The Peak

GSS candidates square off in debate

By David Proctor

The candidates in the Graduate Student Society’s first fully contested officer election squared off in a question-and-answer period in the Grad Student Lounge last Wednesday. Graduate students had the opportunity to listen to summaries of candidates’ platforms, experience, and to ask questions either to the whole group of candidates or questions directed at specific candidates.

Attendance was modest at best, with fewer than 20 people in the audience at its peak. Additionally, none of the three candidates for the position of treasurer were present at the debate, although Raged Anwar provided a statement that was read out by the moderator, Kyall Glennie, the Simon Fraser Student Society’s research and campaigns coordinator.

Anwar indicated that his primary goals were to keep the Society’s books straight and ensure the GSS is a strong advocacy force that will assist graduates in overcoming obstacles and hardships. Charles Bond Kebbi and Jag Tamber, the other candidates for treasurer, did not provide any sort of statement.

Duncan Wlodarczak, a presidential candidate and a member of the A.C.E slate, started the debate by focusing on his experience on a number of committees both within the GSS and the university’s administrative organs. He explained that his slate is focused on “advocacy, communication, and engagement,” and his key goal is to encourage the growth of the GSS by committing to outreach and collaboration with its membership.

Wlodarczak’s rival, Christina Bielek, also focused on her experience, which includes sitting on the executive committee of the Capilano Students’ Union and being a steward on SFU’s Teaching Support Staff Union. She emphasized her hopes of making the GSS a more participatory organization, and suggested that monthly or semesterly general meetings would be a good way to encourage this. She intends to challenge what she described to be a “neoliberal restructuring” of SFU’s bureaucracy that she indicated is removing resources from grad students. Wlodarczak and Bielek both indicated that funding is the number one issue facing SFU grad students.

Chris Westendorf, the first secretary candidate to speak, expressed a desire to reconfigure funding of GSS caucuses so each caucus would be given funding, unconditionally, at the beginning of each semester, and would retain unused funds at the end of each cycle. In addition, he explained a plan to create GSS subcommittees for the Vancouver and Surrey campuses to encourage the creation of a student community in those areas; he argued this would respond to the unique needs of students at those campuses.

Christi Garneau-Scott, the other secretary candidate and secondary member of the A. C.E. slate, drew attention to her experience at the University of Guelph’s Central Student Association, the GSS Executive Committee and Council, and various SFU administrative committees. She indicated that her two key goals are to increase support for GSS caucuses and increase the Society’s transparency and accountability.

The only serious point of division between the candidates that became apparent during the Q&A session was related to referendum question one, which will alter the job description of the GSS executive director, an employee of the Society.

If passed, the referendum question would give the executive director membership status on both Council and the Executive Committee and give them the status of a signing officer. Wlodarczak indicated that he was “fully behind” the proposal and Garneau-Scott said that it was “a step forward”; Westendorf indicated that while he was generally supportive, he was unsure that the executive director should be a signing officer. Only Bielek raised serious concerns, indicating she did not believe that anyone who was not a member of the Society should be given signing officer status.

*Graduate students can cast their ballots online from April 6 to 8. *