The Cord January 26, 2022 by The Cord

THE CORD THE TIE THAT BINDS WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY SINCE 1926

VOLUME 61 ISSUE 5 • JANUARY 26, 2022

THE STUDENTS’ UNION ELECTION VIRTUAL MINI-ISSUE

COVER ILLUSTRATION BY KASH PATEL

NICHOLAS BETIVOIU

Hi, my name is Nicholas Betivoiu and I'm a first-year student in the BBA program at the Waterloo campus. I'm currently running for a position on the Board of Directors of the Student Union. People should vote for me because I am a driven and well-disciplined worker who has a passion for the Golden Hawk community. My experiences in leadership, as well as team roles, have provided me with the necessary knowledge to become a valuable member of the board. My passion for the community as well as my determination for change will allow me to represent what Laurier students want from a Student Union. In this role, I truly believe that I can create valuable change and offer a fresh perspective on issues and opportunities that the board faces. I look forward to hearing back from the board and hopefully joining the team this year!

CARSON BOETTINGER My name is Carson Boettinger; I am a first-year econo

cial management student. I am running for the Student Directors to enhance the experience of all at Laurier. I Laurier's community more engaged throughout the hyb This comes with ensuring that students know and have tal health services. On the board of directors, I will hel accountability of the board and president to their stude selves. I will also ensure that the board remains transpa elected, I will ensure that every voice at Laurier is hea level. I hope you can place your trust in me to achieve to be your voice on the board.!

BLAKE PHILLIPS

Hey Golden Hawks! My name is Blake Phillips, and I'm a second-year BBA and Computer Science major. I'm running for re-election to the Student's Union Board of Directors. Having spent a semester on the board, I have a strong understanding of how the Student's Union operates and have shown myself as a director capable of speaking up to represent the interests of student body. This term, I want to further expand student access to SU Board meetings to keep students informed of the changes happening in their community, as well as help facilitate an effective return to in-person operations. It's important to me that our students have easy access to meaningful Student's Union resources, and I will continue to represent the student body if re-elected to serve on the Board this year.

STUDENTS’ UNION DIRECTOR CANDIDA

LAURIER STUDENTS (USUALLY) VOT STUDENTS TO BE THE STUDENTS' UNI ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, STUDE THE LAURIER SENATE AND THE LAUR FOR THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL YEAR HOWEVER, THIS YEAR DUE AVAILABLE ALL CANDIDAT THAT THEY WILL AUTOMATI BOARD AS THE NUMBER OF NUMBER OF SEATS

MOHAMMAD ABU-RSHAID 11 Did not submit a platform. SAMAR HASHMI My name is Samar Hashmi and with a position on the Board of Direc-

tors on SU, I believe I can cultivate an environment in which students feel more connected through such trying times. It is oftentimes in which students can feel isolated through online learning and find dif- 10 ficulty in connecting with their peers. With my help, I will ensure that students feel that the SU is a safe and accessible place in which they can express their concerns. An example of how this could be achieved is by hearing from the students directly and opening up forums that would ask questions about the online learning environment and how we could potentially enhance their experience. With my influence, I am someone who can introduce a brand new perspective with ideas that elevate a student's experience. Providing these opportunities will be helpful in a student's overall involvement at Laurier.

NICHOLAS LAFARCIOLA As a Director of the Students' Union, I would make it my goal to best

support the students of Laurier. My platform will focus in on ensuring that students are supported in both their academic and non-academic life as well as establishing adequate representation of the Laurier student body at the board level. By leveraging board resources, I will strive to create meaningful and actionable improvements to student life at Laurier. In addition to supporting students in their day-to-day life, I will seek to evaluate and assess board policies to ensure that they are designed in a way that is transparent, accessible, and in the best interest of the student population. Through these initiatives, it is my goal to develop a holistic approach in representing the students of Laurier, and to put my best foot forward as a Director on the Students' Union Board of Directors. #MakeNickYourPick

