Vice-president UA debate unfolds in front of full crowd
At Tuesday night’s vice president of university affairs debate, candidates each shared their teams’ priorities.
The debate took place in the Lower Ceilidh of the JDUC in front of a full crowd.
TK Pritchard, BGP’s candidate, said his team’s main priority is student health and safety.
Pritchard spoke to a number of different initiatives in their platform, namely the expansion of the blue light system.
“It’s extremely important based on evidence that students are facing safety issues in Victoria and City Park,” Pritchard, ArtSci ’12, said.
Lisa Acchione, PDA’s candidate, agreed that a greater focus on student health is a priority for her team.
Acchione, ArtSci ’14, said students currently face more than a two-week wait time to see Health, Counselling and Disability Services’ lone sexual abuse counsellor.
“I think that is a tragedy,” Acchione said, noting that PDA plans to increase health care coverage for greater psychiatric help through HCDS and within Kingston.
For team TNL’s Liam Faught, the AMS mission statement to “serve and represent the students at Queen’s” is their main priority.
Tackling enrolment at the university will be where they start.
“While this is a broad issue, I think it is something we need to make a priority in the near future and I think it’s something team TNL is very well equipped to do with our experience,” Faught, ArtSci ’14 said.
Homecoming, which was reinstated by Principal Daniel Woolf last December, was also a prominent debate topic, with all teams agreeing that they would encourage more student involvement.
— Nick Faris, Rachel Herscovici and Vincent Matak
Bridge divides candidates
The revitalization of the JDUC was thrust to the forefront of Wednesday night’s AMS vice-president of operations debate.
Candidates Peter Green of Team BGP, Craig Draeger of Team PDA and Nicola Plummer of Team TNL returned to the Lower Ceilidh of the JDUC for the second night of AMS executive election debates.
Topics debated included the application of the $1.2 million JDUC revitalization fund, which the AMS must use before 2015 as outlined by an agreement with the University.
Plummer, Comm ’13, began the discussion by emphasizing TNL’s plans to construct a bridge between the JDUC and the Queen’s Centre. She attempted to reinforce the initiative’s validity by drawing a distinction between revitalization and standard renovations, arguing that TNL’s plans fall under the former.
Draeger, ArtSci ’13, said the fund should be used to remedy several issues, primarily related to the functionality and accessibility of the JDUC.
“Spending [the money] on a single project is not only irresponsible – it’s disrespectful to our members,” he said.
In response to TNL and PDA, Green, ArtSci ’13, said BGP would put forward a marketing survey to students next September to evaluate the team’s proposals.
One of their proposals includes the construction of a walkway between the JDUC’s second floor and the Queen’s Centre.
“We can’t have candidates determine how to spend a million dollars,” Green said, adding that he thinks student consultation is necessary.
In a rebuttal, Plummer said TNL won’t move forward with the bridge without student consultation.
— Nick Faris, Rachel Herscovici and Vincent Matak
For the full story and ongoing election coverage, see queensjournal.ca/election.
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