EXECUTIVE:
REPRESENTATIVES: ENDORSEMENTS:
We seem to be back in motion at the University of Calgary this year, with basically a “backto-normal” election underway.
There have been several issues that have been affecting students, especially this last year. With tuition continuing to rise, budget cuts affecting our institution and students not being able to decide whether to pay for food, housing or their education. Those three issues should not even be a reality for many students in the first place.
With this said, we’ve seen our Students’ Union advocating for our needs by challenging the Board of Governors and protesting against their decisions. We’ve seen greater student engagement through a full return of Clubs Week and Sex Week, and just more people on campus in general.
We’ve stumbled upon the time of the SU General Election, which takes up almost the full month of February in prepar-
ation. In the election, students enrolled in the Winter 2023 semester have the opportunity to vote for who they want to see leading us to change. The elected officials and representatives will hold their positions for an entire term, with the vacant positions up for grabs during the by-election in the fall.
During the week before reading break, the Gauntlet conducted interviews with many of the candidates running in
the election, both contested and uncontested, to learn about their platforms, why they’re running, and what students can expect from them. We’ve also included our thoughts on their platforms and our endorsements.
We were surprised to see so many vacant and uncontested positions this time around, especially now that things have started returning to the way they were. Although, it’s not
surprising many students may feel unmotivated to run and frustrated to see great candidates in the past get shut down by administration and outside organizations so much. However, we do hope that the students running in this election will help turn that around.
Regardless of our honest opinions, we acknowledge that running in the SU General Election takes a lot of courage and hard work, so we wish all the candidates the best of luck.
Voting days are on March 7, 8 and 9. Voting starts at 9 a.m. on March 7 and closes at 4 p.m. on March 9. Students can vote online through their myUofC Student Centre, or at polling stations located at the MacEwan Student Centre, Science Theatres, and the TFDL
— Sophia Lopez, Gauntlet Editorial Board
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The Gauntlet is the official student newspaper of the University of Calgary, published bi-weekly throughout the year by the Gauntlet Publications Society an autonomous, incorporated body. Membership in the society is open to undergraduate students at the U of C, but all members of the university community are encouraged to contribute. Stories under the Opinions and Voices sections contained herein are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily represent the views of the entire Gauntlet staff. Editorials are chosen by the majority of the editorial board. The Gauntlet is a forum open to all U of C students but may refuse any submission judged to be racist, sexist, homophobic, libelous, or containing attacks of a strictly personal nature. We reserve the right to edit for brevity. Grievances regarding the Gauntlet follow a three-step process which requires written decisions from the Editor, the GPS Board of Directors, and the Ombudsboard. The complete Grievance Policy is online at: thegauntlet.ca. The Gauntlet offices are located on Treaty 7 land. The Gauntlet is printed on recycled paper and uses an ink made from the shredded campaign posters. We urge you to recycle the Gauntlet by offering it as a tissue for a losing candidate.
Cover Photo by Megan Koch
Mickail Hendi is a passionate advocate for students, and after serving as the vice-president operations and finance on the 79th SLC, he is eager to come back and face more responsibilities.
One of the main points on his platform is to advocate for students more “pointedly.”
When asked to elaborate, Hendi explained that he wants to form better relationships with organizations that the SU can derive something mutually beneficial from, such as the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), along with organizations that will always be at odds with SU, such as the university administration and the provincial government. Currently, the SU is pushing for more predictable tuition increases and affordability, but Hendi says he hates this idea and wants to push for a
ThepresidentistheleaderoftheStudents’Union.Theyhavethemostflexibleportfolio,butaregenerallyinchargeofsettingthedirectionofthe organization. They also maintain official relations with the university, oversee the work of Students’ Legislative Council and vote on the Board of Governors.
tuition freeze instead. While it’s unclear how this will be possible considering inflation and the state of our economy, Hendi is adamant on this and believes asking for a tuition freeze is totally reasonable as long as we go in with student solidarity. Bringing more visibility to the SU and the work they’re already doing is also a major point for Hendi. He believes Quality Money — around $1.65 million in funding given to the SU each year to invest in projects for students — is greatly underappreciated. When a project gets funded by Quality Money, he wants there to be a bigger recognition of the SU’s involvement in those projects, so that students know where that money is coming from. Hendi also wants to create a better brand image for the SU, putting up the SU logo around campus more.
Hendi says bridging the gap between students and their representatives is probably his most important point. He wants students to be more familiar with their representatives and their roles, and let them know that they have their back. He believes meeting face-to-face more with students will help do this.
Overall, Hendi seems to care a lot about the needs of students. While it’s still a bit confusing as to how he’ll meet some of his goals, Hendi would for sure be a passionate leader.
Shaziah Jinnah Morsette is another candidate running for the president position.
After serving as the previous vice-president academic, Morsette is determined to continue advocating for students by fighting against compounded tuition hikes, creating well-being-focused academics and an equitable SU
Currently, the SU has a consultation guidelines document put forth to university administration as a tool for consulting with students about key issues including tuition. Morsette hopes to entrench this document in legislation so that students can better hold the administration accountable on all kinds of issues.
In addressing food security on campus, Morsette plans to ensure that the administration actually invests in the campus food security strategy. Morsette believes that it is
ultimately the university’s responsibility to invest in establishing a security strategy, especially with the recent tuition increases and the university’s commitment that there will be more support towards food security on campus.
Morsette acknowledges that most of the work within the SU is done through committees. By having sat in these expert committees during her term as vice-president academic, she is informed of the necessary changes. Over the past year, Morsette recognized the need to change traditional examination forms by shifting towards equitable and accessible alternatives by utilizing the tools that were made available during the pandemic.
In further advocating for well-being, and student-centred academics, Morsette aims to diversify the counselling services provided through the Student Wellness Services as
Sandra Amin is running uncontested for vice-president academic this term after finishing her current term as a Faculty of Science representative.
Amin’s platform focuses on affordability, accessibility and student empowerment. In her affordability point, Amin hopes to advocate for the use of open educational resources (OERs) in hopes that they will replace textbooks as they are not only free but of higher quality. Amin explains that this will remove the large expense that burdens students, especially during a time when the cost of living and tuition is rising.
In her next point on accessibility, Amin will advocate for the implementation of technologies to allow for hybrid teachings in classrooms and alternative learning assessments to be adapted in classes. Amin notes that it is important to allow for more
well as the physicians available on campus. While she recognizes that budget cuts have greatly impacted the Wellness Services, she argues that maximizing the current resources available is the key to accommodate student concerns.