...THUS A FOR

ZACHAR

Hello, my name is Zachary Goodwin and I'm program here at Laurier on the Waterloo ca position on the Board of Directors and Senate Union. You should vote for me as I am an in bring forth many strong leadership and com team. In the past, I have had many team roles t oped my skills as a leader but provided me with the communities and groups in which I am invo alongside colleagues and other students who c munity as much as I do, and have the same p itive change. I look forward to the opportuni and meetin

omics and finant Union Board of I plan to make brid semester. access to menlp provide more ents and themarent to all. If ard on the board these goals and

FRANCESCO DEL GIUDICE

My name is Francesco Del Giudice. I am a fourth-year political science student, and I am seeking re-election for the Students' Union Board of Directors as Chair of the Board. This past year I have proven my commitment to students, and I have proven to negotiate and work well with others. Having served as CRO in the September by-election, I have learned to achieve results, and improve the student experience. Having served in multiple executive positions, I have learned how to effectively manage conflict, and how to lead with a positive vision. As Chair I will further encourage avenues for students to have their voices heard, effective transparency, and I will provide a voice for those in the community who are not often heard. I hope you can place your confidence in me to take the board in a constructive direction to improve the student experience.

COLE DERMOTT Hello everyone! My name is Cole Dermott and I'm a first-year 04

BOARD OF ATE PLATFORMS

TO THE NUMBER OF BOARD SEATS TES WILL BE ACCLAIMED - THIS MEANS ICALLY BE GIVEN A SEAT ON THE CANDIDATES DOES NOT EXCEED THE

RMAL VOTE IS NO LONGER REQUIRED

RY GOODWIN 08

student in business and computer science. At present, I'm running for a position on the board of directors, senate, and board of governors. In any role I may represent I plan on acting on behalf of the Laurier community at large - whether that be in an academic, extracurricular, or even further fields - the aggregate wishes of our community will remain of the utmost importance. Further, in any role I might represent I plan to actively engage our community with the happenings of the board through social media and other platforms. This will ensure that the interests of the community at large are kept at the forefront. Within this role, I believe that I can help Laurier at large thrive and offer a new perspective on issues within the boards. I look forward to hopefully helping everyone this coming semester!

MICHEL LECLAIR

TE IN UNDERGRADUATE ION PRESIDENT AND CEO, SIT ENT REPRESENTATIVE(S) ON RIER BOARD OF GOVERNORS

m a first-year in the BBA ampus. I am running for a e, as a part of the Student ncredibly hard worker and mmunication skills to the that not only have develh insights and passion for olved. I am eager to work care about Laurier's compassion and drive for posities Laurier has to offer ng everyone on the team!

My name is Michel LeClair - I am a fourth-year Geography Student at Laurier's Waterloo Campus. I am seeking election for the WLU students' Union Board of Directors. While living in both Waterloo and Brantford I have gained an insight into the challenges that both campuses face. As a director, I will ensure transparency and communication with the student body. In addition, I will advocate for more environmentally-conscious practices to be used on campus and increased support for mental health resources.

EMMA MURPHY

My name is Emma Murphy, I am currently a third-year Biology student seeking election onto the Board of Directors. Throughout my time at Laurier I have been very involved both on campus and in the classroom. On the board of directors, I want to use my platform to advocate for a more inclusive board that represents the student body. The board is currently very male-dominated and may not be the best representation of our community. I want to help create an environment where there are equal amounts of representation and that regardless of gender, students feel represented by the board. I also want to advocate for more mental health resources for students, especially in times of isolation and lockdowns. By creating a more inclusive environment and advocating for more resources for students, I aim to bring the student body together as a strong community in these hard times.

