forum for self-promotion. That part of code hence encourages to maintain the individual's right, regardless of their status in an AMS election, to comment on the efficacy, accuracy, and transparency of media.

I agree that code should never be so stiff to prevent critical thinking regarding administration, the solution is not to simply ignore existing code but to amend the code to implement that necessary flexibility. The current policies and interpretations hence by the EA and Elections Committee nonetheless have been consistent with the original intent of the code while still following what is laid out explicitly. Whether that is out of date is a separate issue. But one can infer given the semantics that the code's intent is certainly not to impel the elections office to encourage individual candidates to self-promotion (read: campaigning), outside of the campaign period that is, in order to promote the election.

Editor’s note: It seems that this year’s Elections Committee is really undergoing a trial by fire – after a particularly scathing editorial by the Ubyssey, Isabel Ferreras responded with a letter to the editor. We want to know – what’s your take on the decisions that have been made by the Elections Committee?

Referenda: Those Things That Make the Ballot Longer Than the Paper I Just Wrote

2010-01-14T14:57:00.000-08:00

For this year's ballot, not only do you get a whole bunch of candidates to learn about and try to make an informed decision about, but you get what looks to be a shit-tonne of referenda to vote on!

Referenda, also referred to as "those things that made California a big, shitty mess" are a way for the voters of some democracy or society to have their own say in policy decisions, spending decisions, etc.

The following is my take on some of the issues that will likely be facing students on this year's AMS Elections ballot:

Do you support indexing the current and future fees of the AMS to the Canadian Core Consumer Price Index (CCCPI)?

The CCCPI is about 2% per year.
This would not apply to fees that have already been indexed.
This would not apply to The Health Plan and U-Pass fee

In effect, some AMS fees would rise by about 2% per year to match the general increase in prices and wages that occurs in Canada every year. Essentially, this just makes sure that the money the AMS takes in every year maintains the same value over a long period of time. If the fees aren't tied to CPI (CCCPI isn't actually a real thing, but an acronym the AMS decided to invent), then over time, the money that the AMS takes in becomes worth less and less and less, decreasing the purchasing power that our Student Union has. So if you think fees should stay where they are, then economically speaking, you should vote in favour.

Should the AMS create a voting seat on AMS Council for students with disabilities by amending Bylaw 5.2(a)?

I will simply note that no Bylaw amendments are actually proposed in this referendum, and leave you to conclude what that might entail.

With regards to the issue itself: The AMS Council had a vote on whether or not to create a non-voting seat a few months back, and the motion was defeated (Council is unable to add actual voting seats by itself). While it is wholly unpleasant to argue against this motion, since proponents of it tend to generalize any opposition as being discrimination, there are valid points for not supporting it. The main point that myself and many others noted when both the International Student seat and Students with Disabilities seat issues were brought forth is that the AMS (or in this case, students) are forced to decide which groups ought to have seats around Council table.

It is worthwhile to note that Council, as it stands now, is generally divided up by faculty. Unless I'm sorely mistaken, all or most students belong to a faculty, and thus are represented on Council.

This motion intends to have AMS Council (somehow) create a voting seat for students with disabilities. The issue that many people raised is that other groups can put forth many of the same arguments that were made in favour of the motion to have their own seats created. Perhaps there is an under-representation of certain religions on Council, or certain national backgrounds, etc. If this seat is created, precedent will say that essentially any group of students who do not feel represented by their faculty reps can push to have their own seats created. This is one big slippery slope that will only get uglier as Councillors or students in future referenda will be forced to say to some groups: "Sure, you can have a seat" or "No, your group does not deserve to have a seat."

It was through the creation of a non-voting International Students' seat that this issue arose, and this referendum only serves to compound what has already become a situation of accusations of discrimination, yelling in Council (even by irate paid staff of the AMS), and hurt feelings. It promises to bring a whole new level of ugly.

Should the AMS actively lobby for reduced tuition fees and increased government funding?

This issue basically just comes down to what you think about tuition. The referendum question has some notes preceding it, including "The AMS' current policy states that it is acceptable for tuition fees to increase." As a Poli Sci student, I have to admire the brilliant wording of that phrase. While true in one sense, it's very misleading and false in an economic sense.

So long as an increase in tuition is not above CPI, then the AMS will not oppose it. So the AMS would be ok with what is technically an increase, but in reality keeps the real dollar amount of tuition the same. Therefore, if you have any idea what this little thing called inflation is, then you will not be ignorant enough to believe that the AMS actually accepts tuition increases.

That being said, my own personal thoughts on tuition is that we pay a pretty damned low amount already. I lived in the US for nine years, and for the price I pay here (being Canadian, I pay the domestic rate), I'd be unable to attend most high-quality American public institutions, and forget about the good private schools. I'm incredibly thankful that I had the opportunity to come here and get what I consider to be a bargain price for a very, very good education where any comparable American school would be sucking me as dry as this year's VP Finance race will be.

Ask the Audience: Interview Questions

2010-01-13T22:31:00.001-08:00

As the campaign period fast approaches, the UBC Spectator wants to ask you readers – what do you want us to ask the candidates? We’ve got some questions in mind (some serious, some not) but before we go ahead and ~~interrogate~~ kindly ask the candidates, we want to know (and trust me, we really want to know) – what are your questions?

Tell us what you’d like to see the candidates answer and we’ll include the very best questions in our interview package. Questions are due by midnight on January 15 and interview questions will be sent to all candidates on January 16.

Leave your questions in the comments!

Hot Tip: Referendum Conundrum?

2010-01-13T11:31:00.001-08:00

We just received this anonymous tip in our inbox:

I saw a sheet going around in my POLI 260 asking for people to sign to push forward a referendum that "the AMS should lobby towards lower tuition fees and raising government spending". Not sure who passed this around, maybe Blake and Tim? Unfortunately, not a lot of people in this class are signing it.

Consider this speculation until we can confirm or deny the verity of the tip.

Edit: So as anyone who has followed the comments knows, this referendum is definitely one that can be reasonably expected to be on the ballot. I’m sure Neal didn’t mean any offense by his comments and I want to thank everyone who came to my defence. It means a lot to me! Keep submitting your anonymous tips; if I can be faulted for anything, it’ll be the willingness to entertain any and all anonymous tips. :) Keep on spectating, everyone!

Guest Post: This One’s for the “Outsiders”

2010-01-12T22:27:00.001-08:00

Paul Korczyk, former AMS presidential candidate, weighs in on what it takes for an “outsider” to get elected! Read on to see what he’s got to say (and to find out what he’s been up to since the last election).

Has it been a year already?

When the list of nominations was released a few days ago, I noticed something I was quite pleased with. There appear to be quite a few 'outsider' candidates gearing up to run the gauntlet against the hacks. That's where I was a year ago, and I wasn't quite sure what I was getting myself into.

After my presidential campaign, I learned a bunch of stuff. So if you're one of those outsider candidates, here's a nickel of a few of the things I learned and how I would do things differently. Hopefully you might find one or two of the following helpful.