Morsette is confident that she can represent the various needs of a diverse student population, especially after her consultation with students during her term as vice-president academic. In addition to her SU experience, her drive, passion and authenticity are qualities that equip her to effectively fight for students.
Thevice-presidentacademicisresponsibleforimprovingtheacademicexperienceandpromotingundergraduateresearch. Theirjobmostlyconsistsofsittingoncommittees,meetingwithvariousmembersofuniversityadministrationandadministeringprogramsliketheTeachingExcellenceAwardsandUndergraduateResearchSymposium.
inclusion of all learning types and neurodiversities among students and to accommodate for disabilities.
Amin is also looking to create a Quality Money funded university-based research journal that will publish the work of students across campus. Additionally, Amin will advocate for increasing the number of research grants awarded while creating more research summer studentship grants that recognize those who have neurodiversities or disabilities.
Amin’s final point on student empowerment looks to advocate for the university to approve the Student Bill of Rights that was proposed by the 78th Student Legislative Council (SLC) that was intended to show students what rights they have. She also hopes to look into program workloads in order to create policies that will protect
student well-being.
Amin’s platform shows students that she is dedicated to improving the learning experience at the university for all learners.
The vice-president external is the Students’ Union’s representative to municipal, provincial and federal governments. They are also theprimarydelegateforthemanyumbrellalobbyingorganizationsthe SU takespartin.
Mateusz Salmassi has been serving in the vice-president external role since the fall by-election and is running to be re-elected this term. During his time as vice-president external, he has fought for international students’ rights, affordable housing, rent control and university fee transparency. In his platform, he notes his advocacy priorities under federal, provincial and municipal categories.
Under the federal category, Salmassi is focused on expanding international students’ rights by permanently lifting the work-hour restrictions placed on them, as he notes that it has been a strong contributing factor in why international students, — being one himself — face housing crises and food insecurity. Alongside this, Salmassi hopes to advocate for domestic students by defending the 2020–2021 doubling of the Canada Student Grant from
$3,000 to $6,000.
With a provincial election around the corner, Salmassi spoke on fighting provincial budget cuts and tuition hikes by continuing student strikes — which he is no stranger to. The tuition protest on Jan. 20, Salmassi notes, elicited a provincial response despite the fact that they were not the target of the protest. He explains that the response shows the provincial governments’ responsiveness to student pressure. Nonetheless, Salmassi notes that protests and petitions are not enough and he will look to help and facilitate student strikes similar to the U of C drama students’ strike in March of last year.
Within Calgary, Salmassi will continue to fight the housing crisis by supporting tenant groups in their advocation while advocating himself to rezone the University District to include affordable housing and
Mohammad Arhaam Mukati is another candidate for the vice-president external position, but he did not interview with the Gauntlet, so here’s what students can expect from him solely based on his platform.
Mukati is a fourth-year international relations and political science student with experience in politics in different countries. It’s unclear what that experience looked like, but it’s made him passionate to initiate change.
His platform consists of eight different tasks he would want to tackle in the role. Mukati wants to address parking prices on campus by redistributing funds, along with making SU financial spending transparent. He also wants to call for more communication between the university and its students, and do something about changing outlets that don’t work on campus. Adding more prayer spaces and halal food on
campus is also something he feels strongly about achieving.
In terms of reaching out on a provincial and federal level, Mukati talks about breaking down the “unethical systematic gatekeeping system” the federal government has for medical and law students, along with questioning the provincial government on its decision to cut educational funding and raise tuition.
While most of his platform points deal with more internal issues rather than external — and it’s hard to see the plan behind executing some of his points based on just his platform — Mukati seems to care a lot about the campus community.
Arlington Antonio Santiago is a fifth-year political science and law and society major hoping to get elected as the vice-president operations and finance. Having run in the by-election this last fall for the vice-president external position, it’s clear that Santiago is determined to find his way into student politics.
Santiago’s platform consists of three main points: redevelop the governance structure of the SU, address food insecurity, and increase the sustainability of student health and wellness. Over all three points, however, he makes it clear that “restructuring” is the main goal if he were to be elected.
Regarding his first point, Santiago discussed how he wants to reshape the governance structure of the SU, along with its free processes to ensure more accountability and transparency is seen. He wants to
increase affordable housing options near campus. Salmassi hopes to advocate to have a major proportion of new developments set aside for affordable housing for students.
Overall, Salmassi is a strong candidate that hopes to continue what he has started during his term and to advocate for students to fight back.
All undergraduate students may vote for one of the two candidates for VP EXTERNAL or ABSTAIN from voting.
All undergraduate students may vote for one of the two candidates for VP EXTERNAL or ABSTAIN from voting.
Thevice-presidentoperationsandfinanceisresponsiblefortheStudents’Union’sbudget,SUpolicyandthefiscaloperationoftheirbusinessesinMacHall.TheyalsochairseveralSUcommittees
stop the university administration and the government from privatizing services, like the bookstore, that benefit students. While this task may fit more under a different position, he wants to explore the operational ways he can help make these goals a reality.
Food insecurity is a big issue students are currently facing, so Santiago wants to help tackle this by introducing vertical farming to the campus community and adding healthy food options on campus. As of now, he’s still unsure about how to execute these ideas, but he’s looking at running the idea through Quality Money.
Students will also get a plebiscite question on their ballot about the Dinos athletics fees they currently pay in their tuition. Santiago wants to find a way to subsidize the fees to put less of a financial burden on students.
Santiago wanted to run for this position because he saw it was where he could make the most change, along with supporting and continuing the work the previously elected officials have already started. While not every single one of his ideas has a clear path, Santiago is eager to make a difference in students’ lives and has a good idea of what students actually need.
All undergraduate students can vote YES or NO on their ballot for Arlington Antonio Santiago as VP OPERATIONS & FINANCE or ABSTAIN from voting.
Ermia Rezaei-Afsah is a fifth-year history and anthropology student running for the vice-president student life position. His platform involves four main pillars: food security, affordability-inclusivity, wellness and housing. He believes these points to be essential for increasing the quality of life for students.
