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Rock the flash mob

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Voter drive campaign
plans flash mob

By Dylan Hackett, News Editor

he Canadian Federation of

Student’s (CFS) Rock the
Vote BC campaign is planning
one last hoorah to mobilize
student voters with a flash
mob poised to take place on
May 10, four days before the
polling booths open up. The
flash mobbers are looking for as
many participants as possible
to increase buzz for the event
in the hopes of creating a social
media splash.

“The main goal is to draw
attention to the importance of
voting in a fun way. We want
voting to be a group activity
because the result of political
action benefits communities,”
explained CFS BC chairperson
Katie Marocchi.

Two rehearsals for the flash
mob have already taken place.
Attendees of the flash mob are
privy to the secret location of the
event.

“Rehearsals have been
well-received and a lot of
interest has been shown in the
project by multiple groups
in the community. We have
another rehearsal coming up on
Wednesday, May 8th at 8 p.m.
under Robson Square,” said
Marocchi.

“T feel like this is a great
opportunity for Douglas
students to meet new people
and have a great time, all
while learning the importance
of voting. The event will be

Candidates debate at David

By Dylan Hackett, News Editor

ast Monday, a ballot of

MLA-hopefuls for the
Coquitlam-Burke Mountain
riding held court at the David
Lam campus in an all-candidates
debate hosted by the Tri-Cities
Chamber of Commerce. The
debate paralleled the televised
leader’s debate, also taking
place Monday night. Questions
were presented to the candidates
by a Chamber panel, as well as
collected from the couple dozen
audience members throughout
the debate.

The candidates discussed
issues that are assumed to shape

 

 

recorded and the video will be
a great reminder that Douglas
Students care about the future
of our province,” said Jenelle
Davies, outgoing women’s
liaison for the Douglas Student's
Union.

The secret location is set to

the riding over the next four
years, including transit projects,
the future of the Riverview
property, and health care.

Given the statistical
prediction of the BC NDP
forming government next week,
many of the questions were
directed at NDP policy plans or
were crafted on the assumption
of an Adrian Dix premiership,
putting Chris Wilson, NDP
hopeful, on the defensive.

“T have a strong proven
track record in bringing positive
change to our community,”
Wilson opened, citing examples
of the many non-profit groups
and efforts he is a part of in the
Tri-Cities area. “T think I have

—

     

Flash mob participants practice their routine |Photo courtesy of UPO - Universidad Pablo de Olavide (Flickr)

be revealed on Friday morning
and interested participants are
encouraged to come out to the
spot for 3 p.m.

The Rock the Vote campaign
has been active at Douglas since
the fall semester, registering
hundreds of students to vote

Lam

got the trust of the people I’ve
represented.”

Wilson also noted his
business and investment
histories for the commerce-
focused audience.

Douglas Horne, incumbent
MLA, expressed a frustration
with his own party’s attack
ad focused campaign while
answering a question about
Christy Clark’s red-light
running, the political headline
that day, saying “We have to get
politics out of the gutter.”

BC Conservative candidate,
Shane Kennedy, reiterated in his
opening address what he told
The Other Press earlier this year,
claiming “For too long, British

in the upcoming provincial
election. Rock the Vote’s main
aim is to encourage youth voter
turnout. The under-34 voter
demographic has the lowest
turnout rate, with over 500,000
eligible voters refraining from
the polls.

Columbians have been trapped
in the two-party system, with
the Liberals on the far right

and the NDP on the far left.
With both parties committing

to running a deficit, I guess our
children will have to pay for it
someday. I don’t see a difference
between the two parties.”

Paul Geddes, BC Libertarian
Party candidate and party vice
president sat on the ideological
fringe, not answering questions
with political consequence in
mind, just policy. While this
approach was sincere, Geddes
often tacked together absurd
scenarios to exaggerate his
opponent's philosophies.

“Just imagine if the NDP

Advance polls are open
through May 8-11 in select
stations throughout BC ridings.
To find your riding polling
stations, visit:
http:/ / www.elections.bc.ca/
index.php / maps/ electoral-
district-finder/.

were running restaurants in
Vancouver. All the different
groups would get together, the
workers, the owners, the clients,
and they would sit down and
decide what kind of meals
they would serve,” explained
Geddes. “Tt would be horrible.
Why would we want to do that
with our education system and
our health care system?”

Of the five candidates
registered to appear on the May
14 ballot in the Coquitlam-Burke
Mountain, the only absent
member was the BC Green
Party’s Ron Peters, who had a
family matter to attend to. Peters
attended two other evening
debates in the riding last week.

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