Know Your Stuff. If you haven't been sitting on council or following it like a hawk, chances are you're not that up on the intricate details. Not sure what CASA or the CFS are? Not quite sure of the difference between what the BoG and Senate do? Or what “24 Hectares” refers to? Of course, it doesn't stop there. There is a plethora of issues the AMS has been a part of, and you're not going to get anywhere in this election if you're not well versed in them. Regardless of what position you're running for, all of the issues are interconnected, and knowing them all will make you a much better executive/senator/whatever.
Know Yourself. I'm sure by now you all have a solid rationale for why you're running for your position, right? If the answer is anything but yes, Paul's going to give you some tough love: you might want to reconsider whether this election is for you. Have a well fleshed-out platform that covering the many intricacies of your position too. You're not going to get too far over-relying on one thing, such as, oh, let's say communication. *cough* One of the things that I failed at last year was showing how I would overcome my lack of experience, and focusing too much on one issue was a mistake. It was something I was passionate about, but it wasn't the only thing and I failed to show that.
Don't take it personally. You will get criticized. You will get tough comments thrown at you. There will be moments when your head will feel like exploding. Please remember not to take any of it personally, and just think of what you can do to turn those criticisms around. Just go back to your rationale when you're going through a rough patch in the campaign, and remind yourself of how much better the university will be if you win.
Show Some Personality. How are you going to stand out against the Bijans and Blakes of the world? You have to make yourself stand out alongside and over the hacks or nobody's going to notice. Don't try to beat the hack at her/his own game, you will lose. Show why your way is better than the hack way. Also, use every opportunity you can to stand out. Don't be like Blake and not show up to Jell-O wrestling. Be creative with your interviews and appearances. Look how nicely this segues into point 5!
Have Fun. Finally, just remember to enjoy yourself. I sincerely hope you're running because ultimately, regardless of where you stand on the political continuum or what your stance on the issues is, you want to somehow make UBC a better place. You want to provide a voice to students. Make sure to enjoy yourself. Talking to students about your passions and your vision for UBC can be one of the most rewarding, enriching, and fun experiences of your time at this beautiful campus whether you win or lose. That's something I will always fondly look back on.

Bear in mind, this is a minuscule list. These aren't necessarily the most important points but the ones that struck a chord with me when I was reflecting on my experience as this year's election was drawing closer. If anyone has anything to add or wants to argue any of these, please feel free to do so.

Running for president and going up against the hacks was an absolutely amazing experience that I learned a lot from. I learned a ton about UBC, the AMS, and myself. It was an incredibly formative experience. I hope it'll be similar for all of you, and remember to take something away from it if you lose.

Finally, changing gears a little bit. After the election last year, many of you out there wanted me to stay involved with the AMS. Clearly, I haven't.. I seriously considered running for the ESA, but I wouldn't be able to completely invest myself into it because of everything else I have going on, and that wouldn't be fair. If there's anyone out there disappointed by that, I'm truly sorry, but my priorities right now lie with students a good decade younger than all of us, and I'm loving every minute of it!

On that note, time to go back to figuring out how to tie in spider goats into the industrial revolution for grade 9 social studies. [Editor’s note: This editor approves!]

I'd like to thank the UBC Spectator for letting me post my ramblings, I hope to do a couple more of these as the election moves forward! You can also find me either on Facebook or Twitter.

Straight from the Horse’s Mouth: Confirmed Candidates

2010-01-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

Here are the candidates as confirmed by Isabel Ferreras, the Elections Administrator, through Twitter. These candidates are finalized, pending any irregularities with nominations, and listed in alphabetical order by last name for fairness:

President

Bijan Ahmadian
Sean Kim (Disqualified on January 11 due to nomination irregularities; then reinstated after review by the Elections Administrator)
Pak Ho Leung
Natalie Swift

VP Academic and University Affairs

Ben Cappellacci
Rodrigo Ferrari-Nunes

VP Finance

The Invisible Man
Elin Tayyar

VP Administration

Ekaterina Dovjenko
Micheal Haack

VP External

Timothy Chu
Aaron Palm
Jeremy McElroy
Stas Pavlov

International Student Representative

Se Won An
~~Xena Sofia Hinson~~ Withdrew candidacy on January 12
Charlott Sandor Johnson
Ding Kun
Brittany Perna
Star
Guessy Wang

Senate (5)

~~Syed Nayef Andrabi~~ Withdrew candidacy on January 12
Ryan Bredin
Philip Edgcumbe
Blake Frederick
Arielle Friedman
AJ Hajir Hajian
~~Sean Heisler~~ Withdrew candidacy on January 11
Alyssa Koehn
Blair McRadu
Joël Mertens
Spencer Rasmussen
Johannes Rebane
Aminollah Sabzevari
Miriam Sabzevari
Gary Tse

Board of Governors (2)

~~Bijan Ahmadian~~ Withdrew candidacy on January 16
~~Nader Beyzaei~~ Withdrew candidacy on January 9
~~Philip Edgcumbe~~ Withdrew candidacy on January 10
Blake Frederick
~~AJ Hajir Hajian~~ Withdrew candidacy on January 9
Sean Heisler
Guillaume Houle
~~Peter Stein~~ Withdrew candidacy on January 9
Azim Wazeer

Student Legal Fund Society (6)

Siavash Ahmadi
Omid Atai
Anthony Bryson (Students for Responsible Leadership)
Paul J Godin (Students for Responsible Leadership)
Aaron Sihota (Students for Responsible Leadership)
JJ Maclean (Students for Responsible Leadership)
Alexander Shalashnly (Students for Responsible Leadership)
Hillson Tse (Students for Responsible Leadership)
Kyle Warwick

We’re extending an invitation to all candidates to contact us if they are interested in interview opportunities. If we have your email, then we can contact you in the future regarding our posts. Email us at tips@ubcspectator.ca if you are interested in communicating with us for the duration of the elections.

To all candidates, good luck! To all voters, get informed and vote early and often.

Mea Culpa

2010-01-12T10:46:00.001-08:00

I’ll be the first to admit it – I do enjoy a good political drama from time to time and the AMS is no exception. In fact, if anything, the AMS provides a much closer, much more immediate source of scandal and mayhem. Political drama feeds the media sources (imagine if we had truly enlightened leaders? we’d have to resort to reporting on utterly negligible events) so we owe our student-politicians some measure of thanks.

But it is my earnest hope that this election isn’t fraught with missteps and faults. I would like a wholly civil and informed election. I’d like people to be able to make highly informed, educated decisions regarding candidates…I’d like the electorate to vote in general!

Here are a few of the thoughts that have been bouncing around my head for the past week:

I’d like to see media stop using terms such as “left-wing” and “right-wing” (and least of all, “Knollies”). As any good political scientist knows, political ideology doesn’t exist as a dichotomy, it exists as a continuum (or a Mobius strip, to be more accurate). Setting up a false dichotomy is something that polarizes candidates to the point where, regardless of platform, candidates have to compete with labels.It’s not that these terms aren’t descriptive; the problem arises when these terms are used prescriptively.
People need to be courteous. I’ve sat in on enough AMS meetings to see the backbiting, cynical comments from representatives to feel uncomfortable with the way in which my student society is run. There is world and time enough for meanness but I’m hoping to see a very civil, very courteous election. Subtly veiled insults and references meant to sting aren’t something to be lauded or perpetuated.
Students need to challenge, to interrogate, the candidates. Show up at debates. Ask hard questions! Candidates ought to be able to field such difficult challenges if they intend to head a society representing more than 45,000 undergraduate students. There is really no better time to press them on how they intend to serve you. Elections aren’t meant to be easy; hold the candidates to their trial by fire and I assure you that we’ll all be electing the best candidates possible.

I hope I haven’t overstepped my limits here but I’d love to hear how you hope these elections turn out! Please comment with what your ideal elections should look like.

Kim's Disqualification/Reinstatement: An Omen of Things to Come?

2010-01-11T18:01:00.000-08:00

Recently, Isabel Ferreras has received some negative criticism for disqualifying Sean Kim as a Presidential candidate and then reinstating him in the same day. This entire situation, if one can even call it that, was the result of Ferreras following the rules every step of the way.