Through Quality Money, Afsah plans to tackle food insecurity by introducing a nutritional hot meal program that promotes inclusive options including vegan food choices. In addition to supporting the established food security programs on campus, he aims to create a website that consolidates all the available resources for students. Either by working with the city or the university, Afsah also hopes to establish a bus route that would make it easier for students to access budget-friendly and more affordable grocery stores.
In terms of student wellness, Afsah plans
Thevice-presidentstudentlifeisinchargeofstudentclubs,eventslikeNewStudentOrientation,Frostbite andBermudaShortsDay,aswellasmentalhealthandoverallstudentwellnessinitiatives.
on reopening the post-alcohol support space that was discontinued. He believes that providing a safe, university-funded space for students struggling with alcoholism, or simply just needing time to wear off, is paramount to student safety and is thus an essential wellness service. The space would have nurses on site to monitor and assist students.
In promoting wellness within the campus community, Afsah also plans to introduce an annual club award to recognize student clubs that are dedicated to physical and mental wellness to incentivize clubs on campus — and eventually the entire student body — to prioritize self-care more.
With regards to housing, Afsah plans to re-establish the Residence Student Association to attain a more affordable, secure and friendly residence. He is also advocating for more affordable housing units reserved spe-
cifically for students within the University District.
Overall, he believes that a direct and proactive approach is necessary for dealing with both the government and the university to ensure that the quality of life of students is not being neglected. He believes in setting firm boundaries with the university by supporting increased student mobilization to oppose tuition hikes that in turn disproportionately affect the lives of students.
Afsah has a lot he wants to accomplish if elected, but students can rely on this candidate’s passion to meet their goals.
Rachel Cabalteja is an eager fourth-year political science and philosophy student hoping to get elected as vice-president student life. With experience in the SU as a previous Faculty of Arts representative, along with outside experience, Cabalteja has had the opportunity to represent students and knows how to stay realistic.
Her platform consists of four main points: fighting for better mental health services, addressing food insecurity, improving the campus community, and highlighting campus diversity.
Regarding mental health services, Cabalteja wants to advocate for more available walk-in appointments and ensure that there is more than just one psychiatrist available for students who need support, saying it’s not fair for that one professional to handle the burden of helping the whole campus community.
Food insecurity is a big issue students are
facing right now, so Cabalteja also wants to implement community fridges in the volunteer services where the Campus Food Bank is also accessible, along with working with the Office of Sustainability to help create this initiative. For the long term, she wants to create an institutional strategy that addresses food insecurity after being inspired by the Indigenous Strategy, ii’ taa’poh’to’p.
Cabalteja believes more can be done aside from Clubs Week to engage clubs with the campus community. She’s noticed a lot of very different clubs sometimes have a similar objective, so bringing those clubs together for events could open potentially draw in more students.
In terms of highlighting campus diversity, Cabalteja wants to work towards empowering Indigenous students through the ii’ taa’poh’to’p and work with the Vice Provost of Indigenous Engagement, Michael Hart, to
learn about how to find ways to walk together, not assimilate. Alongside this comes her plans to continue EDI advocacy, in addition to bringing awareness and creating accommodations and supports for all students.
A general theme on her platform is to support all students on campus. Overall, Cabalteja has a strong focus on internal issues that need addressing and is very passionate about improving the lives of students, making her a strong candidate for the vice-president student life role.
Along with the responsibilities outlined for all SLC members, faculty representatives are accountable for responsibilities particular to their role including: Reporting to students of their faculty the policies, positions and programs of the SU, reporting to their faculty itself (e.g., Dean’s Council) the policies, positions and programs of the SU, representing student constituents of their faculty at SLC, representing student constituents of their faculty on university committees and reporting to the VP Academic on matters of academic importance within their faculty.
Safaa Al-Khaz’Aly did not interview with the Gauntlet, so here’s what students can expect from her solely based on her platform.
Al-Khaz’Aly is a law student hoping to work with the Wellness Centre, Assist — whatever that may be — and the Faculty of Law to improve accessibility to mental health supports, such as counselling, drop-in peer support groups, stress-coping workshops, and mental health awareness campaigns. Additionally, she will act as a liaison between the faculty and various campus resources to implement her plans.
To improve networking opportunities within the faculty, Al-Khaz’Aly intends to
Jessica Klaassen did not interview with the Gauntlet, so here’s what students can expect from her solely based on her platform.
Klaassen is a third-year social work student looking to dip her toes into student politics. She gathered experience over the years with her first degree in Cultural Anthropology, working in victim services and providing crisis support for 10 years.
She has listened to her fellow faculty members and says she wants to address social work students’ concerns, but it’s unclear what those concerns are as she does not mention that in her platform. This also goes for her saying she wants the campus community to be safer.
Elsa Stokes is a student in the concurrent education and French program. She is running uncontested and is planning to continue the past resolutions introduced by the former Werklund representative while also introducing new initiatives of her own.
Stokes explained that the majority of her platform points are centred around strengthening the former initiatives put in place as they are benefiting Werklund students. These include the continuation of the distribution of de-stress kits, spreading awareness about the U of C’s Teaching Across Borders program, creating a resource bank for education students and informing students about mental health events.
As for new action items that she plans to
establish events to connect first-year law students to upper years, and to bring industry professionals to speak to students about working post graduation.
Al-Khaz’Aly’s has some good ideas, but it’s unsure how any of them will be executed based on just her platform.
All undergraduate students in the Faculty of Law can vote YES or NO on their ballot for Safaa AlKhaz’Aly as FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE or ABSTAIN from voting.
Klaassen hopes to use a strengthsbased, anti-oppressive and system approach if elected.
While Klaassen is relying on her previous experience and has no actual platform points with goals she wants to achieve, it’s clear she wants this role and is passionate about helping others. She also urges students to stop her to say “hi,” ask a question or share a fun fact.
implement, these include strengthening the relationship between the faculty and the Education Students’ Association (ESA), creating an International Teaching Opportunities Resource Bank and establishing a Werklund alumni symposium.
As an executive within the ESA, Stokes believes that this provides a great resource for Werklund students to network with each other. This is especially helpful for concurrent students who may not have the early opportunity to meet other Werklund students. Additionally, she hopes to establish an alumni symposium to demonstrate the versatility and opportunities that come with an education degree.
As someone who has been afforded the opportunity to study abroad, she hopes to
All undergraduate students in the Faculty of Social Work can vote YES or NO on their ballot for Jessica Klaassen as FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE or ABSTAIN from voting.
maintain an International Opportunity Resource Bank for students to learn about international opportunities. Stokes believes that international experience provides an avenue for Werklund students to immerse themselves within other cultures that would not only benefit them, but their future students as well. With her opportunity-informed platform, Stokes hopes to be able to represent Werklund students in the coming year.
