Hands Tied
Student Union in Bind Over Student Centre
Concordia’s new student union leaders are learning that living up to one of their central campaign promises is going to be harder than they thought.
When the CSU executive took office in June, they were informed by the university’s administration that they would have until September to decide whether to accept the controversial Faubourg building as the new student centre, said CSU president Lex Gill.
“[This] puts us in a really difficult and unfortunate situation,” said Gill. “Not only did we run on a campaign of meaningful [dialogue with students], but we mean to do it.”
When running in last spring’s election, Gill’s Your Concordia slate promised students they would be consulted on any plans regarding a new student centre. The students’ wishes for their centre would then be put to a vote in a referendum to take place in November.
“It’s a tricky spot [we’re in]. We can’t really just a do survey of summer students. It’s not an accurate sample,” said Gill.
GlIl said the latest the CSU can release their decision is the third week of September, but that it could be released earlier in the month.
Concordia’s administration has given the CSU a September deadline, as their option on the building expires in April and they need the time to file the proper paperwork.
“If we don’t make it a student centre, [the administration has] plans to buy it anyway,” said Gill, hinting that, no matter what the CSU’s decision, the long and controversial relationship between ConU and the Faubourg building is far from over.
Chris Mota, a spokesperson for Concordia, said that the school would be unable to comment until administration officials return from summer break.