Part of her job as Elections Administrator is to review the nomination forms and make sure that at least 50 students have actually nominated the candidate in question. To do so she must confirm each student number and match it to the appropriate name in the database she is given to work with. Looking over Sean Kim's 55 nominators, she noticed that 7 of them were not in the database. She asked the Senate to confirm this, and they also could not find these individuals in the database. This left Sean Kim 2 nominations short of becoming a Presidential candidate. Once disqualified, Kim went to speak to Ferreras, where it was determined that two of the seven nominators thought to be false were part of the theological colleges, and as such are not in the database despite being eligible voters. This gave Kim the 50 nominations he needed, and so he was reinstated.

This small hiccup would not even be newsworthy were it not for some of the critical comments directed towards Ferreras, however there is something deeper in this which we can extrapolate on in order to gain a better estimate as to how the entire election will be run. Isabel Ferreras strictly followed the rules, and was not afraid of disqualifying an individual. While there was a reversal of this stance, it was again a result of her disciplined understanding of the rules of the election. I think we will see a very strict Elections Committee during the week of the campaign, unwilling to put up with some of the shenanigans of previous years.

Facebook Fumble

2010-01-11T00:00:00.001-08:00

Presidential Candidate Pak Ho Leung has broken campaigning regulations laid out for all candidates or their representatives at the meeting on Friday January 8th. The Elections Committee consistently reiterated that all campaign materials must be approved by them, and no campaigning, not even the formation of Facebook groups or websites, can start prior to January 18, 2010. In addition to this, the information was again circulated in an e-mail sent by Isabel Ferreras, the Elections Administrator, and is in the Candidate Handbook. Despite all this, Pak Ho Leung began campaigning on Facebook. Though it does not appear that Pak Ho Leung started the Facebook group, Isabel Ferreras was very clear that candidates will be responsible for anything done in their name, and must make the rules clear to any volunteers they have. In this case, the information on the Facebook group leads one to believe that this was an overzealous friend of Leung's, as evidenced by the following given on the Info tag on the page:

"My fellow 2nd year Commerce friend, Pak Ho Leung, is running for AMS president. He's just like you and me, but better. He knows what's up. He even takes the bus to school, ALL THE WAY FROM RICHMOND! Vote for him, he will make your wildest dreams come true. He'll even cook your dinner.

Sí, se habla español.

Elections start on the 25th and end on the 29th. tell all ur friends"

It looks like we have our first incident of the election, and the reaction from the Elections Committee will likely be telling as to the mood of the entire campaign period. Pak Ho Leung will probably soon have the Facebook group removed, but the Elections Committee will still have to react in some way. They will at the very least give him a slap on the wrist, but the reaction could be far more serious, particularly as a response to the various complaints, claims, and student court appeals that resulted from last year's elections.

Conflicts of Interest

2010-01-10T23:52:00.000-08:00

In the interest of maintaining responsible blogging on Spectator, the bloggers involved wanted to make our readership aware of all possible conflicts of interest that may arise throughout the elections, which will be extensively covered on the site.

Justin Yang is the AMS Mini School Coordinator, and the SUS Director of Finance.

Mitch Wright is a former VFM Administrator, and is currently dating Ekaterina Dovjenko, a candidate for VP Admin.

Sasa Pudar is Jeremy McElroy's Campaign Manager.

Kristian Arciaga is the AUS VP Finance, enjoys friendships with Ekaterina Dovjenko and Stas Pavlov, and has worked with Jeremy McElroy on the AUS in the past.

Liveblog: AMS All Candidates’ Meeting

2010-01-08T13:32:00.001-08:00

The AMS All Candidates’ meeting went by in a flash and was purported to have one of the largest turnouts in recent history! Of this you can be sure, this year’s AMS elections will be one to remember. Please stay involved and get informed with your favourite VFM outlets!

Check the liveblog after the jump.

AMS All Candidates' Meeting

Rumour Has It: Who’s Running for What?

2010-01-07T19:56:00.000-08:00

Nomination forms are due soon and we’ve been eagerly watching candidates gather the requisite number of nominations for their races. Here’s who we’ve heard are running (in alphabetical order) and their associated affiliations:

President

Bijan Ahmadian (BoG)
Natalie Swift (FUS)

VP Academic and University Affairs

Ben Cappellacci (CUS, Senate, Safewalk)
Rodrigo Ferrari-Nunes (UBC Student Media, SDS)

VP Finance

~~Andrea Morgan (UBC Farm)~~ Debunked by Andrea Morgan
Elin Tayyar (SAC)
~~Angelena Weddell (Pride UBC)~~ Debunked by Angelena Weddell

VP Administration

Ekaterina Dovjenko (CUS)
Michael Haack (Pride UBC)
~~Crystal Hon (AMS VP Administration)~~ Debunked by Mitchell Wright

VP External

Tim Chu (Incumbent)
Jeremy McElroy (AUS)
Stas Pavlov (Social Capital) – Looks promising according to this.

Senate

Geoff Costeloe (Senate)
Joel Mertens (Senate)
Sonia Purewal (Senate)
Johannes Rebane (AMS VP Academic and University Affairs)
Ian Turner (AMS AVP University Affairs)
~~Jimmy Yan (SUS)~~ Debunked by Celene Kozuback

Student Legal Fund Society

~~Blake Frederick (AMS President)~~ Debunked by Blake Frederick
~~Emily Griffiths (SLFS)~~ Debunked by Blake Frederick
JJ MacLean (SUS, Pride UBC)
Hillson Tse (Advocacy)
Aaron Sihota (SLFS)

We will be updating this post with more information as we get it so please keep checking back!

Readers, let us know if we’ve made a mistake anywhere and we’ll try to correct it! Or, alternatively, let us know more gossip at our tip box.

Constituencies in the Crossfire

2010-01-07T13:28:00.001-08:00

Full Disclosure: I am a member of the executive committee of the Science Undergraduate Society. My proxy was instructed to vote against the motion(s) in question in this post.

Pursuant to this post at the Radical Beer Tribune, Blake Frederick has issued the following email to the Arts Undergraduate Society, Science Undergraduate Society and Engineering Undergraduate Society:

I am writing to acknowledge that the motions from your undergraduate societies to request the removal of myself and Tim Chu as directors of the AMS have come to my attention. I was made aware of these motions through this blog post - http://radicalbeer.wordpress.com/2009/12/04/the-us-speak/. I am requesting that you please send me the following information:

The minutes from the meetings at which your organizations passed motions asking for either the resignation or removal of myself and Tim Chu.

The voting record of the individuals who voted for and against these motions, if available.

An explanation as to why neither myself nor Tim Chu were invited to speak to the motions.

The most up to date code and constitutions of your organizations.

An email from Guillaume Houle, president of the AUS, expressed a request to know the purpose of these actions. Mr. Frederick has since given the following response:

I intend the following:

To call for the resignations of those individuals that voted in favour of motions asking for either the resignation or removal of myself and Tim Chu.

To hold those individuals accountable to the electorate by publishing this information during the next election cycle.

To understand the justification for why neither myself nor Tim Chu were invited to speak to the motions.

To investigate the role of constituencies in the AMS, specifically relating to the appropriateness of constituencies passing motions asking for either the resignation or removal of directors of the AMS.

Since then, Mr. Frederick has also sent the following email to follow-up his previous communications:

It has come to my attention that one of the recipients of the emails below has forwarded it to individuals other than those that it was addressed to. Please be aware of the following tag that is included at the end of each of my emails:

This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the individual named. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please notify the sender immediately by e-mail if you have received this e-mail by mistake and delete this e-mail from your system.