NúR ELMASRI My name is Núr Elmasri, and I am a second-year Economics and Fi-

nancial Management student seeking election to the Students' Union Board of Directors, and senate as well as the Laurier Board of Governors. In my free time, I like to meet new people and mentor children and youth. I am currently involved in community building and social action projects across Ontario that work towards community development.I have demonstrated exceptional organization and communication skills as the organizer of "The Fun Day" and the first-ever TEDx talk in Hamilton Ontario, formally known as, TEDxYouthAncasterHigh.I am self-motivated to always look for more opportunities to enhance my volunteer work but also to augment my passion for business.If elected I will make your voice heard and bring your concerns directly to the Boards.

EZRA CENITI Q: Why do you think you’re the most qualified candidate for President? My name is Ezra Ceniti. I’m running for President of the Students’ Union because I want the opportunity to give back to an organization that’s given so much to me. I have really enjoyed my experiences with the Students’ Union, whether it be first year O-week, working at Wilfs, or serving on the Board of Directors, and I hope to have more Students’ Union experience, at least one more year of it.

Q: How do you plan on supporting students who are struggling through the pandemic and those who may have reservations about returning to in-person learning? In my platform, I talk about how accessibility to in-person events used to be problematic for some students, I am in favor of continuing some element of remote programming as I think it’s been a great way for students to not have to worry about finding parking or commuting to campus during times of crazy weather. I think that supporting students who have struggled through the pandemic is essential, and that can be using the support and essential services that the Students’ Union has, can also contribute to supporting those students, whether it’s through Student Rights Advisory or Food Bank. I think the term struggle can be interpreted in so many different ways, so addressing each particular struggle is important before going about supporting each student.

Q: How are you going to increase student awareness about what the Students’ Union is and what it does? One of my ideas is to uphold the progress that previous administrations have done, whether it’s continuing the SU Does That Campaign, or better facilitating the Week at a Glance, students have the right to know what the Students’ Union does. However, they also should have the obligation to do a little bit of research, not spend hours on it, but just get to know the governing body that represents them. I think if that initiative is there, then it’ll almost be like a two-way relationship where students will know what the Students’ Union does, and it won’t be presented as an “in your face” type of organization.

Q: What do you think the Students’ Union needs to improve on in order to better serve the Laurier student body? I think the Students’ Union needs to present itself in a way that underscores what it does. For example, one of the first people you might see when you come to Laurier are your icebreakers, which is great. I am not trying to discredit or disregard the importance of having those people give you a nice warm welcome to Laurier. But I think the Students’ Union needs to improve on giving students the message about what they do. There are the essential elements to it and then there are the extracurricular ones. I think a lot of times, people misjudge the priorities, and therefore that might give the Students’ Union a negative reputation. I also think that the difference between the institution and the union, which is something I’ve talked about quite a bit, is important. And I think the Students’ Union has done a pretty good job of that this year. I think that’d be an example of something I want to improve upon. So definitely those two issues are things that I would love to improve as President.

Q: If you could only achieve three goals as President, what would they be and why? The first goal that I would want to achieve is increasing student satisfaction. Unfortunately, Laurier as we know, did fall quite significantly in that category. I know that’s not necessarily something that the Students’ Union will bear the brunt of, but I think it’s definitely a contributing factor. The second is to allow students to receive a complete understanding of what the Students’ Union does early on, especially first years, so that they know that the Students Union is more than just those they might see during O-week. And the third thing is, in my platform, keep up the great work that’s already been done. There have been some incredible initiatives and incredible successes. Thanks in part to the Students’ Union, that I want to build one.

Q: Can you give me an example of one? The LockDown Browser made a lot of people upset, especially during the pandemic, the Students’ Union gave students a platform to express their concerns with it that were then brought to Laurier. As a result, it looks like LockDown Browser is less popular and could even be phased out. That’s an example that I’m talking about there.

