SU Elections 2024: Myer Horowitz Forum Recap Part III

NOTE: The Gateway is running a DFU campaign in the 2024 Students’ Union Elections. We will be covering our campaign in a strict environment that strives to promote impartiality, transparency, and fairness. If you’d like more information, please see our statement or Conflict of Interest Plan.

The fifth forum of the University of Alberta Students’ Union (SU) 2024 elections was held at the Myer Horowitz Theatre in the Students’ Union Building (SUB) on March 4. The event was offered in-person and online.

Candidates had the opportunity to ask each other a question, after which each candidate had an opportunity to respond and then follow up. The candidates without a present opponent were asked a question by Sithara Naidoo, the SU’s Deputy Returning Officer (DRO) and moderator of the forum. Afterwards, audience members had the opportunity to ask questions directed to specific races.

This is the third and final part of the Myer Horowitz Forum recap. Find part one here, and part two here.

Here is the TL;DR version of this forum:

• Vice-president (external): sexual and gender-based violence, protests, social media for advocacy
• Vice-president (operations and finance): transparency, handling of funds, ethical business practices, and EDI
• Vice-president (academic): increasing access to research opportunities
• Vice-president (student life): addressing concerns about the U of A Sexual Assault Centre, connecting with students across all three campuses
• Board of Governors (BoG) representative: addressing research, deferred maintenance, holding the university accountable, virtual survey alternative to SU perks
• CJSR: providing opportunities for students to speak their mind
• Engineering Students’ Society (ESS): wellness, non-student-funded revenue
• International Students’ Association (ISA): collaborating with SU for increased advocacy
• Organization for Arts Students and Interdisciplinary Studies (OASIS): addressing gaps in individual grants
• The Landing: service availability to all campuses, non-queer student benefits

Vice-president (external) candidates discuss SGBV advocacy

Vice-president (external) candidate Logan West asked her opponent Abdul Abbasi why students should trust him “to be the best advocate for sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) prevention — especially considering [he doesn’t] mention gender within [his] original statement.”

Abbasi replied that the SU aims to provide culturally sensitive services and support for Indigenous and international students. He added that the U of A has plans to implement such support through the Student Experience Action Plan (SEAP). 

Abbasi said that a U of A survey conducted in 2022 showed that “62 per cent of students that go to the U of A have experienced SGBV since attending.” The U of A did not conduct such a survey in 2022. The most recent survey on SGBV that surveyed U of A students was commissioned by the Government of Alberta, and released in August 2023. The survey found that 64 per cent of students surveyed experienced SGBV since attending the U of A.

Abbasi said he wants to make sure that everyone is represented and that he will advocate for SGBV support.

West corrected Abbasi and said the number is 64 per cent. She said that it is an issue of “utmost priority” for her.

West said she’ll work with the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Status of Women. She added that the provincial government will be “providing around $15.7 million annually” for the next three years to prevent SGBV in Alberta. She said that “the U of A needs to be a stakeholder in that conversation.”

“This is a personal issue to me. As a survivor, I understand that the women and everyone on this campus who has experienced SGBV need to not only be heard but supported. And that requires funding. I promise that I will fight to make sure that we secure that funding,” West said.

Following West, Abbasi said that there is also a $54.3 million grant provided by the Government of Canada for the next three years to prevent SGBV. In actuality, the grant, which is a part of the federal National Action Plan to end Gender-Based Violence, allotted $54 million over the next four years. He said that he will be working with the Council of Canadian University Students (CAUS), the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA), and the university to pressure the government to get a portion of the grant for all U of A campuses. 

Abbasi then asked West about her lack of student governance experience and how West would “move beyond problem identification towards actionable change.” 

West replied that student governance experience is not the only kind of experience required to run. 

“Women and people of racialized minorities and other backgrounds are discriminated against and face significant barriers to entry. While I may not have SU experience, that doesn’t mean I don’t have experience in leadership,” West said.

Abbasi asked West for more concrete solutions to the issues she outlined. West said that she was “unsure how to respond” to Abbasi’s question, because he didn’t specify which issues he wanted her to discuss. As a result, she said she would discuss as much as she could in her answer.