You are not permitted to disseminate or discuss the contents of the emails below as they contain confidential information. Please notify those to whom you have sent the emails below to delete them from their system.

See more on this story at the Ubyssey.

AMS Council Meeting – January 6, 2009

2010-01-06T18:13:00.001-08:00

Sitting as a science proxy tonight, I’ll be liveblogging tonight’s meeting à la Naylor.

6:15: Sexual Assault Awareness Month presentation from Elena from Womyn’s Centre and Jeremy from Arts. Dave’s upgraded to Windows 7 with some technical consternation.

6:16: SAAM backed by a variety of student and campus groups. Was student-led and student-initiated.

6:17: Four main events to SAAM:

film night – Dissolve – a documentary on drug-facilitated sexual assault
- with following discussion panel
theatrical performance of Dissolve
Allies Unite! community rally and march
- building community and establishing allies
public lecture on masculinity issues by an authority scholar

6:21: A slide with absolutely minute text is shown. But the message is clear – SAAM really does matter and allies need to be empowered.

6:21: Matthew (Arts) – Concerned to see a lack of emphasis on sexual assault and sexual violence in the gay community. Wonders if anything specifically confronts issues of male sexual violence.

6:22: “Sexual violence against women” wasn’t the language intended to be used; organizers are sensitive to gender-specific issues and will try to address Matthew’s concerns. Allies Unite! specifically should be helpful, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.

6:24: Matthew (Arts) – just reiterates that sexual violence is not a “women’s issue.”

6:24: Geoff (Senate) – asks if the Womyn’s Centre was involved. (It is. As well as Allies UBC and possibly Pride UBC and Colour Connected.)

6:25: Colin (Medicine) – anything to send out to our listservs? (Forthcoming but will be made available on the AMS website and other avenues.)

6:26: Moved by Kyle (Arts), Seconded Tim (VPX) to officialize SAAM.

6:29: Motion passes.

6:29: Executive updates:

Blake
- nothing to report
Tim
- reorganizing office
- last day for U-Pass exemption is January 18
- registration by January 8 for UBC Line stakeholder groups with Translink (?)
Crystal
- SUB Repair and Replacement Fund meeting today
- dealing with SUB subsidy
- new furniture for the lobby has arrived
Johannes
- is refreshed
- writing transition report
- finalized international engagement report
- joint review on congregation and convocation (how to improve graduation ceremony)
- TLEF application reviews
Tom
- business operations behind budget (6 figures)
- university owes AMS outstanding money for TLEF grant
Pavani
- safety office constituted as a new AMS service
- working on “Safety Days”

6:52: Law refers to the “rest of us” as “Students Not Actually In Law School” or “SNAILS.”

6:58: Matthew (Arts) wishes to amend agenda to discuss referenda questions. Great consternation occurs.

7:04: Tom motions for a netbook to be purchased to be purchased for the SUB Repair and Replacement Fund committee. Everyone seems to find the old laptop abhorrent.

7:07: Committee appointments moved up:

Education: Alex L, Vivek M, Tagh S
University and External Relations: Mitch W, Joshua R and Alice L
Legislative Proecdures: Colin S, Mike K, Jenny L
Business and Facilities: Helge R, Oliver B, Patrick C
Student Life: Cindy L, Karen L, Michelle F

7:37: Motion for Video Surveillance policy is on the floor. Tom pleads for people to pass this motion as this has come up again and again.

7:40: Motion passes!

7:41: Johannes/Tom motion to no longer utilize work study/worklearn positions for student government and services positions within the AMS effective May 1, 2010.

8:16: Motion fails.

8:25: I’ll start posting again when the motions are exciting. Like the referenda questions. :)

8:29: Referenda questions motion on the table:

Do you support the removal of Blake Frederick from the office of the President? (Carried.)
- Dia indicates that this will be money spent on symbolism and that we’ve used enough money on symbolism this year
- Iggy feels that this needs to happen
- Tahara indicates that the fact of the matter is, is that ~750 students have signed the referendum request
- Bijan indicates that per question, the cost is about 10% of what we paid Pivot Legal
- Joel wants to point out the big difference between 1000 students saying that they want a referendum vs. a room of councillors wanting a referendum
Do you support the removal of Tim Chu from the office of VP External Affairs? (Carried)
Do you support the AMS establishing a $5.00 refundable Engagement Levy to help improve student engagement by encouraging voter turnout and funding engagement related projects? (The Engagement Levy is a fee charged to all students and is refunded to students who vote).

Sorry readers, at this point, I had to leave and the person for whom I was proxying returned. Definitely catch up on the findings of today’s meeting at UBC Insiders, however, as Neal is sure to have a great recap.

Elections Last Chance Saloon

2010-01-05T21:48:00.001-08:00

Giddy up, cowpokes! It’s your last chance to submit your nomination for the AMS Elections on January 8, 2010.

If you’re self-motivated, keen and unafraid of student politics (especially that last point!), then the AMS needs you!

Neal has a very informative post about things you ought to know should you decide to run. So get informed, get involved and even if you don’t run, get out and vote!

If you do decide to run, of course, the UBC Spectator would definitely appreciate a tip-off…unless we’ve already got you on our list! Good luck to all the candidates in advance!

1000 Needed for a Referendum!

2010-01-05T11:55:00.000-08:00

As per the Impeach the President and VP External FB Group:

As some of you may know, impeachment by Council was unable to go forward because AMS bylaws conflicted with the Society Act. However, there is a new student initiative to impeach Blake and Tim through a vote by referendum. This is your chance to say NO to irresponsible and corrupt student politicians. If we can't remove them democratically, we'll have to remove them democratically.

You can sign the request for a referendum in the AUS offices (BUCH D140) all day today. They need 1000 signatures by WEDS for the impeachment to go forward! The organizers also need volunteers to help sort the signatures for the upcoming Council meeting. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, feel free to contact Matt Naylor (naylorm@interchange.ubc.ca)

Good luck with term 2 :D

Ignatieff Comes to UBC!

2009-12-23T17:31:00.000-08:00

Michael Ignatieff is coming to UBC on January 15, 2009, and will be at Norm Theatre from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm to talk with students. An internationally renowned academic, journalist, and writer, Michael Ignatieff is leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, and the Leader of the Opposition. He is also a former UBC Professor. The information released for the event via facebook reads:

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff is starting the New Year with a cross-Canada campus tour to meet with young Canadians in the lead-up to Canada at 150: Rising to the Challenge - a non-partisan conference being held in Montreal in March 2010.

“We’re starting a national conversation about the Canada we can be on our country’s 150th birthday,” said Mr. Ignatieff. “We’ll be talking about the kind of Canada we want in 2017—and what we need to do today and tomorrow to get there.”

Join us at UBC!

The UBC Young Liberals are hosting the event, and everyone is welcome to attend and ask questions. For more information, you can go to go.liberal.ca/ubc

Double Your Pleasure, Double the Fun

2009-12-15T19:49:00.001-08:00

My apologies to Chris Brown but this news just in! There will not only be one but two voter funded media competitions this year!

