Vote For Change to fight for
campus life and a U-Pass if elected

 

‘ 7 ote For Change feels that campus
life and a U-Pass are lacking at
Douglas College. If they are elected
to a majority in this election they will spend
the next year working first and foremost to
accomplish these two goals.

How Vote For Change will bring a
U-Pass to Douglas College, something that
has been in the works for over five years, is
through the upcoming provincial elections.
Deep Singh, candidate for external relations
coordinator, explained that there is currently
a cycle occurring. Students do not vote so
politicians do not include student issues in
their platforms. Students do not vote because
their issues are not represented. Singh wants
to see that cycle broken, so that politicians
will start listening to student issues,

the Douglas Students’ Union building in an
attempt to improve campus life at Douglas.
They want to create a lounge atmosphere on
campus where students can come and hang
out. Singh believes that renovations will be
a simple task. She explained that once the
DSU is out of receivership they will be able
to set their own budget, at which point the
DSU’s board of directors can look at the
feasibility of long-term projects such as a
café, pub, etc. In the meantime they can do
things like painting the DSU’s lounge and
replacing the furniture explained Singh.

Both of these goals have been made in
previous elections, but when asked how Vote
For Change would run the DSU differently
to accomplish these goals Singh responded
“It’s just team work. It’s not ‘it’s not my
job.”

The reFresh slate had the same

 

 

 

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including the U-Pass.

Vote For Change also wants to renovate

opportunity to respond to these questions in
issue 24 of volume 35 of The Other Press.

 

 

Deep Singh disqualified from DSU elections

By Matthew Steinbach, News Editor

his Monday students who
| expected to be voting for Deep
Singh with Vote For Change

may have their votes discounted
according to Jessica Magalios, chief
returning officer.
Deep Singh was disqualified Friday
afternoon by Magalios for a rule
infraction. Singh had been a candidate
for the external relations coordinator
position, a position she currently
holds in the DSU. If her candidacy is
not reinstated by Receiver-Manager
Marne Jensen then the other candidate,
Priscilla Bartleman of reFresh, will win
by default.
Singh was disqualified for entering
the Douglas Students’ Union Building
after hours on Saturday, March 21".
Singh explained that she entered the
building to pick up some personal
items that were important to her health.
However, on Tuesday she was sat

down by Magalios and told that she
had committed a rule infraction. Singh
was then informed that she would have
to wait until the Electoral Committee
could meet to deliberate the matter
further. She was informed Friday
afternoon that she was no longer a
candidate in the 2009 General Election.
Singh was concerned about the timing
feeling that it was unfair because this
did not allow her sufficient time for
appeal before Monday’s polling begins.
Singh was concerned about the length
of time that elapsed before decisions.
She was also not informed that she
could be disqualified for this offence.
Singh also explained that this rule was
not in the electoral guidelines, a book
of rules for the election.
Magalios stated that Singh was well
aware of the rules, and while the rule
was not in the electoral guidelines all
candidates were warned at a mandatory
orientation meeting. According to

Magalios, Singh was even able to recite
the rule back to her at one point in one
of their meetings. Magalios explained
that this was a serious issue. This could
have had more serious ramifications
than a simple poster violation.

“She demonstrated she was well aware
of the rules and choose to disregard
them anyways,” explained Magalios.
However, Magalios stated that she
needed time to discuss the matter with
the Electoral Committee and Marne
Jensen. It simply came down to a time
factor and she was unable to inform
Singh any sooner than she did.

Singh, however, was let in the building
by security and felt that if “this was
such a big deal then why not go to
security and have them stay with [the
representatives when they are in the
building after hours]?”

Singh explained that Magalios did

not take the measures necessary to
stop representatives from entering the

building before this incident occurred.
However, Magalios explained that she
did in fact change the security access
list. She changed the access list a day
or two before the incident via email to
Fernanda Santos, manager of facilities
at Douglas College, because Santos is
in charge of the security guards on the
New Westminster Campus including
the DSU building.

The DSU building is where all
candidates have to print their materials,
so this year it was made a completely
neutral building. Candidates were
unable to even bring their material
inside the building to provide a fair
playing field for all candidates. This
was to ensure that currently elected
representatives did not have an
advantage by being elected. Which
mainly meant they could enter the
building after hours and work on
materials while candidates who were
not elected could not do so.