The Contested Positions
New ASFA VPs Promise to Right Past Wrongs
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After a year that saw financial issues take centre stage at the council of the Arts and Science Federation of Associations, perhaps no position was as relevant to the 2011 Campaign as that of VP Finance.
Just after midnight on Feb. 18, Laura Gomez was declared VP Finance-elect. In the following days, Gomez began the process of transitioning into her new job, which she believes will be the key to eliminating many of the problems that dominated this year’s ASFA Council meetings.
After meeting with current VP Finance Alexa Newman and President-elect Alex Gordon over the weekend, Gomez said she wants to be as prepared as possible to work out clubs budgets and Frosh spending.
“Everyone should take into account that there wasn’t a proper transition from VP to VP last year, which made it hard for [Newman] to present clubs with her budget before it was expected,” explained Gomez, referring to an Oct. 14 Council meeting in which member associations were presented with their budgets moments before they had to vote on them.
Another big issue that Gomez is taking into account is the unequal distribution of funds amongst MAs. Last November, the Math and Statistics Student Association voiced a concern that funds were disproportionally allocated and criticized ASFA for not ceding enough financial autonomy to MAs.
MASA eventually moved to incorporate as a separate legal entity from ASFA.
Gomez has already met with both MASSA and the Students of History At Concordia to discuss ASFA’s financial future.
Her most pressing political platform, however, is putting ASFA’s finances online. Part of the problem last year, she said, was that ASFA was unable to show where all the financial resources were going. She promised to keep open books and an open door.
Next Stop: Loyola
After running a campaign that involved her posters garnering global attention on the Internet, VP-elect for Academics and Loyola Christina Gentile is “really relieved” that the elections are over and that she can get going on her stacked mandate.
Following the upcoming meeting of the newly elected executives-to-be, Gentile’s first order of business is to speak directly with the Dean of Arts and Science to discuss the more challenging aspects of her platform she wants to bring to life—specifically setting up an ASFA office at the Loyola campus and the possibilities of a Concordia shuttle bus connecting to the Vendome Metro.
Gentile also said she’s waiting to see who ends up in the Concordia Student Union Loyola VP position, as she hopes there will be an interest to work collaboratively on the shuttle bus proposal and other Loyola initiatives. She also said she plans to contact the Société de transport de Montréal and Allego Concordia and “take it from there.”
Refreshed and ready to take on her new position on ASFA, Gentile said she was excited to get started.
“I am extremely passionate about both my academic and Loyola platforms,” she said. “I will do my best to make sure that the students’ needs are met. I’m really looking forward to working with the students.”
This article originally appeared in Volume 31, Issue 24, published March 7, 2011.