One will be officiated by the AMS VFM Coordinator, Will Davis. The other will be managed by Mark Latham at VoterMedia.org. Here are the details, taken from Mark’s site:

	Continuous-Time VFM	One-Time VFM
Voting period:	Now through February 12, 2010	January 25 – 29, 2010
Voting frequency:	Vote early & often! e.g. once a week	Vote once
Login to vote?:	Not required	Required
Award pool:	$2,000	$8,000
Entry fee:	None	$150
Entry deadline:	None; enter sooner for a better chance.	January 18
Award dates:	$50 each day, from January 4 through February 12	All decided on January 29
Ballot choices:	0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%	$0, $500, $1000, $1500, $2000
Award calculation:	Daily interpolated consensus with time decay	One-time interpolated consensus
Who can enter:	Any person, group, or organization. (But no entry fee, so admin may screen for media of interest to UBC students.)	Any person, group, or organization, whether affiliated with UBC or not.
Who can vote:	Anyone with web access who cares about UBC media.	UBC AMS members.
Sponsor:	Mark Latham	UBC Alma Mater Society
Administrator:	Mark Latham: mark[at]votermedia.org	Will Davis: willd[at]interchange.ubc.ca
More info:	FAQ & Terms	AMS website VFM page
Voting platform:	This website's UBC AMS ballot	AMS website voting portal

If you think we’re awesome, please vote for us! I think I speak on behalf of all the Spectators when I say that we really appreciate your support. Good luck on your exams, everyone!

Regarding Referenda

2009-12-11T16:33:00.001-08:00

This email just arrived from Isabel Ferreras, AMS Elections Administrator, regarding referenda:

In light of the current circumstances around the AMS, the Elections Committee would like to inform students, AMS Council, and the media as to the procedures around Referenda this January.

A referendum requires no less than ten days notice before it is put to students. This would typically mean that the latest day that students could be notified of one would be January 15^th, if they were to be held in conjunction with AMS elections, which are scheduled to have voting January 25-29. However, the Yes and No committees affiliated with this referendum would require funding, and the only possible council meeting at which Council can approve said funding would be on January 6^th. Furthermore, Yes and No committees cannot apply for funding from the AMS prior to the submission of a petition/council resolution for said referendum.

With this in mind, it would be best if students who are planning referenda to submit them to our ~~VP Administration~~ (Edit: Johannes Rebane has clarified that referendum petition submissions should be made to the VP Academic and University Affairs, not the VP Administration, as outlined in code) no later than January 4^th, 2010.

As for applications for funding from Council, all committees must present to the Elections Administrator the following:

A petition of 150 signatures from Society members requesting funding

A list of students on the committee (must be at least five members)

A detailed budget outline of expenses planned.

These applications will then be put forward to council for approval at the meeting on January 6^th, 2010.

All referendum committees will need to apprehend a copy of the Referendum Handbook, which will be available from the Elections office (SUB 249K) Starting on December 17^th, 2009.

Ms. Ferreras also comments on slating, elections and the SLFS:

Please note that candidates for the Student Legal Fund Society (SLFS) running on a slate will be ineligible to run for any other position in AMS Elections (including AMS Executive, International Student Representative, Board of Governors, and Senate). However, students who choose to run for the SLFS as an independent are free to run for the other aforementioned positions. If you have any questions regarding this decision please feel free to contact me to discuss them.

Students Imagine and Re-Imagine the New SUB

2009-12-08T20:03:00.001-08:00

Ever considered what might the new SUB look like when it’s done? What are the structural possibilities? What are some edgy architectural features?

That’s exactly the question that a group of fourth-year environmental design students are trying to answer! Our very own UBC students are getting in on the new SUB action and they’re holding an exhibition tomorrow to showcase their work. In one of the few classes where construction of the new SUB is integrated into the curriculum, these students are imagining, un-imagining and re-imagining possibilities upon possibilities for the future.

The professor in charge of this course, Martin Lewis, has had a history of engaging students with real applications – he integrated the construction of the new Buchanan building in this course last year!

It will be held tomorrow (December 9, 2009) in the SUB from 9:30am to 12:30pm and from 1:30pm to 5:30pm. A hosted lunch will begin at 12:30pm. The exhibition is also meant to elicit student feedback so please feel free to share your opinions!

Their work is both provocative and fascinating – visit their website to check out what they’ve been working on!

Straw Poll: Which media do you use?

2009-12-08T09:22:00.001-08:00

This is just a quick straw poll of our readers – I’m curious as to what media you’ve been using to keep abreast of the AMS-UN Affair. If you can, provide a few reasons for choosing the media that you do or a brief critique of the media that you’ve found. The more information, the better!

Leave your feedback in the comments, we’d love to hear from you. Remember that while comments can be moderated, they’re still anonymous! Feel free to sign in with any affiliate service (Facebook, Twitter, OpenID) if you’d like too.

And if you missed it, no one from the Spectator made it onto Taylor Loren’s hot-list. Crushing disappointment. I must seek a paper bag to wear when I go reporting in the future.

Where to Begin?

2009-12-07T23:20:00.000-08:00

I've been to a lot of AMS meetings over the past two and a half years, but this one certainly takes the cake. Incredible tension, unprecedented attendance from the student body, heckling, equity complaints, streaming video courtesy of our friends at The Ubyssey, etc.

It began with the legal opinion coming to Council, basically informing them that a recall motion would be illegal. Thus, the much anticipated motion did not see the light of day. Council's arsenal of motions was, however, not depleted. I won't go into the details of the motions, but the meeting ended up with a motion of censure from Council, passing without dissent, along with successful motions to limit the abilities of Blake Frederick and Tim Chu to pull any more stunts of this nature.

Stunts.

That's what this all came down to.

Stunning admissions from Blake came out tonight. Our own Justin Yang paraphrased as best he could throughout the entire meeting, at one point noting that Blake said : "It's meant to start a dialogue...the intention is not to have the UN drop other priorities and focus on the issue of post-secondary education and come to Canada to help us."

This is my first concern with the whole thing. If you don't want the UN to come to Canada to help us, and do not want them to divert attention from their actual concerns, then don't file a complaint to them. It undermines any and all credibly you have to admit that you filed an official complaint to the most visible international organization with the sole intent to stir things up. The UN is not a counselling service; it is not a toll-free hotline; and it is not there to field complaints about post-secondary student debt.

It's the UN.

Points were made that this created a national dialogue, and so clearly it was a great move. Well, the first part is correct. Somehow I don't think this kind of attention serves the AMS very well at all. But hey, maybe scathing editorials from Manitoba are all a part of what Blake and Tim were going for.

But that is not the point of this whole mess, just one of the issues I personally have with it.

With regards to the whole process of picking a co-complainant, there was no real answer given. We're basically told that there was a questionnaire, and the most suitable candidate was picked from among those who took it. Councillor Geoff Costeloe finally asked the question I'd been wondering all along: Who here was asked to take that questionnaire? Answer: No one.

It's been made abundantly clear that no one was consulted on the whole "Hey, let's complain to the UN" thing, so I don't know where or how the selection process took place, but I don't think I'm the only one that finds it odd that Tristan Markle, former VP Admin of the AMS, just happened to be chosen as lucky co-complainant. It was pretty confusing to hear all about a selection process and not moments later hear apologies for not contacting students or Council about it.

Blake also claimed that his intent was to mobilize students, and noted that they have been mobilized, though not necessarily on this campus. Based on a straw poll conducted at the meeting, at least 3/4 of those in the relatively filled Norm Theatre were opposed to Blake and Tim's actions. I'm not entirely sure that this was the type of mobilization that was inteneded to occur, but you have to give them credit for bringing the most at-large students that the AMS has seen in... probably a long time.

Tim addressed concerns about the lack of lobby days this year (where the AMS spends $9000 to head to Victoria and do a bunch of cooperative lobbying as a group). He stated that his office was too busy as they were tackling issues of Childcare, UPass, etc.

