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Where do the slates stand on the issues?

By Matthew Steinbach
News Editor

his week, reFresh and Vote For

Change are running to win a

majority of seats in the Douglas
Students’ Union’s elections. Here is
where the slates stand according to
their speeches at the New Westminster
all candidates forum last week.

Accountability

The reFresh slate discussed the need
to have DSU representatives outside
of the DSU building talking to
students. They were especially critical
of how past representatives have

only discussed the issues during the
campaign period and not on a regular
basis. Christine Nieder of reFresh
especially noted the need for a better
paper trail, and more staff so that
representatives could get outside of the
building more.

Vote For Change did not discuss
accountability measures.

Campus Life

reFresh, wants to improve campus

life by building a DSU building at

the David Lam Campus. This is an
attempt to equalize both campuses in
DSU services. The idea is to ensure
what is offered in New Westminster is
also offered in Coquitlam. reFresh also
discussed the need for more events, like
Easter egg hunts on campus to improve
student life through fun events. The
slate would also like to renovate the
New Westminster building at some
point in the future to create a hang out
spot.

Vote For Change wants to renovate
the New Westminster Campus building.
This is so that they can host even
better parties and to create a lounge
atmosphere for when they are not
hosting events. Vote For Change wants
to create a space where students can
hang out on campus that is not the
concourse. The concourse they feel is
too cold to be adequate.

Canadian Federation of Students
The CFS is a student organization
that lobbies the provincial and federal
governments on student issues. The

 

Certified General
Accountants

DSU is a member of this organization.
reFresh discussed the need to
recommit to the CFS and the need for

CFS initiatives to be represented at
Douglas. By promoting their campaigns
on campus reFresh explained that
this will bring about more student
awareness in provincial and federal
student issues. Without student
awareness reFresh believed that the
DSU could not accomplish very much
provincially or federally on student
issues.

Vote For Change also discussed
the need to garner more student
involvement in CFS issues. Deep

Singh mentioned that there needs to be
strength in numbers at Douglas College
to accomplish these goals.

Sustainability

reFresh did discuss environmental
sustainability. However, their goals
were mostly limited to recycling
programs.

Vote For Change encouraged
students to celebrate Earth Hour this
year. Earth Hour is when all the citizens
of the world are asked to turn off their
lights. The amount of energy conserved
is a Massive amount and is considered
to put a dent in global warming.

 

Transit
One of the most discussed issues at the
Forum was the U-Pass in which both
slates were of a similar mind. Both felt
it was important to have a U-Pass at the
same cost of SFU or UBC (about $25 a
month). Both slates also wanted to see
an express bus between both campuses.
A U-Pass is a universal bus pass
that allows the user to go all three zones
for the price of a one-zone bus pass.
Currently most schools in the lower
mainland have one, but Douglas does
not.

 

 

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10 Djordje Sikimic and Shaun Dhakar are campaigning for the Vote for Change slate