Here are the Candidates Running for CSU Council

By-election Polling Begins Nov. 24 and Ends Nov. 26

NewsJonathan Caragay-Cook & Josh Fischlin — Published November 22, 2015 | Updated November 23, 2015 at 12:15am

Council is in charge of monitoring and approving the operations of the executive team and the union in general. There are no contests for any position, but students may still abstain from voting for a candidate.

The Link spoke with some of the candidates, while others couldn’t be reached for comment. Their responses as to why students should vote for them are found below, categorized by which faculty they’re from. No one is running for the two vacant seats for independent students.

Arts and Science (three open spots)

Armani Martol

Martol says the CSU is doing well, and by joining council, he wants to assist with projects like the creation of a student-parent daycare and affordable student housing.

“It’s a big organization with a big budget, and it can do a lot of good,” he said. “The more people know that, the more we can do good things with it.”

Martol has been at Concordia for two years in Political Science. He currently sits on the board of The Hive Cafe Coop.

To improve the CSU as a councillor, he believes more advertising and personal outreach is needed to educate students about how their money is being used.

Charles Gonsalves

Gonsalves doesn’t have any previous experience within student governance, but he says that fact can work in his favour.

With his fresh perspective as a first-year student in English literature, he says his goal is to help students become more educated about how the union operates and the projects it is involved with.

“A lot of these conversations are going to be firsts for me as well, so I’m in a unique position,” he said.

For example, Gonsalves believes there can be better explanations for how provincial student representation—like the Association for the Voice of Education in Quebec—directly affects affairs at Concordia.

Hayley Currier

Currier couldn’t be reached for comment. According to her bio, she is a second-year student in Liberal Arts. She is also the Vice-President of Social Affairs for the student association, the Liberal Arts Society.

She says her principles aligns with the CSU, as she wants to raise further awareness and education surrounding the austerity measures implemented by the Liberal-majority government in Quebec.

John Molson Business School (three open spots)

Joseph Betinjane

Betinjane is a student of marketing at John Molson School of Business, and received a bachelor’s degree of business administration in management in 2011. His past experience includes serving as President of the Concordia University Tennis Club. Additionally, he has done volunteer work at JMSB’s Career Management Services.

He believes that his work experience will render him “productive and beneficial” to the CSU.

He has stated no specific goals.

Engineering and Computer Science (two open spots)

Hassan Jabri

Jabri is pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. He a member of both the Al-Madinah Downtown Community Center, and the Concordia Institute of Aerospace Design and Innovation. Additionally, he claims to have led his high school prom committee.

His bio did not include an outline of his goals, and he could not be reached for comment by press time.

Sami Beydoun

An international student from Lebanon, Beydoun is working towards a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering. He has interned for a construction company in Beirut, and volunteered at the Red Cross while he was in high school.

“I enjoy community collaboration and wish to give back to Concordia University by acting with integrity and a live conscience in support of the University Council’s Charter,” he stated in his bio.

He provided no specific goals and couldn’t be reached for further comment.

Antoine Rail

Rail is studying film production, and was elected in September to serve as Internal Communication Coordinator for the Fine Arts Student Alliance (FASA). He has undertaken numerous leadership roles in student associations across the province, including Student Life Coordinator for the Association Générale des Étudiantes et Étudiants du Cégep de Jonquière, and has served as president of the Cégep de Jonquière’s student union from 2012 to 2014.

He was also elected as the external affairs coordinator for the Université de Montréal Film Studies student association.

Rail did not offer a statement outline his specific goals.