To address transit issues, West said she’ll conduct a student survey to “ensure their voices are heard” before she brings concerns to the municipal government and the Edmonton Transit Service Advisory Board. For affordability, West plans to have more protests and letter-writing campaigns, to get more students involved.

“I think the SU has done a great job this year, but I want to see us doing more,” she said.

During the open forum, Prometheus Voaklander, a volunteer with Halt the Hike, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), and the Youth Communist League (YCL), asked the two candidates how they plan to be transparent in their government advocacy and be held accountable for non-partisanship.

Abbasi said that it’s important to be realistic in their advocacy. He said that the reason he is providing a platform, which he said would be posted that day, “is so that everyone can see what I want to do, how I want to do it, and why I want to do it.”

West said she would use social media to advertise and speak to the media in order to keep students informed. 

“In regards to non-partisanship, that is something laid out by the SU itself that all executives must follow,” West said. “I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I don’t have my own beliefs and values as a person. But at the end of the day … we represent the students of the U of A,” West said.

An audience member asked the two candidates how they will work with the Government of Alberta to support transgender and queer students in light of the new policies from the provincial government.

Both candidates said they want to have support in place for incoming queer students to the U of A. West said she would endorse The Landing and highlight queer and trans work on campus. Abbasi said he will work with other universities and bring a united voice to the provincial government.

-Lale Fassone

Vice-president (operations and finance) candidates debate transparency, efficiency, and ethics

Current vice-president (operations and finance) and candidate Levi Flaman asked candidate Joachim Bony what SU transparency and accountability processes currently exist, and what can be improved. 

Bony replied that the SU makes its financial information available, but the information could be more accessible. He said students need to know how much money is being spent and where, “in order for students to see value in the SU.” 

Flaman recounted that Bony said the SU is “portrayed as not accountable or transparent,” but then said the budgets are on the SU site. “We’re not some secret, shady society,” Flaman said. 

“I didn’t say the UASU was a [shady] organization,” Bony said. “I said we need more accountability.” Bony added that an “area of concern about [Flaman’s] tenure” was Flaman not recognizing the difference between internal aspects of the SU, and “students actually being able to see what the SU is doing.”

Bony asked Flaman if his proposed idea of the SU establishing a housing commission to “have new residences run by the SU [is] truly viable.” Bony further asked if it would be better than focusing on current SU services or advocating for university-led initiatives. 

Flaman replied that the housing commission “would be a viable project,” and that he thinks the SU “learned a lot” from its last attempt.

During open forum, both candidates were anonymously asked if they will “commit to not conducting business with companies complicit in apartheid and human rights violations against Palestinians.”

Bony replied that if elected, it would be his role to provide resources and supports to Palestinian students. He added that the SU would “have to have transparency” about its partnerships.

Bony mentioned the Single Source Cold Beverage Agreement between the SU and Coca-Cola Bottling Company. He said that when it comes to the agreement’s renewal, he wants to make sure that “students know about the process, and that we respect the fact that this is a very important consideration.”

Flaman said that only the president can direct the SU’s general manager. As a result, any commitment Flaman could make on this issue “would be empty. Because that’s not my decision alone to make,” he said.

Flaman acknowledged the “legitimate concerns with ethical, human rights violations” from companies that the SU partners with. But, he said that if the SU were to divest, the price of SU products could increase.

“If students want to pay more for the stuff that they buy — sure, we can switch companies,” Flaman added.

An audience member asked if the candidates will work to stop the SU from banking with the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), as RBC “continues to fund fossil fuel projects despite the climate emergency.” 

Flaman highlighted the “limited options” of alternatives the SU could switch to, which were identified earlier this year. Flaman said that if the SU were to switch, “what’s to say they don’t start doing the same thing next year?” 

He added that there are “too many possibilities,” and it’s “easier to deal with the certainties.” Flaman said that “if we band together with a lot of the other schools, we can convince them to change their ways.”

