CSU executive criticizes Arts and Science candidate during by-elections debate
Candidate Ryan Michon and the Concordia Food Coalition presented their platforms in the CSU debate for its upcoming by-elections
Despite a poor audience turnout, the Concordia Student Union (CSU)’s Nov. 5 by-elections debate presented different campaigns to students along with a disagreement over the importance of student activism in campaigning.
During the debate, CSU external and mobilization coordinator Danna Ballantyne expressed concerns regarding candidate Ryan Michon. Michon is running for Faculty of Arts and Science seat on the CSU's council of representatives.
Michon, who previously ran against Ballantyne in last winter’s CSU general elections, is campaigning on the slogan “The CSU needs to go back to school.” He says that the union's priorities are “backwards” when presenting his platform at the debate.
“The more I talk to students every day in my classrooms, browsing the subreddits or whatever you may have it, [advocacy and activism] seems to take a precedent that is way too high,” Michon said, stating that he feels activism is overvalued by the union.
Ballantyne pushed back during the debate’s question period, pointing out that Michon failed to be elected to the current CSU executive team, while students elected her on a platform centered on student mobilization.
“It’s my sole mandate to push activism,”Ballantyne said. “I think that the things you’re claiming are the downfall of the CSU are actually a testament to me doing my job effectively.”
She added that she feels Michon might limit access to student activism.
“You ran against me on a clear campaign and lost, because students know what I stand for,” Ballantyne said.
Michon says he aims to bring a more student-life-focused atmosphere to Concordia University, including more social activities, parties and improved club support, as well as greater accessibility to class schedules.
Also on the panel was Gabriela Lopes, general coordinator of the Concordia Food Coalition (CFC), advocating for the organization’s fee levy. The CFC’s mission is to bring food sovereignty to every student and for the coalition to continue growing sustainably.
Lopes is campaigning to raise the coalition’s levy from 16 cents to 32 cents per credit, indexed to inflation, to help students access local, seasonal, healthy and ethical food.
“Our goal is to have an infrastructure that one day would hopefully enable us all to take three meals a day for free. We want to feed the community,” Lopes said. “We are in high demand. Since 2013, we have invested over $125,000 into more than 25 groups to build up this ecosystem.”
This fall’s ballot includes five fee levy increases, one referendum question and one vacant seat each for the Faculty of Arts and Science and the John Molson School of Business. Polls open on Nov. 11 and close on Nov. 13.
Attendance at the debate was low, with only four people in the audience, which Michon believes was due to the STM public transit strike. Michon thinks the strike will negatively impact this year’s by-elections.
“[The CSU] already has a low voter turnout to begin with, and then with people not being here on campus, then being stressed to get here and whatever else is happening in their lives, is just going to contribute more to people not checking their spam to get their voting email,” he said.
CSU chief electoral officer Callum Ellis-Mennie, who organized the debate, expressed his disappointment with the low audience turnout.
“I’m less upset than usual because there is a valid reason,” Ellis-Mennie said, “but I always like more [student turnout].”
A previous version of this article stated that Ryan Michon is running for an Arts and Science Federation of Associations seat on the CSU's council of representatives. This is incorrect, Michon is running for a Faculty of Arts and Science seat. The Link regrets this error.
_600_832_s.png)
