Bringing Change

LettersJoel Suss — Published March 29, 2011

As a CSU councillor, I am in a privileged position to differentiate between the two slates running for office. Knowing most of them personally and witnessing how those that were part of this years’ CSU have voted and what stances they have taken, the choice is easy.

Your Concordia is who I will be voting for.

Team Action seems to be competent and capable to an uninvolved outsider, but looks are deceiving. They have, predictably, been advocating perennial campaign slogans; financial transparency and accountability. However, those running with this team have behaved and voted quite differently.

Their candidates voted to go into closed session and kick out over 100 students from a CSU meeting in early March to avoid an embarrassing public conversation relating to the resignation of a VP Morgan Pudwell.

Amid allegations of financial mismanagement, it was with extreme reluctance that records were released to councillors (who are ultimately responsible for the union as directors of the CSU) months after they were initially requested.

Action has been claiming that the issue of university governance is a prime concern, but in a CSU meeting earlier in the year their candidates voted against supporting the majority of Concordia’s faculty in denouncing the Board of Governors. Lex Gill, Michaela Manson, Mel Hotchkiss (all Your Concordia candidates) and I all voted in favour of the motion that, to our dismay, was defeated.

Finally, their assertion that fighting tuition increases is important to them is contrary to their actions. It was Your Concordia candidates, led by Morgan Pudwell, who organized a successful CSU Special General Meeting in order to mobilize students against impending fee hikes.

A quick consultation of CSU minutes and CUTV footage from this year’s meetings are irrefutable proof of Team Action’s hypocrisy. Ironically, their slate name speaks volumes to their lack of credibility because actions speak louder than words. This team would be more accurately described if they were called InAction.
Your Concordia is made up of students who are genuinely interested in the wishes of their constituents, and who are not just paying lip service to ideals in order to get your vote. They are invested in the issues that students care about and are not simply trying to pad their CV.

As an upcoming alumnus, I am no longer going to be affected personally by CSU incompetence and mismanagement. Be that as it may, I am voting for Your Concordia; a team that will shed the disreputable image that has been attached to our union for far too long. A team that will proactively fight against tuition increases, for more student space and for you!

—Joel Suss,
CSU Councillor

This article originally appeared in Volume 31, Issue 28, published March 29, 2011.