All undergraduate students in the Werklund School of Education can vote YES or NO on their ballot for Elsa Stokes as FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE or ABSTAIN from voting.
Muntaha Aamir is a candidate running for one of the Faculty of Arts representative positions. As a former Student-at-Large representative on the Board of Governors, Aamir aims to use this experience to continue advocating for students at a granular level within the Faculty of Arts.
Aamir’s priorities revolve around affordability, student safety and well-being and strengthening Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) advocacy across the faculty.
Affordability is a common concern that Aamir aims to tackle by providing easier access to resources that would help alleviate the financial burden on students. She plans to continue collaborating with the SU on their tuition advocacy and consultations with the university.
Student safety and well-being is another one of Aamir’s priorities. One of her specific points is to provide greater support for students experiencing sexual violence or needing to escape difficult situations by submitting Quality Money proposals to generate funding for resources. She hopes to explore the options that would make it easier for people to leave abusive situations. Overall, Aamir hopes to increase transparency on the support and resources that the university offers when confronted with such situations.
Lastly, Aamir wants to strengthen EDI advocacy across the faculty by introducing indepth and extensive EDI training for student clubs and eventually across classrooms to be accessed through D2L. She also plans to work
towards creating more EDI events across the faculty to further promote important conversations. Her choice of prioritizing EDI is based on student feedback that calls for more inclusion and student connection after a long hiatus away from the campus community.
By running as a Faculty of Arts representative this election, Aamir wants to bring her goals to fruition on a smaller scale that she hopes could eventually translate across the campus community.
All undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts can vote YES or NO on their ballot for up to two candidates for FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE or ABSTAIN from voting.
Siraaj Shah is another candidate, who is running for re-election for the Faculty of Arts representative position.
From his experience in the previous term, he learned that long-term goals are best realized by focusing on specific initiatives. Hence, his platform is mainly focused on three action items: club and student engagement, Quality Money initiatives and affordability. Based on his progress from the previous term, Shah wants to continue to strengthen club and student engagement amongst Arts students by advocating for clubs funding to ensure they can operate adequately. Specifically, he wants to provide training for executives from major department clubs across the faculty so they can be better equipped for
Angelica Uy did not interview with the Gauntlet and thus, all we have to go off of is her platform. Uy is looking to help students plan for their future and help ensure that students maximize their time at the university.
To help students prepare for the future, Uy will plan on encouraging interdisciplinary study within the faculty by advocating to open up program restrictions in discipline-specific classes that regularly have a portion of open seats to all Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) students. Moreover, she looks to help students network by regularly communicating available positions to students within research, studentship and volunteering opportunities.
their own advocacies.
In addition, Shah wants to focus on two Quality Money initiatives which aim to improve study spaces in the faculty and renovate the rooftop of the Arts parkade — an area that he determines to have lots of potential. The former includes modernizing the spaces in the basement of the Social Sciences building to provide quality study spaces for students. He believes that by focusing on these Quality Money initiatives, they will create important spaces that would not only serve arts students but the broader student population in the long run.
Lastly, with his professional knowledge in real estate, Shah is confident in his abilities to generate resources for students to access
affordable housing. This would include hosting workshops for housing and developing resources alongside the SU while continuing student advocacy to the administration to ensure that student concerns are being heard.
Shah’s decision to run for re-election stems from his passion for leadership and continuing the meaningful work of ensuring that students have a voice in spaces where important decisions are being made.
All undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts can vote YES or NO on their ballot for up to two candidates for FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE or ABSTAIN from voting.
Lastly, Uy is hoping to create a student space on the main campus, as well as more events between both campuses so students can be a part of their community at the campus that is more convenient for them.
Uy’s platform shows students that she is willing to try and make changes within the faculty — though those changes fall short of satisfactory.
All undergraduate students in the Cumming School of Medicine can vote YES or NO on their ballot for up to two candidates for FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE or ABSTAIN from voting.
Chanten Jessel did not interview with the Gauntlet and thus, all we have to go off of is his platform. Jessel is a first-year medical student, though he is no stranger to the SU as he served two terms as the Faculty of Science representative.
Jessel hopes to advocate for the use of open education resources (OERs) to help students’ financial burdens and make education more affordable for CSM students.
At the same time, Jessel will look to host a Decolonizing Health Care Congress where CSM students can learn from Indigenous leaders about how to honour reconciliation in medicine and overall, work towards decolonizing health care.
Lastly, Jessel wants to have an active
presence on social media to help increase accountability and show students what their SU representative is doing in terms of meetings, initiatives and advocacy.
Jessel’s platform shows that he has the experience and ideas to help CSM students.
All undergraduate students in the Cumming School of Medicine can vote YES or NO on their ballot for up to two candidates for FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE or ABSTAIN from voting.
Hari Singh is a second-year finance student who is tired of the underrepresentation the Haskayne School of Business has in the SU
Singh has been collecting complaints from students in order to come up with four platform points that he hopes will help the Haskayne community: more PASS sessions, addressing Mathison Hall issues, better accessibility to student resources, creating an oversight committee.
His first point about expanding the PASS sessions program and tutorial sessions for senior-level courses stems from the lack of resources for test preparation available for business students. By expanding the PASS sessions, he hopes students feel better about test-taking, especially for some tests that don’t reflect
MD Asif Khan is another candidate for the Haskayne School of Business Representative, but he did not interview with the Gauntlet, so here’s what students can expect from him solely based on his platform.
Khan is also an international secondyear finance student who wants to be a voice for students in business. He has three main points on his platform: arrange more career fairs and workshops, help establish more grants and bursaries, and create more awareness of mental health resources.
To ensure business students are properly equipped for any internships and the
Abhari Limbu is running for re-election as the Schulich School of Engineering Representative but she did not interview with the Gauntlet, so this is what students can expect based solely on her platform.
Mental health is at the forefront of Limbu’s advocacy, although her platform does not specify how she plans to spread awareness and de-stigmatize topics and approaches surrounding mental health. Overall, she wants to establish a foundation that emphasizes the significance of quality mental health within the university community.