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SHANE SYMINGTON Q: Why do you think you’re the most qualified candidate for President? Yeah, this is one I kind of have really come to enjoy answering, just because I think I see myself as fit for the role. Because I think I have a very good perspective on the different student experiences offered here at Laurier. Yesterday at the debate, someone actually threw out the question of like, why is dedicated Phil’s attendee on your platform, and I threw that in there [as a] light hearted joke, but it’s also not a lie. It also kind of functions to make me relatable to those general students, because I was very uninvolved in my first and second year, but then once I figured out how to kind of channel my passion for Laurier. I understood like oh the SU Board of Directors, now I can understand the scope of the organization what we can and can’t do. Then I’ve been in clubs and associations right now. I’m the sponsorship executive for the Habitat for Humanity club. So I’ve been kind of on the ground perspective of things. And I’m Don in the department of residence, Mac house. And this past summer, I was lucky enough to work in Athletics as a camp counselor for the multi-sport camp. So I feel like all those different perspectives function to round out my understanding, and Laurier student experience and allow me to better pick up on the wants and needs of different student groups around here. And you know, I think I think that’s definitely something that should be expected in a leader, for sure.

Q: How do you plan on supporting students who are struggling through the pandemic and those who may have reservations about returning to in-person learning? Yeah, so obviously, like, it’s a little bit difficult to answer that question, considering, you know, what things will look like in September? We can’t really know that. But with that said, I am a student right now and I’m picking up on a lot of what concerns are being brought to the table. A big one for me, and I was talking to my friends about this one, was how it seems, to my understanding, it always felt like a syllabus was a contract between a professor and student. And I thought it couldn’t change past a certain date. I think my understanding on that date was like the date pass where you could drop the course for free. That could be completely incorrect. I think it was a general understanding somewhere around that point. And I think a lot of students kind of had the same understanding and interpretation of syllabuses as I did. And now when profs are going in and changing, you know, midterm locations from online to in-person and changing dates, in some cases. I think the most egregious example was a prof turning an OC class into an in person class, like, I’m not sure how much truth there is to that. That is something I just read in a group chat. So that could be complete hearsay. But you know, I think that’s a big one and more being proactive instead of reactive, in terms of a plan of how we’re actually going to try and be in-person and facilitate that student experience. I think that’s what I can do to the best of my ability in terms of what I could do in September.

Q: How are you going to increase student awareness about what the Students’ Union is and what it does? In my first and second year, when I was that uninvolved student, I didn’t know what the Students’ Union was. I was asking that question like ‘what does the Students’ Union even do?’ And that’s a problem because I think the SU does a pretty good job engaging with the Faculty Associations and the clubs. I don’t think anyone’s kind of arguing against that. But I think if you’re already in a club or Faculty Association you’re already involved and you’re already going to know what the Students’ Union does. So I think it boils down to how you’re going to appeal and engage and make those general students aware of the Students’ Union. So how do you do that? I think the way to do that is just by starting to have more general fun events that could appeal to more uninvolved students. I think that could look like a variety of different things. I think, you know, pumping up the events to 12 more Leafs nights in the Turret, more Raptors nights in the Turret, I don’t think we actually did one this year. So maybe introducing that as an event, more Bachelor and Bachelorette nights in the Turret, house Olympics like they do at Western that’s a big success. I have some friends that go to Western and, you know, it blew up so big that I was voting on whose house was more fun and Western. And apparently that was a whole disaster because only Western students were allowed to vote. But you know, stuff like that, that would appeal to a general students, and they know that this event is being run through the Students’ Union, that at least in some cases.

Q: What do you think the Students’ Union needs to improve on in order to better serve the Laurier student body? I think a lot of what I aim to do is kind of collaborate and communicate and mutually support in wherever our jurisdiction lies. So I think, you know, opening that line of communication between myself and faculty association presidents, so they don’t have to go through a VP or jump through hoops to talk to me. I think that streamlining that idea of communication makes for more efficient communication makes for more productive communication. If there’s more productive communication, everything’s going to be more productive in general. I think this thought process tangibly leads me to one of the ideas I’m really excited about, and that’s faculty association collaboration. I think seeing events, you know, co-hosted by, let’s say, Lazsoc, and fossa I think it’d be really interesting to see what would happen. When those two worlds collide, when those two student groups have the chance to be in the same space together. I think that creates intersectionality and cohesion between different student groups. And I think, you know, obviously, we are a tight-knit community. And I love the camaraderie that comes with that. But I think leveraging that and ramping that up to 12. To the best of our ability, I think that’s a great way to approach this.

