Letter: Vote Rowan Gaudet for CSU Council

LettersEamon Toohey — Published November 13, 2016

While I am deeply disappointed by this verdict, there is a silver lining—I can now wholeheartedly pursue the other campaigns upon which I built my platform.

That being said, I still feel it necessary for the CSU to be an activist union with a politically engaged council as well as executive.

As an elector, I may now voice my support for Rowan Gaudet. I believe he is the most qualified of the candidates to support and pursue meaningful grassroots change at an institutional level.

Though he is a fresh-faced Concordian, his work towards a more sustainable and ecologically sound university has been invaluable. I am certain he will continue to be, regardless of the post he occupies.

I must stress that, in the U.S., electoralism and politics are not the same thing. The most important work is still to be done, outside of the by-election. This work will continue to be done regardless of who sits on the council.

However, having support from someone like Rowan will make the difference between a protracted struggle and an expedient shift towards an accessible and socially accountable university.

To my knowledge, Rowan has no designs on a position on the CSU executive. But the council has historically been an empowering experience for those involved in it, encouraging them to pursue executive positions within the CSU.

Therefore, I cannot in good conscience stay silent in my support for Rowan Gaudet. He is, I feel, uniquely suited for this course; should he choose to pursue a further career in Concordia politics next year, I would continue to offer my support to him.

Regardless, he is an exceptional candidate of high character, surprising experience, and sound politics. On Nov. 15, I plan on voting for Rowan Gaudet, to continue the remarkable progress our university has made in the past few years.