With the continued rise of tuition, Limbu plans to continue advocating for reasonable tuition fees and to provide
Fardeen Islam is another candidate for the Schulich School of Engineering Representative position. He did not interview with the Gauntlet, so this is what students can expect based solely on his platform.
With his firsthand experience as an international student, he knows the struggles that come with a lack of financial aid, course availability options and mental health services. As such, he is running as a representative to tackle these problems by creating an open dialogue between the university and its students to establish innovative solutions.
He is advocating for the increase of class availability options within the faculty as its shortage has impacted students’ gradua-
the course content as much. Singh says that this is his first priority if elected.
The new Mathison Hall building was meant to benefit Haskayne students, and while he admits the building is great, Singh believes the ongoing IT, heating and Wi-Fi problems need to be addressed as soon as possible. He plans on submitting a Quality Money application if necessary too.
Singh also believes that there are many resources available for business students that they just don’t know about, such as job hunting programs, so he wants to highlight those. He also plans on creating a Haskayne Student Oversight Committee, as he thinks that student voices need to be heard more when changes to Haskayne’s 2025 strategic plan are
being made.
His past experience in leadership roles such as being the vice-president external for the Indian Student Association and having served on the Residence Wellness Council and Business Academic Council for residence show that he is a passionate international student who has taken the time to analyze what students in his faculty really need.
Overall, Singh is a strong candidate for this position.
All undergraduate students in the Haskayne School of Business can vote on their ballot YES or NO for Hari Singh as one of two FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE or ABSTAIN from voting.
outside world, Khan wants to advocate for more career fairs and business workshops to help students with networking, interview skills and resume building.
Right now, many students are facing financial strain when it comes to tuition, so Khan wants to establish new grants and bursaries specifically for business students who need them.
In order to raise more mental health awareness, Khan wants to create weekly wellness afternoons where students can meet new people and take part in stress-relieving activities.
While it’s unclear how he’ll approach his goals and achieve them based on just
his platform, Khan’s ideas do seem like concerns students would be happy to see addressed.
All undergraduate students in the Haskayne School of Business can vote on their ballot YES or NO for MD Asif Khan as one of two FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE or ABSTAIN from voting.
transparency regarding its allocation. To further address the impact of these hikes on students, she aims to collaborate with faculty staff to provide additional scholarships and bursaries that students can apply for.
As a well-rounded student herself, Limbu advocates for a healthy balance between school and extracurricular activities by planning to re-launch the Engineering Mentorship Program. The program promotes and demonstrates the importance of creating a healthy, balanced lifestyle for students. In partnership with the Engineering Students’ Society and the Student Success Centre, Limbu hopes to foster inclusive, stu-
dent-centred services tailored towards both academic and non-academic support.
All undergraduate students in the Schulich School of Engineering can vote YES or NO on their ballot for up to two candidates for FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE or ABSTAIN from voting.
tion dates. Given that engineering courses require prerequisites, he aspires to have these classes available during all semesters — including spring and summer — to allow students to have more flexible schedules.
Additionally, Islam plans to increase grants and bursaries generated to aid financially disadvantaged students. He believes that providing these resources to individuals can help in overcoming financial barriers that often inhibit them from pursuing higher education.
Lastly, Islam hopes to provide frequent therapy counselling sessions while also assisting in the SU mental health advocacy in order to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for students. As engineering
students face intense academic pressure, he aspires to conduct assessments to learn more about student concerns regarding mental health.
All undergraduate students in the Schulich School of Engineering can vote YES or NO on their ballot for up to two candidates for FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE or ABSTAIN from voting.
Ben Shi is a second-year neuroscience student that is running for one of three Faculty of Science representative positions. As a science student with experience from his high school’s student council, Shi’s platform focuses on career development, mental wellness, and campus infrastructure.
Shi states that science students sometimes find a divide between academic and industry demands, and hopes to bridge these by hosting events with industry professionals and building connections with alumni so students align themselves better with their future careers. He also hopes to streamline the science internship process to improve access to mean-
Erica Peng did not interview with the Gauntlet, so this is what voters can expect solely based on her platform.
Peng is a fourth-year computer science and international relations student who is another candidate for one of the Faculty of Science representative positions. Peng’s platform points consist of transparency and accessibility, learning opportunities and academic advising capacity.
She hopes to conduct faculty-wide surveys, and mid-term Town Halls to provide feedback to faculty and staff regarding student concerns. Additionally, she will implement academic program updates before the end of each academ -
ingful employment.
As courses often have strict deadlines, Shi will advocate for standard extensions for courses to promote better mental health among students who are struggling with time management or are sick. He also plans on growing mental health supports by hosting events to speak on mental health.
Lastly, Shi will advocate for a stable Internet and relevant workspaces for the growing student body. Shi believes that these are basic tools for science students to succeed and will work to decrease the consistent and pressing problems.
Shi’s directed plan of action makes him a strong candidate for this position.
All undergraduate students in the Faculty of Science can vote YES or NO on their ballot for up to three candidates for FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE or ABSTAIN from voting.
ic year so Faculty of Science students are aware of any changes to requisite and prerequisite courses.
Peng’s plan is to begin a Science Undergraduate Research Journal to host student research projects and provide opportunities to practice their editing skills. Peng will pair this with increased research funding.
Overall, Peng’s actionable platform makes her a strong candidate in this race.
All undergraduate students in the Faculty of Science can vote YES or NO on their ballot for up to three candidates for FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE or ABSTAIN from voting.
Eyerusalem Tadese did not interview with the Gauntlet so this is what voters can expect solely based on her platform.
As a fourth-year biological science student, Tadese plans to improve scholarship funding, research and experiential learning opportunities, and mental health support.
Tadese cites rising tuition as the motivation behind increasing available scholarships for Faculty of Science students. She is currently working on a Quality Money application for students under financial burden.
She hopes to work with the Career Centre and the Co-op office to increase research and experiential learning
Navid Ghaderi did not interview with the Gauntlet so this is what voters can expect solely based on his platform.
Ghaderi is a third-year neuroscience student that hopes to support science students by aiming to take advantage of the SU Quality Money program to provide more scholarships with broader eligibility. He also will establish networking events and workshops in collaboration with faculty and industry for students to receive feedback for their career goals.
Lastly, Ghaderi hopes to expand and build awareness around mental health resources, focusing particularly on suicide prevention, and substance abuse
opportunities for students to further their careers. Lastly, she hopes to collaborate with other science representatives and the Wellness Centre to host stress sessions to support students mentally.
