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See FLORIDA, page 29 Volume XLI,
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Issue 13
February 18, 2014
Student Association elections in March Giorgio Berbatiotis The Chronicle
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tarting several weeks later than they have historically, Student Association elections will be held in March, from the 10th when nominations open, to the 27th when the last polls close. But little has been done to give notice to unfamiliar students who may be interested in one of the $33,000-ayear executive positions. Students can run for an executive position or a position on the board of directors. The executive positions are full-time salaried positions with many perks and responsibilities. The various responsibilities of the executives and board can be seen in the general bylaws of the SA, and have been altered by recent bylaw changes. The rules of the election are to be approved by the mostly unelected board on the recommendation of the election committee. Multiple members of the election committee have resigned since it was struck by the board on Oct. 8. This means elections this year are being run largely by appointees of a mostly unelected board. In addition, among the controversial bylaw changes that were passed at the Nov. 5 AGM, was a change making the new executive director, Dina Skvirsky, the chair of the election committee. This bylaw change is unprecedented, and has been criticized as it guarantees the executive director a constant and influential position on the important committee. Decisions the committee makes can
have a huge impact on the election that determines who the executive director’s boss will be. But Skvirsky says there is nothing out of place about the change. “My job is to chair the meetings, not actually vote, so I just make sure the meeting is carried out in an orderly manner. I don’t actually make any decisions.” The details of the chair’s authority have yet to be confirmed for this year. In the last election, the chair had the authority to vote in tie-breaking situations, however the chair was a student representative chosen by committee vote last year, not the executive director, a position which didn’t even exist then. At the time, the role of executive director was filled by general manager David Cook. Governance structures were later changed after Cook resigned, at the time he called the SA “a broken organization from so many different perspectives”. To run a campaign students must first get, fill out and return nomination forms within the nomination period of March 10-14. The nomination forms for the various positions usually require a number of signatures from students who wish to nominate a candidate for a position. Candidates will then attend an “all candidates” meeting on the 17th, where traditionally they are given more information and consult with the chief returning officer, who has yet to be announced. March 18 will mark the beginning of campaigning on campus, which will continue through until the end of voting, which starts March 25 and ends March 27.
Buy a pint, win a jersey
Shane MacDonald
GO FOR GOLD: Rachal Cobierski, lead security, and Kristin Mitchell, beverage manager at E.P. Taylor’s, pose with an authentic Steve Stamkos Team Canada jersey to be raffled off in an Olympic promotion.
Learn how you can win, page 9
Tax increase on smokes Students weigh in on cigarette price hike Joe LeBouthillier The Chronicle
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Christopher Burrows
COSTLY SMOKE BREAK: Paul Mayhew stands outside enjoying a smoke. Mayhew says the increase in cigarette prices is not a motivating factor for him to quit smoking.
he federal government has increased taxes on all that is tobacco, which includes cigarettes, chewing tobacco and, yes, even cigars. Between now and their 2018-19 fiscal year, the government expects $3.3 billion in revenue from the new tax hike. “It’s going to drive more
people to quit,” said Kristina Wright, a first-year Nursing student. Shermaine Ellis, also a firstyear Nursing student, said she is against it because she’s a smoker and that it’s taking money out of her pocket. However, she was planning on quitting smoking anyway. With cartons of cigarettes increasing by $4 each, Project Management student Katie Brouwer is perfectly fine with it. “I lived in Nova Scotia for three years,” said Brouwer. “It’s $5 extra per pack there, so I’m fine with the prices here.” One student in the Law Clerk program at Durham College is neutral on the increase. “It’s a taxable commodity,” said Jochen Bobris. “It’s a purchase tax. It’s one of the rules we subscribe to, being a Canadian citizen. If you don’t
like it you can quit smoking or you can purchase import cigarettes. Too much is a subjective answer. It’s how much is the consumer willing to pay for the product.” Students on campus do want to quit, although for some price is not a factor. “Yes, I want to quit,” said Paul Mayhew, a Project Management student. “Will the price make that much of a difference? No. Price is not a motivating factor for me. What would be a motivating factor would be a bad report from my doctor.” For students who want to take the initiative upon themselves to quit smoking, Leave the Pack Behind is available to all students and faculty. LTPB can, and will, provide smokers with the necessary amount of nicotine needed to help them quit smoking.