Bony replied that the SU “has to be mindful that changing or altering [its] business relations for certain concerns — which are very valid — sets a precedent that we have to respect aftwards” with other companies. He said that this is a concern because the SU’s financial stability comes from stable business partnerships. 

“It’s not always feasible for us to reconcile both the value for students and the ease of access for services,” he said.

The candidates were later asked about Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives they would take if elected.

“As the only black candidate in this race, you can definitely imagine that I feel this very clearly,” Bony said. 

Bony said that diverse representation in the SU and meaningful connections to underrepresented communities is important. 

“We have people in minority groups who truly understand what it feels like to be a student here at this university,” Bony said. “For me, that is the best kind of EDI initiative.” He added that he’d work to add more events and opportunities for minority groups. 

Flaman agreed that there is a “lack of EDI initiatives in that sphere.” He added that his own diverse perspectives aren’t visible, “whether it’s ageism, or the smorgasbord of mental health issues.”

He said that the SU “finally started pursuing” an EDI and accessibility audit, which will provide a number of EDI recommendations. With those recommendations, he said, “we have some actionables that we can pursue. Then we can take it from there.”

-Declan Carpenter-Hall

Vice-president (academic) candidate plans to increase access to research opportunities

As Alhussainy was not present, the moderators asked Elgaweesh two questions from the audience during question period. 

An audience member asked Elgaweesh how she plans to increase access to research opportunities for undergraduate students. 

Elgaweesh replied that she would accomplish this by adding more research opportunities onto CampusBRIDGE. 

Another audience member asked Elgaweesh what her specific sources were to generate her platform, as her and Alhussainy’s platforms were “similar.”

Elgaweesh said this is a “valid concern,” but said she has done “extensive consultations over the past months with student groups.”

In addition to talking to faculty associations, Elgaweesh has also sought feedback from the Augustana Students’ Association (ASA), Indigenous Students’ Union (ISU), Muslim Students’ Association (MSA), and International Students’ Association (ISA). She also said she has consulted with current vice-president (academic) Pedro Almeida.

“I’ve learned a lot from there,” Elgaweesh said. “I’ve also read GFC meetings and SU Council meetings.”

During open forum, The Gateway asked Elgaweesh how she would address students’ concerns around using Smart Exam Monitoring (SEM), which has issues recognizing racialized students’ faces. 

Elgaweesh acknowledged this as a “huge issue” that marginalized students face, which has been brought up in her previous consultations. 

To combat issues with SEM, Elgaweesh said she intends to work with the U of A’s Information Systems and Technology (IST) services if elected. 

If elected, Elgaweesh said she would push for an updated version of SEM that recognizes students’ concerns. In addition, she brought up accessibility concerns for students using SEM who may have poor internet connections. According to Elgaweesh, it is important to address the “root causes” of why SEM is being used in the first place.

-Aparajita Rahman

Vice-president (student life) candidates aim to increase accessibility in many areas of student life

Adrian Lam asked Renson Alva how he plans to accomplish the 65 different points highlighted in his campaign over the course of a one-year term. 

Alva responded that the points highlighted on his platform are not promises, but rather areas that can be worked on throughout the year. 

“I feel like if we’re getting paid as executives, we need to address all of these issues,” Alva said. “With this university, we’ve seen time and time again that they will make you settle for less. We’ve got to demand higher.” 

In a follow-up, Lam asked Alva to clarify what his priorities are, since he had “such an extensive list, [and] things are going to be things that will be pushed aside.”

Alva stated that he is most concerned with addressing SGBV on campus, improving student life supports, and improving the student group approval process. He also highlighted improving accessibility to events and resources across all three campuses as another main area of focus. 

Following Lam’s question, Alva asked how he plans on ensuring that all students feel supported on campus, considering factors like the rising costs of living and discrimination towards marginalized students. 

Lam stated that he plans on actively listening to student concerns to ensure that all students feel supported. 

“I myself might not be able to understand all of these issues. But I hope to be someone who can listen and provide support.”

He emphasized that the vice-president (student life) has “to be a voice for all students, no matter what their background is, and to make sure that they feel supported.” 