Tadese’s emphasis on working with already existing resources shows that she values collaborating with campus resources for the benefit of students.
All undergraduate students in the Faculty of Science can vote YES or NO on their ballot for up to three candidates for FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE or ABSTAIN from voting.
services.
Ghaderi’s focus on issues that impact students directly show that he cares about creating change for his faculty.
All undergraduate students in the Faculty of Science can vote YES or NO on their ballot for up to three candidates for FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE or ABSTAIN from voting.
Ameen Alizada is another candidate for the position, but he did not interview with the Gauntlet, so here’s what students can expect from him solely based on his platform.
Decreasing the financial burden on students is a primary concern for Alizada, as he hopes to find “sustainable solutions” but does not explicitly describe how he plans to do so. However, he plans to advocate for transparency on how tuition is being spent by the university.
Alizada wishes to improve access to academic resources for kinesiology students. He will do this by targeting free tutoring and increasing research funding. He plans to increase student engagement by hav-
Jessie Dinh is a hard-working kinesiology student who wants to continue her work as the Faculty of Kinesiology representative, along with initiating some more projects.
Her platform consists of three main points: academic action, inclusive action, and keeping it transparent. Since being the faculty representative after the by-election last fall, after already being the interim representative last summer, Dinh wants to continue meeting student needs.
After gathering complaints from fellow students, Dinh wants to do something about the inconsistent grading scale kinesiology students have in their classes. While this was a point on her platform during the by-election, the task has been harder to tackle even after conversa-
ing “concrete” peer mentorship programs through physical activities.
While it’s unclear what the rest of his “many goals” are, Alizada at least seems eager for this role and will get right to work if elected.
tions with the dean of the faculty, who said the grading scale was up to the professors’ discretion. She wants to make advocating for a more consistent grading scale a priority this election.
Dinh says that inclusive action is probably her most passionate point. After hearing a lot of positive feedback about the women’s-only fitness space in the kinesiology complex, Dinh wants to open up more available time slots during the week so that more students can attend.
When it comes to keeping things transparent, Dinh has been providing students with weekly SU resource updates on D2L, which she has received tons of positive feedback on. However, sometimes students don’t have time to read her written updates. Inspired by the Kinesiology Students’ Society’s newsletter,
All undergraduate students in the Faculty of Kinesiology can vote YES or NO on their ballot for one of the two candidates for FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE or ABSTAIN from voting.
Dinh plans on making posters or something more picture-oriented and less wordy to better engage students — focusing on staying concise. After completing her biggest goals of introducing a women’s weightlifting centre and a KNES 363 PASS program over the past year, Dinh is ready to keep going with more realistic platform points. She is a very strong candidate for this position and is realistic about her goals.
All undergraduate students in the Faculty of Kinesiology can vote YES or NO on their ballot for one of the two candidates for FACULTY REPRESENTATIVE or ABSTAIN from voting.
The Board of Governors manages the operations of the U of C. The student-at-large representative attends BoG meetings and voices student concerns.
Arafatul Mamur did not interview with the Gauntlet, so this is what students can expect from him solely based on his platform.
Mamur has experience in leadership positions — although, none are SU related — which could serve to help him if elected in the role.
Mamur’s first focus will be to reduce the tuition fees and stop the tuition fee hike for international students and domestic students alike. A somewhat idealistic goal, Mamur does not mention much on how he
plans to achieve that or even advocate to do so.
Next, Mamur will look to increase mental health awareness and resources by supporting SU mental health-related clubs to help students create an opportunity to connect with peers.
Lastly, Mamur is looking to help create new grants and bursaries for the fall and winter semesters — although it is unclear whether these grants and bursaries would be based on academics, financial needs or a mix of both.
Mamur’s platform, though it includes valid points, lacks explanations behind how he plans to achieve these ideas.
All undergraduate students may vote for one of the two candidates for BOARD OF GOVERNORSSTUDENT-AT-LARGE or ABSTAIN from voting.
The Board of Governors manages the operations of the U of C. The student-at-large representative attends BoG meetings and voices student concerns.
Taimur Akhtar is another candidate running to be this year’s Student-at-Large on the Board of Governors. Akhtar notes that he is a student leader which has given him the skills and knowledge he needs to make a difference for students in this role.
Akhtar is hoping to fight against further cuts to the Campus Operating Grant and advocate against unjust tuition hikes. He also looks to advocate for the use of advanced metrics — though it is unclear what that means — to ensure that any future fee
The University of Calgary Senate is comprised of members of the general public, alumni, students, and employed educators and academics who bridge the gap between the university and the wider community. The senate representatives meet with the senate to voice student concerns.
Aly Samji is running to be elected as a senate representative for the upcoming term. Samji has a myriad of student leadership experiences from the Haskayne Wellness Society to multiple SU positions held during his time at the university.
Samji’s first advocacy goal listed would be to increase the awareness of the Senate in hopes to help engagement within
increases are not only transparent but accountable as well.
Next, Akhtar is hoping to ensure that there is more support and funding for sexual violence support and resources for students while advocating for improvements in student safety and well-being. He will work to introduce a policy that would keep the university consistent in its stance on important community issues while providing learning opportunities for staff and students. Lastly, Akhtar will support the continuation of the tuition reinvestment bursary.
Akhtar’s points are ambitious and overall, if they are achieved, would significantly benefit students.
All undergraduate students may vote for one of the two candidates for BOARD OF GOVERNORSSTUDENT-AT-LARGE or ABSTAIN from voting.
the student community. Next, he looks to raise awareness of day-to-day struggles that students face — such as food insecurity, neurodivergency support, mental and physical health and systemic discrimination to name a few. Simultaneously, Samji will advocate for the creation of more scholarships and bursaries to help students’ finances.
Lastly, Samji calls out the previous senate representatives as being out of reach from the SU and thus, he is looking to correct this through new reporting systems insofar that the senate representatives can communicate better with the campus community and overall improve accountability.
Samji has continuously shown students that he is more than able to be an accountable leader to students and his platform exemplifies this once again.
The University of Calgary Senate is comprised of members of the general public, alumni, students, and employed educators and academics who bridge the gap between the university and the wider community. The senate representatives meet with the senate to voice student concerns.
Reeana Tazreean is another candidate for the position, but she did not interview with the Gauntlet, so here’s what students can expect from her solely based on her platform.