I'm sorry, but if you feel that tuition is such a pressing issue and warrants an appeal to the United Nations, maybe you ought to make a little more time for it in your office's schedule. Maybe you ought to meet with more MLAs and MPs on the issue. Maybe you ought to try and tackle the issue in a constructive, meaningful way. Just maybe?

I've rambled enough for now, and should consider resting up for my 8:30am final. I couldn't address all the concerns I had tonight with the meeting, but I've done my best. And so concludes my first post on UBC Spectator. I hope there are more to come.

Best of luck on finals, everyone!

Liveblog: AMS Council Meeting – December 7, 2009

2009-12-06T10:15:00.000-08:00

The UBC Spectator will be hosting a liveblog for the AMS Council Meeting to be held on December 7, 2009, at 4:00pm.

This time, we’ll be featuring the following panelists, in addition to your friendly neighbourhood spectators:

Ekaterina Dovjenko (AMS Councillor, Commerce)
Mitchell Wright (Former AMS Councillor, Arts)
Maria Cirstea (AMS Councillor, Science)
Jason Ng (Social Capital)
Taylor Loren (Twitterlebrity)

Edit: The relevant legal opinion is now located online here. We get bragging rights for having posted it first. :P

Catch the liveblog after the jump!

&ampampltp>&ampampltp>&ampamplta href=&ampquothttp://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&ampampamptask=viewaltcast&ampampampaltcast_code=cfc8e7942e"&ampampgtAMS Council Meeting - December 7, 2009</a>

They’ve Got Friends in High Places

2009-12-04T22:54:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Mitchell Wright, the UBC Spectator has learned that Edward Pullman, Director of Finance for the University of Victoria Students’ Society, has apparently put forth a motion at the UVSS to support the complaint to the United Nations Human Rights Council regarding tuition fees as evidenced by this Facebook group.

This excerpt from the group’s informational section is particularly illuminating:

We wholeheartedly disagree with this motion, because:

1) WE'RE UVIC, NOT UBC: From the perspective of the UVSS, we are not UBC students. We are not governed by the AMS. Their democratically-elected board voted to rescind that motion, and it is not right for the UVSS to intervene in their affairs. This is a UBC matter that ought to be dealt with by UBC students. Telling their board what you think is best for them is condescending, and, frankly, the UVSS has more pressing issues to deal with than what the UBC AMS chooses to do.

2) THIS IS ABOUT TRANSPARENCY, NOT TUITION FEES: While we, as students, certainly would like to see lower tuition in British Columbia, our opposition to this motion, and the original AMS complaint, have nothing to do with tuition fees. At issue is how Frederick and Chu handled the complaint; instead of taking it up with the board, they kept it to themselves, leaving their colleagues on the AMS completely in the dark the whole time. But when the complaint was lodged, they claimed to speak on behalf of the entire AMS, despite the fact these two had kept the entire process shrouded in secrecy from the board. The retraction shows that they clearly did not speak on the entire board’s behalf, either.

Pullman’s motion reads as follows:

WHEREAS the United Nations Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights stipulates that signatories will work toward the progressive introduction of user-fee free post-secondary education; and

WHEREAS the government of Canada signed the Covenant in 1976; and

Whereas since 1976 tuition fees in BC have increased more than 800%, adjusting for inflation; and

WHEREAS the President and Vice President External of the UBC-Vancouver Alma Mater Society filed a complaint with the United Nations, highlighting that BC and Canada have for 33 years failed to uphold the Covenant; and

WHEREAS such creative actions are valuable in generating media coverage of the failure of the governments of BC and Canada to provide access to post-secondary education to low- and middle-income families; and

WHEREAS the UBC-Vancouver AMS Council unanimously voted to withdraw the complaint and issue a statement informing the public of the withdrawal on Wednesday, December 2; and

WHEREAS this decision publicly undermines the work of the majority of students' unions in the province, including the University of Victoria Students' Society, to pressure the governments of BC and Canada to make education more affordable; and

WHEREAS the UBC-Vancouver AMS continues to have policy supporting tuition fee increases; and

WHEREAS the vast majority of students' unions in the province, including the UVSS, are campaigning to reduce tuition fees; and

WHEREAS members of the UVSS Board of Directors have expressed a desire for the UVSS to work closer with the UBC-Vancouver AMS; and

WHEREAS working together requires that core policies align; therefore

BIRT the Chairperson send a letter to the Council of the UBC-Vancouver Alma Mater Society expressing concern that its decision to publicly withdraw the AMS's complaint to the United Nations of the failure of the governments of BC and Canada to live up to the Covenant undermines the work of the majority of students' unions in the province to make post-secondary education more accessible; and

BIFRT the letter urge the UBC-Vancouver AMS Council to overturn its policy in favour of tuition fee increases and adopt policy supporting the progressive reduction of tuition fees.

Updated (December 5, 2009): Geoff Sharpe has provided us with the agenda for the UVSS Board of Directors meeting where this motion will come up. Also, Geoff points out Eye on the UVSS, a great blog for anyone interested in the goings-on at UVic.

Day Nine of the AMS-UN Affair: Link Redux

2009-12-04T21:04:00.001-08:00

Check out the accumulation of links describing the events of the AMS-UN Affair since day one after the jump!

Thursday, November 26th, 2009

AMS to Complain to UN Regarding AvEd Access (UBC Insiders)
dear blake: what the hell are you thinking? (Radical Beer Tribune)
Seriously? (AMS Gossip Guy)
AMS Special Meeting – 5pm Saturday (AMS Gossip Girl)
On the AMS, Tuition Fees, and the United Nations (Social Capital)
Failed attempt to leave Presidency in blaze of glory; Frederick burns bridges with Council and students (UBC Spectator)
UBC student society launches complaint with UN over tuition (Vancouver Sun)
UBC student union files United Nations complaint over rising tuition fees (The Georgia Straight)

Friday, November 27th, 2009

The AMS and the UN: Notes on a debacle (UBC Insiders)
who’s flying the plane?!? a terrified passenger’s thoughts on disaster (Radical Beer Tribune)
AMS files complaint to United Nations (Ubyssey)
AMS President, VP External under fire (Ubyssey)
The AMS United Nations Debacle – Day Two (Social Capital)
IMPEACH THE COMMUNIST (Foxtrot UBC)
Unbelievable, Untrustworthy, and Unacceptable (UBC Spectator)
Update: Frederick's Supporters Speak Out (Silently) (UBC Spectator)
Chu and Frederick Retroactively Ask Permission (UBC Spectator)
UBC student union president faces calls for resignation over United Nations complaint (The Georgia Straight)
UBC's Blake Frederick Complains to the UN that Canadian Government is Violating Human Rights (The Vancouver Observer)
University of B.C. student union taking tuition complaint to United Nations (Metro Vancouver)
Canada violating UN tuition bill: UBC body (CanWest News Service)

Saturday, November 28th, 2009

Blake, Tim to Skip Own Recall Hearing (UBC Insiders)
AMS Council Votes Unanimously to Withdraw UN Complaint, Ask For Resignations of President and VPX (UBC Insiders)
all this has happened before… (Radical Beer Tribune)
lay off the staff! (Radical Beer Tribune)
To Blake… (AMS Gossip Girl)
Thoughts on the Issue at Hand (Geoffs Place)
Blake Frederick and Tim Chu Respond to AMS Council (Social Capital)
AMS Council Votes Unanimously to Request the Resignation of Blake Frederick and Tim Chu (Social Capital)
One thing is for sure (Foxtrot UBC)
Return Fire: Blake and Tim Reply (UBC Spectator)
AMS Emergency Meeting Liveblog (UBC Spectator)