During the open forum, Sara Sierko, a volunteer with The Gateway’s dedicated fee unit (DFU) team, asked the candidates how they plan to hold the university accountable to re-open the U of A Sexual Assault Centre (UASAC), and how they will support victims until the centre re-opens. Since November 18, 2023, the UASAC has largely reduced its services, and now only offers limited supports to students. 

Alva said that he will push for the university to release a transparency report on why the UASAC closed, “to ensure what happened, doesn’t happen again.” As well, he said he will meet with the Assistant Dean (health and wellness) Kevin Friese, and has met with UASAC volunteers.

Additionally, Alva discussed promoting other services and resources offered by the U of A and in Edmonton through Perks and the SU website — such as the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton and Alberta’s One Line for Sexual Violence — that are available for students to use. 

Following Alva, Lam stated that he wants to promote available resources and supports to students, as well as advocate that the UASAC should not have closed in the first place. 

“This is an essential service to our university students, and it’s something that, especially in times like these where we are facing a higher amount of SGBV, that students must receive all the support that they can get,” Lam said. 

During the open forum, The Gateway asked the candidates how each of them plan to connect with students across all three campuses. 

Lam stated that although he cannot commit to being on all three campuses on a monthly basis, he wants to keep an open line of communication. He also discussed expanding current communications between L’Association Des Universitaires De La Faculté Saint-Jean (AUFSJ), the Augustana Students’ Association (ASA), and North Campus. 

“I do think that we can all learn from one another about how we can improve all of our campuses together. Because at the end of the day, we are one big community here at the U of A,” Lam said. 

Following Lam, Alva said that he plans to be accessible on all three campuses throughout the year. He mentioned ”attending headliner events on these campuses, working with the AUFSJ and ASA to go to events, [and] talk with folks in these public spaces.” 

Alva also stated that setting aside time in his calendar “for average students from each of these campuses to reach out directly to the vice-president (student life)” would help him maintain consistent communication. 

During the open forum, Emily Lukacs, referendum representative for The Landing, asked the candidates how they plan to advocate for and support queer and transgender students. 

Alva discussed working alongside The Landing, and its equivalents at Augustana and Campus Saint-Jean, to ensure that queer and transgender students “feel that the potential vice-president (student life) is a safe space to go to for their worries.” 

He also raised concerns regarding gender neutral washrooms on campus. He plans to advocate for the construction of gender neutral washrooms so that the university isn’t just “[converting] the men’s and women’s washrooms into gender neutral washrooms by replacing the sign.” 

Following Alva, Lam reinforced the idea of accessibility across all three campuses. 

“It’s really important for me to see that our services that are being offered across the university are standardized for all of us, no matter what campus we’re on,” Lam said.

-Peris Jones

BoG representative says virtual platform is a “second avenue” to U Perks app

During question period, the moderators asked Lam two questions from the audience. 

First, The Gateway asked Lam how she would address concerns relating to deferred maintenance and the lack of student-oriented spaces on campus, due to academic restructuring at the U of A. 

Lam repeated that her virtual platform would allow her to “gather all the student voices,” and tailor to specific concerns across the three U of A campuses. 

Next, a question from an audience member asked Lam how her proposed platform differs from the SU Perks app. 

Lam said her platform can serve as a “second avenue” to get student feedback that “add[s] to what [the] SU already has.” 

During open forum, an audience member asked Lam how she would hold the U of A accountable to follow through on the Student Experience Action Plan (SEAP) and its goals. 

In response, Lam said that ”this cannot be something [she] can do in a short term.” Lam also said that her role is “limiting” in what she can do as a representative who holds one of the 21 seats on BoG’s voting council.

She mentioned documenting her advocacy efforts throughout her term and then providing these resources to future BoG representatives. These future representatives would “continue to hold administrators accountable,” she said. 

Next, The Gateway asked Lam to identify issues she hopes to tackle in her position, which she believes are important from her personal experiences as a student.

Lam said that she would like to address how students can participate in research on campus. As well, she mentioned tuition as a key issue, saying tuition hikes have been “detrimental to not only cost-of-living,” but also to international students coming to the U of A. 

