And so it begins.
The first forum of the Students’ Union General Election, the Events forum to be precise, rocked the basement of MacEwan Hall on Wed., March 6. If you missed it don’t worry, none of the Events Commissioners were able to make it either.
The five Vice-Presidential hopefuls took roughly an hour to woo would-be voters by showcasing their knowledge, ideas and personalities. Questions ranged from global student issues, to portfolio-specific inquiries concerning Den security and Bermuda Shorts Day. One more inventive and seemingly more difficult question posed by moderator Natasha Dhillon was how the candidates would react to a "dry" BSD.
"I don’t know," answered Robbie Schuett. "I might just have to join in the riots."
Platform-based inquiries revealed a variety of approaches to current Events issues and also highlighted divergent focuses. While Robert Overmann committed to general campus security as a central issue of his platform, both Schuett and Irene Enyedy indicated greater promotion of the Dinos was a key element.
"I don’t think the day-to-day events can be overlooked," offered Geoff Schoenberg. "There should be smaller events like Cinemania every night of the week to contribute to the overall enjoyment of students."
As the forum progressed, a dominant theme emerged: the Den. With recent safety problems and furor over pricing, there were numerous questions and approaches.
"We should put in a cover charge for people from off campus," Schuett suggested. "It is our Den."
Enyedy disagreed.
"If it was as simple as limiting Den attendance to students it would have already been done," she said.
The most awkward moment of the forum occurred when Dhillon asked each candidate to name their opponents’ strength. Enyedy was the only candidate who seemed to have an idea of who her running mates were, while Ian Thorner’s honest reply drew snickers and hollers from those in attendance.
"As for the two of you," Thorner said to Overmann and Schoenberg, "Congratulations for just coming out."