Tazreean is a third-year health and society student looking to help address student concerns. She’s been a part of the SU as a Cumming School of Medicine representative this last term.
Her platform consists of four points: fight against tuition spikes, promote and improve student wellness resources, advocate for more transparency, and grow relationships with the community and organizations that benefit the university.
By using strategic advocacy initiatives, whatever that may mean, Tazreean wants to help fight against tuition increases.
She also wants to assess the effectiveness of the student wellness resources that exist, and conduct more consultation to keep things transparent between students and the university.
In her last point, Tazreean wants to further connect with the community and exter-
All undergraduate students may vote on their ballot YES or NO for Aly Samji as one of two SENATE REPRESENTATIVE or ABSTAIN from voting.
nal organizations that benefit the university. While Tazreean has experience in student politics already, her platform is rather brief and it’s hard to know what her exact plans are in order to achieve her generalized goals.
All undergraduate students may vote on their ballot YES or NO for Reeana Tazreean as one of two SENATE REPRESENTATIVE or ABSTAIN from voting.
Julieanne Acosta
News Editor
This year, students will notice a question at the end of their election ballot that will inquire into the mandatory athletics fee in students’ tuition. A plebiscite question — different from a referendum question — does not elicit an official change, but rather will help the upcoming Students’ Union (SU) know how to better understand this fee and thus, how to advocate for students.
For the 2022–2023 academic year, undergraduate students pay $115.16 for the year in the athletics fee and as a result, students get free admission to regular season Dinos games — where attending more than seven games would break even on the costs of the fee.
The U of C can choose to raise this fee by up to 5.5 per cent for
the next academic year. With that being said, students would contribute about 48 per cent of the Dinos’ operational budget through the fee whereas the university contributes about 30 per cent.
As noted in the SU’s notice of
plebiscite, the question will ask for the opinion of the student body regarding the athletics fee and students will be able to select options that best fit what they believe.
Online voting through myUofC Student Centre for the SU elec-
tions will open at 9 a.m. on March 7 and close at 4 p.m. on March 9. There will also be polling stations available at the MacEwan Student Centre, Science Theatres building and the TFDL. Students will be able to respond to the plebiscite on their election ballot.
The following positions were declared VACANT and will not appear on the ballot. The SU will be accepting applications until March 6 for the following positions:
Faculty of Arts Representative
2 out 4 positions
Schulich School of Engineering Representative 1 out of 3
Faculty of Nursing Representative
1 out of 1
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Representative
1 out of 1
Those hired will serve until the October by-elections.
Every year, the GauntletStudents’ Union election supplement contains a list of endorsements for candidates. While we take pride in the work we do on this supplement, please don’t take it as gospel — do your research on candidates by reading their platforms online, engaging with them during the campaign period and attending forums. Our section editors endorsed contested candidates running to be elected officials, along with their respective faculty representative(s). These students will represent you over the next year. Vote for candidates whose platforms you believe in. Voting runs from March 7 at 9 a.m. to March 9 at 4 p.m. and can be done online through your myUofC Student Centre or at polling stations located at the MacEwan Student Centre, Science Theatres and the TFDL. The un-official results will be announced on March 9 at 5:30 p.m. Keep an eye out for our social media as we update who the winners are.
Sophia Lopez Editor-in-ChiefPresident:
Shaziah Jinnah Morsette’s platform addresses issues students are currently facing, with planned-out solutions. While both candidates have experience working in the SU, I still think Morsette’s platform is far more specific and realistic. Aside from fighting tuition increases, I think she did a good job of listening to student concerns such as trying to regulate due dates over term breaks, so I’d like to see her in the president position.
VP External:
Mateusz Salmassi has proven over just a short period of time in the SU that he is capable of making change. While also having prior experience in FASA, Salmassi has demonstrated his leadership skills through planned protests and determination to give students a voice, which he plans to continue doing if re-elected. I think he would do an excellent job in this role, and I especially like his focus on ensuring that both domestic and international students are getting their needs met.
VP Student Life:
This was a difficult choice, as both candidates are clearly passionate about making change. While a few of Ermia Rezaei-Afsah’s platform points would make a difference, such as advocating for cheaper parking and more affordable housing, I think Rachel Cabalteja’s ideas are much more attainable. Cabalteja’s platform focuses a lot more on internal issues, which is what the position aims to target, so for that reason I think she would be successful in this position.
Board of Governors — Student-at-Large:
Both candidates are rather vague in terms of their goals, but if it would have to be one of them, Taimur Akhtar would be better suited for this position. He has a unique point on working towards providing more sexual violence support and resources for students, so it’ll be interesting to see how that’s executed.
Faculty of Arts Representatives:
Muntaha Aamir and Siraaj Shah are both very passionate students seeking to support arts students. With both of them having experience in the SU, they both have achievable goals — Aamir with focusing on campus safety and Shah with creating more study spaces on campus.
Julieanne Acosta News Editor
President:
While both candidates have served on the SU in the past, Shaziah Jinnah Morsette has a platform that is hard to beat. Her platform points are well-thought out and she has shown her ability to be a reliable advocate for students.
VP External:
Mateusz Salmassi is the candidate for this role. Given his previous experience in FASA and having held this position since the by-election, Salmassi has continuously shown that he is capable of advocating on behalf of the community for the betterment of students.
VP Student Life:
Though Ermia Rezaei-Afsah’s point on affordable parking is interesting, Rachel Cabalteja has a strong leadership background that will only serve to benefit students. Through this, I believe she has the experience to implement her goals and work towards improving the campus community altogether.
Board of Governors — Student-at-Large:
While neither candidate offers a truly compelling platform, Taimur Akhtar does bring up an important point on funding for sexual violence support and resources — though he does not entirely explain how he plans to do so — that lacks in Arafatul Mamur’s platform.
Faculty of Arts Representatives:
Siraaj Shah and Muntaha Aamir are both reliable candidates for the role as the two have already served on the SU and have proven themselves to be dedicated to students. With their experience and their platform points, the Faculty of Arts will be in good hands.
Eula MengulloPresident:
Shaziah Jinnah Morsette has demonstrated her willingness and capacity to fiercely advocate for students during the tuition hike rally in January. With her past experience working with expert committees as vice-president academic, she has the potential to be an efficient and reliable leader that can represent the various needs of a diverse student population.