“My experience doesn’t just extend [from] me. It stems from my family, my friends, people who are a part of the International Students’ Association (ISA) — who have to not only rely on their funding from back home, but [also] work that part time job,” Lam said. 

As a minority on campus, Lam says she wants “to find a way to amplify those voices” on her platform. 

The Gateway also asked Lam what her approach is to ensuring that BoG members take her advocacy seriously and implement change. 

Lam replied that by presenting BoG with “concrete evidence” of students’ concerns — received from her virtual platform — she can advocate for others effectively.

-Aparajita Rahman

CJSR allows students to connect with the campus community and voice their own opinions

During open forum, an audience member asked Brittany Rudyck, the president of CJSR, why they should support the CJSR plebiscite as opposed to one that supports marginalized students. 

Rudyck stated that “CJSR is special because it empowers students to use their own voices on the radio and beyond.” 

She stated that the nature of CJSR and radio allows students to get “into the community in ways that are more diverse and connecting with a broader subset of the population.” 

CJSR is “open-minded in terms of the context that is aired, so there’s a lot of opportunity for marginalized voices to speak for themselves,” Rudyck said. 

“The Gateway has editors and certain processes that need to be maintained within journalistic integrity. [With] CJSR, there’s more space for your own voice to be heard without that extra filter,” Rudyck said. 

-Peris Jones

ESS asked about wellness and non-student-funded revenue 

The Engineering Students Society (ESS) was asked how they plan to address engineering students’ well-being.

Jayden Brooks, co-president of the ESS, said that engineering students face very specific challenges including high course-loads and naturally higher tuition fees. He also acknowledged that they have a high amount of international students making it a “very diverse group.”

“The conclusion we came to is that no amount of our fee that we would dedicate to wellness would be sufficient with the amount of money we’d be getting,” Brooks said.

To counter this, Brooks said that they will be working with the faculty of engineering to further increase their wellness funding, as they deemed the amount provided by the university not sufficient for engineering students.

Brooks was also asked by an audience member what the ESS has done to increase the per cent of revenue that isn’t student-sourced before increasing their FAMF.

Brooks answered by explaining what their other avenues of revenue are. In January, they hosted their largest career fair to date with over 82 companies, which generated over $100,000 in revenue with about $90,000 in profit. Brooks said this was “still not enough.” In the upcoming years, Brooks said they are looking to expand this further by making connections with tech companies, which they hope have a better market. 

Brooks added that merchandising and sponsorships have been a “growing budget item.”

“In the last four or five years, our budget has roughly grown from about $250,000 to just shy of $500,000. Our current projections hit us at about $550,000 for the upcoming year,” Brooks said. “ESS is growing in its financial revenue outside of our membership fees [which] helps us give the best services that we can to students.”

-Lale Fassone

“This vote is a vote for choice,” The Gateway board chair says

During open forum, an audience member asked Emily Williams why they should support The Gateway referendum, instead of one which provides direct support to marginalized students. 

In response, Williams said she understood that students are feeling a “financial crunch.” As such, The Gateway reduced its fee from $3.53 to $2.64.  

However, Williams also said that, if passed, The Gateway’s fee is fully opt-outable. 

“If students need to make tough choices about their fees, they can always opt-out. But students need to vote yes to give others the choice to support student journalism,” Williams said. “This vote is a vote for choice.”

Additionally, Williams mentioned that The Gateway is the only outlet for informing students about certain current events, such as the closure of the UASAC. 

Next, an audience member asked Williams how students can trust The Gateway when it has a discrepancy between money allocated towards its print product and staff salary. They referred to a financial statement from the 2022-23 year, which put $3,223.75 toward a print product, and $73,231.56 toward staff salary. 

Williams clarified that the salary is for the entire Gateway staff. “That [salary] is for seven people,” Williams said.

As well, Williams said that The Gateway ceased publishing print issues during the COVID-19 pandemic, but brought them back due to students’ interest. 

Lastly, an audience member asked Williams what The Gateway’s stance was on online bullying, and putting out biased content. 

Williams said that The Gateway “takes journalistic standards and practices extremely seriously.”

