Spencer NicholsStudents’ Council censures Undergraduate Board of Governors Representative Sangram Hansra
In a symbolic move, the U of A’s Students’ Council censured Undergraduate Board of Governors Representative Sangram Hansra for “creating an environment in which students felt unsafe or intimidated” and “compromising the Students’ Union advocacy efforts.”
Council approved the motion in a secret ballot, with 21 votes in favour and 12 votes opposed after debating the issue for approximately three hours in a private, in-camera session.
To censure means to formally disapprove of a member in a legislative body.
Former SU Vice-President (Operations and Finance) Cory Hodgson and Faculty of Arts councillor Marina Banister moved to censure Hansra after several people approached them, who provided anonymous testimonials regarding Hansra’s behaviour as an elected representative of the undergraduate student body. The testimonials were provided to council after they moved in camera due to the sensitive nature of the allegations made against Hansra.
Banister, who told The Gateway in April that she voted in favour of the motion on her secret ballot, said she “wholeheartedly believes it was the most appropriate thing to do.”
“Prior to this process, people approached me indicating that they felt this was a good thing to do … as a result, I went about things,” she said.
“Based off of the testimonials, I believe we made the right decision.”
‘I’m feeling a little bit at peace:’ Sleiman admits to vote tampering
You can’t blame Students’ Union executive hopefuls for being competitive, and doing whatever they can to win. Except when their campaign tactics are downright dirty.
Students’ Union Vice-President (Operations & Finance) candidate Samer Sleiman admitted to tampering with votes in the 2015 SU elections after the Chief Returning Officer disqualified him for a second time.
Sleiman was accused of voting for himself using students’ CCID without their consent, as he was reportedly taking their phones when he told them he was going to show them how to vote.
One student admitted to being anxious that Sleiman had the information to access their confidential Bear Tracks and eClass accounts.
Another recalled trying to cast a vote for presidential candidate Navneet Khinda before Sleiman pulled the phone away and said “no, no, no.”
In a sit-down interview with The Gateway’s Alex Migdal, Sleiman admitted to the fraudulent voting tactics.
Sleiman conceded the VP (OpsFi) race, which was won by opposing candidate Cody Bondarchuk.
SU to create a replacement for suspended Lister Hall Students’ Association
The Students’ Union is moving forward on plans to create a replacement organization for the disbanded Lister Hall Students’ Association.
After a hazing incident involved with Skulk festivities, the Lister Hall Students’ Association (LHSA) was suspended from registering as a student group as of May 1, 2014. A two-year suspension will be up after the next academic year, around August 2017. In the interim, the SU is creating a new organization to take the place of the LHSA.
According to Students’ Union President Navneet Khinda at a students’ council forum on Tuesday, Oct. 27, the university doesn’t agree with the creation of a new group. Khinda said the SU “doesn’t need permission” from the university to create the new group, and cited their right as per the Post-Secondary Learning Act (PSLA). Despite concerns that the current nameless students’ association will become a “shadow group” of the LHSA, the new group will be the sole representative student body for Lister Hall, Khinda said.
Since that point, LHSA coffers have been cleared out and, according to Khinda, “there is no organization left.” Khinda made sure to insist that the new organization would not be a “rebrand” of the LHSA.
Now that the SU has assumed responsibility for the role and finances of the LHSA, Khinda said that a new organization would mean fewer hours spent by the SU on these issues.
Student-organized sex orgy comes to the U of A
Our most viewed story of the year — and all-time — is the infamous U of A orgy organized for and by students.
Orgies are traditionally an odd taboo subject matter, but the freaky sex party, which was open to all U of A students, provided they complete a screening process.
Gender and sexuality ratios will be kept as close to equal as possible, to make sure nobody feels outnumbered or left out. The group is sex-positive, and said they are accepting of anyone on the gender and sexuality spectra to attend. It’s challenging to keep a balance, but keeping relatively equal numbers from all groups is important for the group’s comfort, U of A student and organizer Matthew James Hardy said.
Despite the popular view that only males want to participate in group sex, there’s been equal anonymous interest from both men and women. “Slut-shaming” culture tends to make women more hesitant, but there are indeed confirmed female attendees for November’s event. There has also been interest from LGBT individuals as well, Hardy said.
The idea in the end is to just help people express themselves in a safe environment, Hardy said.
“I don’t like the idea of having to hide what you enjoy just because someone else may find it distasteful,” he said.