Sunday, November 29th, 2009

SFU Beats AMS to UN by Five Years (UBC Insiders)
The RIGHT group and the WRONG group (Foxtrot UBC)
The Radical Left’s Last Ditch Attempt (Foxtrot UBC)
My Perspective (for What It’s Worth) (UBC Spectator)

Monday, November 30th, 2009

President asked to resign (Ubyssey)
Looking at the United Nations complaint (Ubyssey)
Frederick and Chu respond (Ubyssey)
An Important Fact That Is Often Forgotten In This Debacle (Social Capital)
The LIBERALS vs the NDP – HAVE WE FINALLY LOST IT?? The AMS needs a chill pill and it is coming! (UBC Student Media)
WEAR BLUE ON WEDNESDAY! (Foxtrot UBC)
Blake Frederick Addresses the First and Second Years (UBC Spectator)
Open Letter to AMS Council: Response to Resignation Request (UBC Spectator)

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

Blake, Tim Attend BC NDP Convention, Miss Out on Impeachment Hearing (UBC Insiders)
let’s impeach the president! (Radical Beer Tribune)
President and VP external will not resign (Ubyssey)
This is not about tuition (Social Capital)
Blake and Tim: We Will Not Resign (Social Capital)
Tomorrow’s Council Meeting (Social Capital)
Tag! You're it: How Monegro Broke the Absence Question (UBC Spectator)
Open Letter to AMS Council from the Resource Groups (UBC Spectator)
Liveblog: AMS Council Meeting - December 2, 2009 (UBC Spectator)

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

liveblog – showdown in council (Radical Beer Tribune)
Developments for Tonight’s AMS Council Meeting (UBC Spectator)
UBC students in uproar over tuition complaint to UN (The Vancouver Courier)

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

Council vs. Frederick, Chu (Ubyssey)
Another AMS executive involved in UN complaint (Ubyssey)
AMS Council Meeting Update / What’s Next? (Social Capital)
From Crystal Hon: An Apology (UBC Spectator)

Friday, December 4th, 2009

Live Video Feed—Monday’s AMS Council meeting (Ubyssey)
the *us speak (Radical Beer Tribune)
Continuing Down the Rabbit Hole (Geoffs Place)
Major Undergraduate Societies Pass Motions Supporting Actions of AMS Council (Social Capital)
Liveblog: AMS Council Meeting – December 7, 2009 (UBC Spectator)

From Crystal Hon: An Apology

2009-12-03T15:48:00.001-08:00

Crystal Hon, VP Administration, sent the following email to AMS Council some twenty minutes ago:

Council,

This week, Tom and Johannes did some research to find out which two signing authorities signed the cheque that was payable to Pivot Legal. It has come to light that I was one of the people who signed the cheque. I am telling Council this because I feel it is necessary to be accountable for my part in this issue. I apologize for not practicing due diligence and I will not make the same mistake again.

As always, my office is open; please do not hesitate to come talk to me if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

Regards,

Crystal

We will report as events progress.

Developments for Tonight’s AMS Council Meeting

2009-12-02T15:32:00.001-08:00

The following email was just sent by Blake Frederick:

Council,

I would like to make the following changes to tonight’s agenda:

1. Addition of a motion to rescind the notice of recall of Executives. The motion is attached to this email. In addition, the Davis LLP legal memo referenced in the motion is also attached.

2. Addition of a discussion period to discuss the particulars of the UN complaint and address factual questions. Tim and I would like to present only the facts about the complaint. The presentation and discussion period will not be to discuss the issue of recall, but rather to clarify concerns about the complaint itself.

3. Move the motion on tuition to the top of the agenda. Many students will be attending the meeting tonight to either support or oppose this motion and it is only fair to our constituents to give them the opportunity to speak.

I am adding 1. and 2. in accordance with AMS Code of Procedure Section III, Article 2, Sub 12 and I hope that Council will decide to keep them on the agenda. See you all tonight.

Regards,

Blake Frederick
100th President
AMS Student Union of UBC Vancouver
P: 604 822 3972 F: 604 822 9019
AMS: Enhancing Student Life | ams.ubc.ca

Specifically, he is adding the following motion to the agenda:

Whereas AMS Council gave notice at its Saturday, November 28, 2009 meeting that it intends to invoke AMS Bylaw 5(3)(c)(i)(1) to remove AMS President, Blake Frederick and AMS VP External, Tim Chu from office; and

Whereas Davis LLP provided a memo to the AMS dated March 11, 2009 which states that AMS Bylaw 5(3)(c)(i)(1) is “clearly non-compliant” with the Society Act of British Columbia;

Whereas it is the fiduciary responsibility of the directors of the AMS to not put the Society in a such a position as to commit unlawful acts;

Therefore be it resolved that AMS Council rescind its notice to invoke AMS Bylaw 5(3)(c)(i)(1).

The memorandum from Davis LLP is available here.

Liveblog: AMS Council Meeting - December 2, 2009

2009-12-01T21:56:00.000-08:00

Hey readers! We'll be liveblogging the AMS Council Meeting tomorrow night using CoverItLive as usual. The UBC Insiders have posted tomorrow night's agenda so have a look at it while you're following along.

Catch the liveblog after the jump!

<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=fefb4fd5b1" >AMS Council Meeting - December 2, 2009</a>

Open Letter to AMS Council from the Resource Groups

2009-12-01T19:34:00.001-08:00

This letter written on behalf of the AMS resource groups in defense of Blake and Tim is available online at Facebook:

To the UBC AMS Student Council,

It has come to the attention of the AMS Resource Groups that the AMS Council is first requesting the resignation then seeking the impeachment of Blake Frederick and Tim Chu, AMS President and VP External. The Resource Groups, which include Pride UBC, Allies UBC, the Student Environment Centre, the Social Justice Centre, Colour Connected Against Racism, and the Womyn’s Centre, usually work separately to provide an equitable educational environment for all UBC students and personnel. However, this turn of events calls for united action. Because the Resource Groups are funded directly through the AMS, we are disturbed that the AMS Council does not seem concerned with the mandate we have been established to defend.

This is not the first time that the Resource Groups have taken a united front on an issue brought forth to the AMS Council. In accordance with our Points of Unity, which state that “we seek to…dismantle systems of oppression at all levels and scales”, we have worked to ensure AMS funding for the Equity Office as well as to try to create a seat on council for students with disabilities. To our disappointment, neither motion found much support amongst Council members; indeed, the motion to create a seat for students with disabilities was voted down. However, unlike many Council members, Blake Frederick and Tim Chu have constantly supported these issues, as well as all others for which the Resource Groups stand.
Access to education is one of these issues. Our Points of Unity reflect the view that “education is not for profit” and as a collective, we oppose the AMS Council stance that accepts or condones any increases in tuition fees. Additionally, we support any actions of AMS Council members that seek to reduce tuition fees, or call to attention rising and unreasonable costs of post-secondary education in Canada.

We are very troubled by the fact that the AMS Council appears more concerned with impeaching council members that have shown constant dedication to issues of equity rather than with tackling the problem of rising tuition fees.

Each of the six Resource Groups, as approved by consensus at each groups’ administration meeting, unequivocally reject the request for resignation of Blake Frederick and Tim Chu and commit to further action should the AMS Council seek their impeachment.

