Nick Taylor-Vaisey and I just finished a very special edition of the Ivory Antenna/L'antenne d'Ivoire and I must say, wow. That was quite the experiment. We went from English to French and back, and we even got some callers/emailers. What a show.Among the highlights:
- Dean thinks the BOA made a mistake when they overturned the decision to have a referendum on CFS last summer. He feels that the SFUO has not been a prospective member and he does not know how he feels about CFS because he has not had a chance to measure it yet. He feels students should be allowed to vote on the issue and thinks that if the SFUO Elections Office is running it, it will be a fair referendum.
- Dean wants to have live translation during SFUO meetings to allow everyone to speak the language in which they are most comfortable with. He feels this would be an expensive investment at first, but it would allow the meetings to be bilingual and that is something he would seriously consider.
- On General Assemblies, Dean said he likes the idea a lot, and said it was probably his favourite point from Renaud's platform. He did not say which part of JWR2's platform he preferred, but promised to email/comment us with a response.
- On a student-run University centre, Dean spoke about the levy each student pays for the UniCentre and the fact that it is ridiculous that the University is the one managing it. He is prepared to take back the levy and invest it in... the construction of a new UniCentre!
A lot more + comment + Joey Coleman cameo + analysis from the hosts.
Photo courtesy of Jason Chiu. The SFUO Blog exclusive.
12 comments:
Nice photo Jason!
Dean has such a handsome shaved head! ;)
What a fantastic idea for translation! It wouldn't have to be expensive, and it would certainly increase the level of bilingualism at SFUO proceedings. The U of O is rich with translation students who would benefit from opportunities to practice interpretation... not to mention, this could be the kind of position that prompts non-translation students to consider a whole new career path.
Dean shaved it today for a student Fundraiser for Relay for Life. That is how much he cares about students. Sacrificed is hair for us.
If I knew I could have got a free haircut and help fighting cancer at the same time!
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I agree with the pirate. It would be a great work-study opportunity for interpretation students.
Memo to Dean: It is not a question of who runs it, it is a question of how the groups participating will act. How does the elections office have ANY authority over CFS... To just say "the people who run such things should run them" is pretty naive.
How can we be SURE that they will adhere to our rules? Enough of these vague statements, lets hear some concrete plans.
What do you define as a concrete plan?
The 50% opt out that actually takes money from students, offering them nothing in return?
Or is it the opting out of student service?
Or the idea of removing money-making student businesses?
Because none of those are at all beneficial, plausible, or even desirable!
Anonymous: I believe that any electioneering on behalf of CFS would be detrimental to their vote. Students are smarter than that.
Our elections rules stipulate that a non-member may not solicit votes. The elections office is responsibe for enforcing this. Additionally, if a student felt like the referendum was not fairly run it could be brought to student arbitration for investigation.
I think it is a one-sided view to only include CFS in this class--we should include both sides on the posibility of electioneering in this potential vote, including the Joey Colemans that despise CFS.
I hope that was clearer for you.
(Fixed a 'I really should be sleeping double typing of a word' - hopefully I got everything else. I want to reply tonight since I'm getting the early morning train to investigate government spending in the morning.)
Dean, I'm rather surprised to see your failure to grasp what electioneering actually is. It's too bad, I was impressed with your interview on the radio today.
The question which I emailed Wassim (after he asked me if I had a question idea) was actually more about how to build YOUR relationship with your local mainstream media.
You saw the question has being about CFS - hence your discussion about the Douglas College Scandal. You made a good point, to avoid negative publicity, avoid doing negative things.
It was not a bad answer.
Sadly, as is the case with so many of the partisans of external lobbying organizations, you feel a need to attack those who ask questions.
I'm proud of my journalistic record. I'm proud that as a student journalist, I did not let expensive lawyers stop me from following a story. I am very proud of my hard work and the hard work of so many other journalists that have covered the issues that students need to know about. The Global News reporter in BC had to put up with phone calls at home from the CFS and their lawyers - including a 6am one. I've put up with those late calls late at night myself. It is actions like that which cost all student politicians creditability.
Most of all, I'm proud that I have never allowed anyone to bully me out of covering a story.
(You know the student politicians and university administrators have much in common - both have a strong dislike of people asking questions about how they spend momey or the tactics they use to stifle debate.)
You cannot say that student journalists are wrong and just out to get full-time 'student' politicians. We are all clean slates, we just follow the trail and end up finding the story. Just happens that right across the country, the trail leads to the same result.
The idea that journalists are somehow electioneering by doing their job is really out there.
It is this kind of "your either with us or against" mentality that results in problems both internally and externally for student politicans.
You seem like an intelligent young man, don't let talking points cloud your better judgement.
Of course, attacking others is a classic political move when a candidate does not want to actually talk about where they stand on the issues or when they don't actually plan to answer questions.
Its my understanding that if the CFS referendum is put to students, then CFS also comes to campus and takes over the entire election with their own electoral regulations. They do not take the current electoral regulations into account at all, and simply build the entire electoral process around making sure their referendum wins. (not just the process for their own referendum, but for the entire election)
Democracy is one thing, however judging by how often referendum questions get voted "no" I would say, no the students are not stupid, however they easily vote for things they do not fully understand.
I think in cases such as these the Board should make the decision for the students because they can better understand just what is involved. Putting the question to the students is the same as just joining CFS, its a rubber stamp.
I dont think that CFS should be allowed to come onto our campus and, for their own best interest, take over an electoral process that has been tailored to our students, our federation, and our campus.
Sarah, you present quite the worst-case scenario, particularly when countered by Dean's hopes that the SFUO's elections' office will be in complete control. I think we'd find the reality to be somewhere in the middle.
This just goes to show how divisive the issue is, and is perhaps all the more reason a referendum would be a good thing. The issue's not going anywhere it seems.
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