As
surely as the groundhog failing to see its shadow indicates the onset of
spring, so do the CSU’s annual February elections. This election typically sees
only a few positions up for election – only if a position was not filled in the fall
election, or if one of the elected executives resigned.
This
year, there are two positions available. The Queer Students’ Liaison had no one
run for the position in the fall elections, and in this election has three
candidates. The International Students’ Liaison is also looking for a new
person, as the liaison resigned. Two candidates are competing for this
position. The Capilano Courier spent time getting to know the candidates so that
you, the voter, will be able to cast an informed vote. Students can vote in the
CSU elections in the Birch cafeteria on Feb. 6-9 from 10am-6pm, and on Feb. 10
from 10am-2:30pm.
Queer
Students’ Liaison
Rose
Bunagan is
a Liberal Studies student in her third year at Capilano. She feels like
Capilano has been a great institution for her, and she is running for the Queer
Liaison position so that she can give back “ten times fold,” she says. One of her
focuses is on creating an environment where students can have meaningful
relationships, especially by “establishing a strong presence and support for
the GLBT student body.”
For
Bunagan, homophobia and suicides of queer-identified youth is an enormously
important issue: “The increased rates in teen suicide are alarming … Bullying
is one of the biggest factors in GLBT suicides wherein an individual feels that
taking their life is the only way out,” she says.
She's
keen to up the visibility of the Queer Resource Centre: “Not many people know
that we have a Queer Resource Centre on-campus and I think that establishing
that strong presence will really help out anyone who is transitioning from high
school to university, or from one school to another.”
She
is also interested in a mentorship program for new students: “[In this
program], second-, third-, and fourth-year students can give a quick tour of
the campus, letting [first-years] know the ins and outs of Cap, and just be a
mentor!” She is also interested in putting on several events for students. She
enthusiastically lists several ideas she has, including “movie nights, bowling nights,
sporting events, karaoke, board games night, speed dating, [and] adventures: hikings
or camping trips/art nights … just to name a few.”
Ciara
John A
first year sciences student who hopes to get into medical school, Ciara John feels
that she’d be a great fit for the position of Queer Students’ Liaison: “I have
been raised with a warm and caring family with regards to my queer status, and
would like to use that same nurturing and warm attitude to help voice and give
great concern to the Queer student body at Capilano U,” she says.
The
key issue that she sees facing the Queer students constituency is one of
inclusion: “Everyone is welcomed here, regardless of religion, sex preference,
gender, upbringing, wealth, education-level, and subjects of career study,” she
says. “I come from a very diverse background, being raised First Nations with
ties to Germany. I know the complexities and impact of how culture can inspire
individuals and make people feel at home.”
John
was also a candidate for the First Nations Students’ Liaison position in the
fall of 2011, where she came second in votes. “It is obvious to see my concern
in being apart of the student experience, and ensuring that we all as students can
look back and say ‘Yes, I did it! And had fun, and experienced a whole lot of
new things.'"
Brooklyn
Kemp A
second-year student in the Global Stewardship Program, Brooklyn Kemp hopes to capture
your vote for the Queer Students’ Liaison position. “I believe in equal rights
and acceptance for everyone, which, in this case, (unfortunately) actually
means challenging the status quo,” she says. She feels that there may yet be a
ways to go in achieving true equality: “Although people say that they accept
people from the LGBT community, their actions and their use of language can
often say otherwise.”
Despite
the fact that, if elected, she would represent Queer students on campus, she
emphasizes that it is not a group that is homogeneous. “This may sound funny,
but as of right now, I can't actually speak on behalf of the queer community at
Capilano. This is because we are all individuals, many of which I don't know,”
she says. “What I personally see as a key issue facing the queer community here
at Cap, is that there hasn't been any presence of the queer collective in the
school for the past couple years … Not having a voice in the CSU and not having
a presence in the school from the collective has left me feeling as though I’ve
been missing out on something, especially a chance to make some good friends.
When
asked about her ideas for things she’d like to do if elected, she lists several
ideas, including an open house for the new Queer Centre, a spring barbecue, and
bringing Qmunity,
which calls itself “B.C.’s queer resource centre”, to do workshops.
She
also emphasizes the collaborative nature of the liaison position. “It’s not
just about my ideas – a handful of heads is better than one, so upon being elected as
Cap U’s Queer Liaison, I would love to hear all the ideas that members of the
collective have followed by working together to bring an event to the school
that everyone is excited about.”
International
Students’ Liaison
Zoltán
Blum is
a Masters student in both finance and accounting who is running to be the International
Students’ Liaison. He feels that he’d fit the position well because it’s already
his second semester abroad as an international student himself, from Hungary.
He has also spent time as a student in Germany last year. Furthermore, he has
plenty of experience in governance positions, having acted as an elected member
of his village council back in Hungary, and as the leader of a 20-person brass
band at one point.
Blum
feels that his extensive experience abroad has given him perspective on what the
needs of international students are: “International students are often facing
the problem that things just work differently than they are used to – different from their home
country. I want to help them to understand and experience how things work in
Canada and enable them to apply their knowledge.”
“I
would like to ask the international and the exchange students what they want me
to achieve, what they need, and what they wish for,” he says. “One concrete
idea from my last semester abroad is that I would like to organize special
nights for the different countries, where representative students … can
introduce their country, and where Canadian and international students enjoy
some famous dishes, dances and/or music of that nation. I would like to help
them to understand each other better, to learn from one another and to be curious
about other parts of the world.” He
adds that if he is elected, “I will definitely give my best and do a great job
for all the international students.”
Hyerin
Choi “I
think the international students’ committee has not represented international students’
main interests and issues appropriately,” says Hyerin Choi, a candidate for
International Students’ Liaison. “If I am elected, I would like to help their
voice to be heard in Capilano.”
A
second-year student in the Global Stewardship program who is “passionate about social
justice and environmental issues,” she feels she’d be the best candidate for
the position because she has “clear objectives and strategies for the
position.”
“Over
the past three semesters, I have also participated in the CSU events such as
the general meetings and social justice and educational issues committee
events,” she says. “It has taught me so much about how the CSU works and what problems
it has.”
“I
would like to represent three main issues: the international students’ high
tuition fees, lack of funding and scholarships for them, and their language
barriers in studying,” explains Choi. “International student tuition fees are
more than four times the already-high fees for Canadian students and there are
only eleven scholarships for them in Capilano. Even the scholarships are not
for people who are in financial need because only students who register more
than 12 credits ($5,700) are eligible.”
If
she is elected, some of Choi’s “clear objectives” include a petition and
non-violent protest against high tuition fees for international students, along
with recruiting the members of her constituency to participate in other
campaigns such as Where’s The Funding?!. She also hopes to work with
international students groups from other schools, “since it is not only a Capilano
issue.”
//Gurpreet Kambo, news editor
//Photos by Jason Jeon
//Gurpreet Kambo, news editor
//Photos by Jason Jeon
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