Respectfully yours,

The AMS Resource Groups:

Allies UBC,

Colour Connected Against Racism,

Pride UBC,

Social Justice Centre,

Student Environment Centre,

Womyn’s Centre

Tag! You're it: How Monegro Broke the Absence Question

2009-12-01T12:22:00.001-08:00

Alex Monegro, perhaps the best President the AMS never had, can now add detective to his repertoire of skill sets, since he's managed to uncover where Tim Chu and Blake Frederick were during the Saturday night Emergency meeting that saw all of council and the overwhelming majority of the approximately 200 students that attended asking for their resignation.

Initially Frederick had said that he was "looking forward to it [the meeting]" as reported by the Ubyssey, then sent out a joint message with Chu claiming they had a previous engagement. News flurried that they were in fact at the NDP convention, and that all activities save a gala dinner ended before 5:00 pm on Saturday. Typically Saturday nights at political conventions are reserved for dining, wining, and hospitality suites decked out all the same with food and free liquor.

Monegro claims that this picture was added to Facebook, and tagged (before quickly being untagged) immediately after the convention. Please note the title of the album.

Now, no one can criticize Frederick and Chu for attending the BCNDP convention in and of itself. It is their choice, it is their expression of their freedom of political participation, it is their right to do so if they wish. The issue, however, is whether or not that was important enough to miss a meeting as fundamental as the one that took place on Saturday night. Rebane and Dvorak used the opportunity to admit wrongdoing in approving the contract signed with Pivot without reading it, they apologized and answered to their electorate for their mistakes. Chu and Frederick were nowhere in sight, and the reason appears to be food and drinks with their partisan cohorts.

You be the judge as to what this picture, or this situation means. Was it another smack in the face to Council and students? Or was it a legitimate use of their time?

Open Letter to AMS Council: Response to Resignation Request

2009-11-30T21:47:00.001-08:00

The following email was just sent from the presidential email account at the AMS to, ~~ostensibly, all members of the Alma Mater Society of UBC Vancouver~~ Correction: Blake has corrected my earlier statement with the following message, “The Open Letter to Council was not sent out to all members of the AMS, only to Council members and media.”:

Dear Council,
We are writing to acknowledge that AMS Council has passed motions at their Saturday, November 28, 2009 meeting asking for the resignations of AMS President, Blake Frederick and Vice-President of External Affairs, Tim Chu. Although we are disappointed that AMS Council did not wait to hear from us before asking for our resignations, we would like to take this opportunity to respond to Council’s request.

We would first like to formally apologize for not properly consulting with AMS Council and students before filing the UN complaint, which calls for increased government funding for post-secondary education, increased student financial assistance, and decreased tuition fees. We were both elected with the mandate to lobby government aggressively to lower tuition fees. Additionally, we raised the UN complaint several times in our Executive Committee meetings and received signatures on the legal contract to proceed with the complaint from our fellow Executives Vice-President of Finance, Tom Dvorak and Vice-President of Academic and University Affairs, Johannes Rebane. At the time, we believed these measures to be sufficient, but based on communications with councillors and students-at-large, it has become very clear to us that we should have undertaken a rigorous consultation process before filing the complaint. We sincerely regret that we did not follow this process and will correct our actions to ensure that this problem does not occur in the future.

We must state, however, that we stand by our position that the UN complaint was an effective tool to draw public and media attention to the financial barriers of attending post-secondary education and the government’s lack of action to support students. We firmly believe that education is a right, not a privilege. We also believe that the AMS Council’s position to support tuition increases up to two percent each year does not represent the views of students.

We have decided to not resign from our positions as AMS President and Vice-President of External Affairs. We have made a commitment to those who elected us to fulfill our mandate to lobby for lower tuition. We think that this situation should be taken as an opportunity by AMS Council to implement a tuition policy that is in the best interests of students. We have heard many people comment that Council’s indignation for our actions has nothing to do with our stance on tuition and everything to do with process. To that, we say: prove it. Adopt the policy motion that we have tabled for consideration at the Wednesday, December 2, 2009 AMS Council meeting, which calls for the AMS to lobby for lower tuition. Instead of pursuing the unnecessarily harsh and undemocratic measure to remove Executives from office, the AMS Council must act now to send a clear signal to students that their student union supports the reduction of tuition.

Signed,

Blake Frederick
President
AMS Student Union

Tim Chu
VP External
AMS Student Union

Blake Frederick Addresses the First and Second Years

2009-11-30T20:52:00.001-08:00

In an email sent to all ~~first- and second-years~~ apparently not to all first- and second-years but also to students in other years… today at 6:56pm, Blake Frederick makes his case:

AMS Student Union to Decide Tuition Policy

Fellow students,

If you are not already aware, your AMS Student Council is seeking to impeach your elected AMS President, Blake Frederick and Vice-President of External Affairs, Tim Chu who are taking action against the high cost of education. The current AMS Student Council policy is that it is acceptable for tuition to increase by up to two percent each year. Your President and Vice-President of External Affairs were elected on a mandate and made a commitment to lobby for lower tuition and are now seeking to change the official tuition policy of the AMS, but we need your feedback.

If you want to make your voice heard on the cost of education, you should take three actions:

1) Email your Council representatives and let them know what you think about tuition fees (see email list below).

2) Write an email under 300 words for the Ubyssey student newspaper and send it to feedback@ubyssey.ca before 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 1, 2009.

3) Attend the AMS Council meeting on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. in SUB room 206 and make your voice heard.

The AMS needs your input so that we can decide together on how to move our student union forward.

Sincerely,

Blake Frederick
President
AMS Student Union

Contact All Your AMS Student Council Representatives

http://www2.ams.ubc.ca/index.php/student_government/member_list/category/council_members/

*A list of councillor emails follows here but was removed for privacy reasons. You can look up any individual councillor email if you’d like at the above link!

Members of the UBC Twitterati have already begun to respond to this development:

taylorloren How is @blakefrederick sending emails from "AMS Student Union" ... I am assuming this is not in line with procedure.#amsUNfail #amscouncil

Igman05 Once again @blakefrederick has gone against the will of council and subverted democracy. Students have lost confidence. Resign. #amsUNfail

mitchrite oh my. this just got more interesting #amsUNfail

Update (9:29pm): A source has pointed out that Mary Leong of the UBC Blog Squad first broke this story hours before we did. As it is our policy to give credit where it is due, we want to acknowledge Ms. Leong’s post. Great job!

Update (11:30PM): Nicholas FitzGerald has pointed out that this email was also forwarded to the UBC VDAY mailing list.

A Quick Note

2009-11-30T19:40:00.001-08:00

So in case you don’t follow us on Twitter, this is just a quick message to let you all know that AMS Elections nominations are now open! If you don’t like what’s been happening or if you feel like you have a better vision for the future, I really want you to go for it! I’ll even be one of your nominees. My only advice is that you really should read the electoral procedures very thoroughly so we can all avoid mishaps and mayhem, come election time. Over at the UBC Insiders, Neal’s put together a really nice informational post on what it takes for each executive position so do your research!

Just a quick note: we’ve switched over our commenting system to IntenseDebate because it has a lot of cool features that aren’t present in the Blogger platform. You can now thread your comments (reply to comments directly), vote for comments that you like, and login with a variety of identities (like Facebook, Twitter, etc.). I hope that this will encourage you to participate not only by commenting, but by voting on each other’s comments! If you have trouble commenting, let me know and I’ll try to sort out your problems.

Finally, if you have any suggestions for how you’d like to see the UBC Spectator run this year, I’m all ears! We’re still striving to be the most accessible source for information about student politics and campus life but we’re always open to suggestions or criticism. Let us know what you want us to write about! And if you’re so inclined, please feel free to send us your guest post – you might just be on your way to fame and fortune.