“Particularly for our elections coverage. We know that this is a time where candidates are potentially facing criticism for the first time and we know that can be extremely difficult,” Williams said. 

She also clarified that all volunteers are trained to “assess candidates on their platforms and their ideas alone.” In addition, she mentioned that The Gateway has also reported on transphobia and bullying toward SU candidates in the 2023 election. 

-Aparajita Rahman

ISA collaborating with SU for “more advocacy for international student rights,” Raza says

During open forum, an audience member asked Ramesh Raza, the current co-vice-president (student life) and incoming co-president, how the ISA would provide programming to Campus Saint-Jean (CSJ) and Augustana students, who currently do not receive any.

In response to the question, Raza agreed that “there’s a gap” in services provided to CSJ and Augustana international students. Raza said he will personally go to Augustana to consult the ASA on how to include students in the ISA’s initiatives. 

In addition, Raza mentioned that he is working on promoting a vacant seat on the ISA. 

“Same goes for CSJ,” Raza said. “I emphasize the importance of including all international students, regardless of whatever campus they are from.” 

As incoming ISA co-president, Raza said it is a “commitment” to get international students from all U of A campuses involved. 

Another audience member asked how the ISA would improve its advocacy and impact among other student associations and the SU, compared to last year.  

WIth new updates coming from Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada’s cap on international student study permits and working hours, Raza said that the ISA will “work closely with [the] UASU for more advocacy for international student rights.” He mentioned organizing protests as an example of this.

–Aparajita Rahman

OASIS asked about the release of individual grants

The Organization for Arts Students and Interdisciplinary Studies (OASIS) was asked one question during the open forum. An anonymous person asked about individual grants not being released this year, which is a “large selling point” for the fee.

Alex Ballos, the current vice-president (external) of OASIS, responded by admitting the struggles OASIS has faced while representing a student body that has been “heavily” displaced.

“OASIS [executives], the council, and our directors … are all made up of volunteers, so our team can be pushed to capacity at some points. Currently, the OASIS exec team and our council members are making effective changes that we hope will prevent [OASIS] from not being able to meet the needs of our art students in reference to individual grants,” Ballos said.

Throughout the year, Ballos said that they have been able to meet the need for department associations in terms of granting, which was an initial goal. Ballos said they hope following the FAMF, they will specifically open fulfilling individual grants and “fill that missing gap.”

-Lale Fassone

The Landing asked about religious tensions, access to services by all campuses

The Landing was anonymously asked how they would address the tensions between Islamic cultural norms and 2SLGBTQ+. 

Emily Lukacs, the current student coordinator of The Landing, said that a priority for them has been ensuring voices from all cultures and religious backgrounds feel welcome and safe in their space. She added that they have a lot of visitors who are both queer and Muslim, and acknowledge the difficulty of existing in such an intersection. 

Lukacs said they have programs aimed at both queer and religious people “as a support group for people experiencing tensions in their identity.”

She added that The Landing is working on this presently and wants to collaborate with Muslim groups on campus.

Lukacs was asked anonymously if students on Augustana or CSJ have access to their services and, if not, how The Landing plans on extending its services to other campuses. 

She answered by saying how this highlights the gaps in their services with their current fee and how, with only two staff members managing the student body, “[their] capacity is very small.” Lukacs added that Augustana students do not pay the fee. She also said that one service which is accessible to anyone is their Discord server, which offers one-on-one mental health peer support online. 

“Our goal is to be as accessible to all students as possible. And that’s why we’re asking you for an increased DFU this semester. We aim to expand our services so that everyone can benefit,” Lukacs said.

Lastly, an audience member asked how non-queer students would benefit from paying the DFU for the Landing.

Luckacs said that the Landing has free safe sex supplies for anyone and that they provide educational workshops on gender and sexuality. 

-Lale Fassone

CORRECTION: This article was updated on March 5 at 1:08 p.m. to correct a misquote. OASIS said they have been able to meet the need for department associations in terms of granting, not meet the need of teacher assistantships, as was initially reported. The Gateway regrets this error.