VP External: Having served as vice-president external since the by-election last semester, Mateusz Salmassi has already proven his dedication and capacity to advocate for student concerns as demonstrated in his leadership during the January rally against tuition hikes. With his prolific experience, he is a credible candidate that can advocate for both international and domestic student needs.
VP Student Life:
Rachel Cabalteja is an experienced and enthusiastic candidate for vice-president student life. Her platform points are tangible and she has the valuable experience to execute them from her previous term as the Faculty of Arts representative and other student leadership positions.
Board of Governors — Student-at-Large:
Taimur Akhtar is a confident candidate and has a detailed approach to how he will execute his initiatives. His platform point on improving campus security and providing sexual violence support are things that should be prioritized more within the campus community.
Faculty of Arts Representatives:
Muntaha Aamir is a reliable candidate for the Faculty of Arts representative as she has acquired valuable experience from her former role as the Student-at-Large representative on the Board of Governors. Her experience within the SU speaks to her capability to consult with students and advocate for their concerns. Siraaj Shah is another credible candidate for the Faculty of Arts representative. Given the housing crisis that affected many students last September, his professional experience in real estate would benefit him in achieving concrete results on his goal of helping students access affordable housing.
President:
I am endorsing Shaziah Jinnah Morsette because her commitment to pushing back against tuition hikes includes attainable and clear goals that show a dedication to the cause. This and the push for more transparent dialogue between the U of C and its students make her a candidate that will advocate for the student body.
VP External:
Due to a conflict of interest, I will be abstaining from an endorsement in this race.
VP Student Life:
I am endorsing Rachel Cabalteja because the need for high-quality and accessible mental health services is necessary for students and Cabalteja’s platform prioritizes that. The current mental health services available on campus are lacking especially regarding accessibility, and I appreciate a candidate who puts that at the forefront of her platform.
Board of Governors — Student-at-Large:
I am endorsing Taimur Akhtar because I support his goal to advocate for funding for sexual violence support on campus as it is something that could be prioritized more.
Your Faculty of Arts Representatives:
I am endorsing Muntaha Aamir because of her proposal for the use of Quality Money grants to go towards medical resources, and her goals of enhancing student well-being and safety for Faculty of Arts students is commendable. I appreciate a representative who is able to define a neglected gap in funding for certain services and is willing to use Quality Money to fill this gap.
President:
For SU president I am endorsing Shaziah Jinnah Morsette because of her strong resolutions and plans for the future of the student community. Her points are concrete and her past contributions to the SU give us ample reason to believe she is more than capable of achieving her goals.
VP External:
Mateusz Salmassi has shown commitment and leadership when serving last semester and was a centrepiece in the January rally against tuition hikes. He has a strong mindset and the experience to solidify himself as the strongest candidate.
VP Student Life: Rachel Cabalteja is the candidate I will be endorsing in this election, given that she has a defined strategy with credible and convincing points. At the same time, she has had plenty of experience and knowledge to effectively put her views into action.
Board of Governors — Student-at-Large:
Taimur Akhtar is the representative I will be endorsing for his goals of enhancing transparency among the student body.
Faculty of Science Representatives:
I am endorsing Erica Peng as a Faculty of Science representative due to her palpable resolutions and her vision. Change has to come with action and Peng embodies that. Having an open mind and defined goals can impact the faculty in a constructive and immediate way.
President:
Shaziah Jinnah Morsette has the leadership experience and the platform to make a difference. Her platform is a strong and convincing one, with clear, thoughtful goals.
VP External:
Mateusz Salmassi has proven himself time and time again over the past year. I think he would be the best candidate for this position.
VP Student Life:
Ermia Rezaei-Afsah has an interesting platform with many action items I would definitely love to see implemented on campus, but my vote lies with Rachel Cabalteja. Cabalteja’s platform is a well-informed one, with immediate, achievable goals.
Board of Governors — Student-at-Large: With predecessors such as the likes of Frank Finley, this position is a tough one to endorse. Though both platforms running for this position are appropriately vague and generalized in proper political spirit, Taimur Akhtar seems to have a stronger platform. His dedication to accountability and advocacy, especially in the context of sexual violence on campus, makes his campaign a more promising one.
President:
I’m abstaining from endorsing this race due to a conflict of interest.
VP External:
It’s hard to ignore the hard work Mateusz Salmassi has done this past year in the fight against tuition increases, international students’ rights and the privatization of the U of C bookstore. His platform is specific, straight to the point and clearly well-thought-out — re-electing him into office is a no-brainer.
VP Student Life:
My endorsement goes to Ermia Rezai-Afsah because I support his goal of creating affordable parking spaces and the re-establishment of a Post-Alcohol Support Space. Although some measures that Afsah is proposing are already in place, while others seem a little unattainable — such as trying to establish a special bus route to affordable grocery stores — I like the “shoot for the moon, if you miss, you’ll land among the stars” type of approach. With such an exhaustive and specific platform, something ought to eventually get done.
Board of Governors — Student-at-Large:
While I am curious as to which “advanced metrics” he is referring to with respect to tuition fee increases, Taimur Akhtar’s goal for further transparency and accountability towards the student body is one that I can stand behind as well as his desire to increase funding for sexual violence support on campus.
Faculty of Arts Representatives:
I am endorsing Muntaha Aamir because, although her platform isn’t as ambitious as her contender’s platform, she is realistic and very specific with how she plans on executing her platform points — from support for students fleeing abusive home environments to exactly how EDI can be ingrained within the student body. It is also very commendable that, in a time where the cost of living is higher than ever, Aamir is proposing to allocate funding where it is needed most — right back at the student body.
There is one actually funny campaign gimmick
This is your first SU election
A candidate does not know how their role works
You don’t know what the word “plebiscite” means
This is not your first SU election and you are still confused
A poster reads like a resume or a CV
A candidate gets a dark secret exposed
A candidate misses their forum
You vote based on pure vibes alone
You have attended all the forums
You are a volunteer at the Gauntlet
You have heard at least one classroom talk from a candidate
An uncontested candidate gets majority “No” votes
You convince your friends to exercise their right to vote
Someone wears a costume as part of their gimmick
Your situationship asks you to help in their campaign
You immediately cast your vote once polls open
A candidate gets called problematic on social media
Posters get confused with prep course advertisements
Smear campaign for a candidate pops up
You find a vandalized poster on day one of campaigning
Someone mentions BSD to get more votes
You forgot to vote
Rex shows up to vote on the first day polls open