Q: If you could only achieve three goals as President, what would they be and why? This is a really good question. I think this is one of the best questions I’ve been asked over the two debates and the other interviews I’ve done. I think, first and foremost, I want to say security, permanence and social justice messaging, just because my two big ones with respect to that are the free menstrual products and turning the Sept. 23 walkout into an annual event. Those are very feasible and realistic to me. So I think that’s got to be first and foremost. I think number two would have to be executing on those more general events and those faculty collaboration events, because I think those will both function to, again, I already touched on the cohesion between student groups, but I also think that will really do a good job in creating awareness and engagement for the Students’ Union itself. In terms of a third, I’m leaning between - I like the Presidential sponsorship grant. That’s a really cool one to me. And it’s also really tangible as well, because the Presidential Sponsorship Grant was a thing at Laurier, three years ago when Tarique Plummer was president. So knowing that the framework is already there, like in the system in the files, and knowing that it obviously starting from scratch would be more difficult than going and delving into that and seeing how we could bring an already existing thing back.

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WEDNESDAY JANUARY 26, 2022

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Why The Cord is not endorsing a presidential candidate this year The Cord has made the conscious, collective decision to refrain from endorsing either presidential candidate in this year’s 2022 Students’ Union election. After thorough deliberation and discussion, our team believes it would be in the best interest of our paper and the Wilfrid Laurier student body to reevaluate the purpose and value of election endorsements. While we believe both Ezra Ceniti and Shane Symington possess valuable qualities that would make them qualified for the role of students’ union president and CEO, we stand behind the choice to abstain from recommending one candidate over the other. After attending the Presidential Debates and reading each platform, our team was

not strongly drawn to either candidate. We do not want to endorse a person who we believe our readership should vote for unless we stand in unified agreement about this decision and we are passionate about a candidate’s platform and plans for the role. Based on feedback The Cord received during last year’s election season and after listening to various perspectives and concerns, we want to ensure we are doing our duty as Laurier’s student newspaper to provide this community with the most balanced reporting and perspectives possible. Endorsements have been a longstanding tradition with The Cord, along with many other newspapers worldwide, however, we trust Laurier stu-

dent voters to choose the ideal person for this position. This is not to say that we are necessarily tabling endorsements indefinitely, but we believe it’s important to continue critically engaging with the comments we receive from our readers, volunteers and staff. The Cord will continue to provide unbiased coverage of students’ union elections and their overall operations. We commend this year’s candidates for their clear and unshakable passion for Laurier and their desire to enact positive changes. We hope whoever wins will work towards achieving the goals outlined in their platforms and highlighted in their interviews with The Cord. With that said, take the time to vote, Golden Hawks.

ing t o V n o i n 7 2 Studentsy'U & 6 2 , 5 2 r a u n a J Go to yourstudentsunion.ca for more info.

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2022

LAURIER STUDENT POLL

STUDENTS' UNION ELECTION SURVEY LSP is a market research group under WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY STUDENT PUBLICATIONS AND THEY. SET OUT to examine student awareness and engagement surrounding the current Students'’ Union Election. WHILE THEY WILL BE RELEASING ADDITIONAL FINDINGS, WE WANTED TO INCLUDE ONE OF THE MORE RELEVANT QUESTIONS IN THIS ISSUE.

they ASKED THE LAURIER STUDENT MEMBERSHIP WHAT THE STUDENTS' UNION CAN IMPROVE UPON TO MAKE THEM FEEL MORE ACCURATELY REPRESENTED IN THE LAURIER COM,MUNITY THIS IS what a few students HAD TO SAY... 01. find more ways to get the students informed about their platforms. 02. transparency measures need to be increased in activities that affect every student 03. encouraging applications from more diverse student populations 04. making sure they are fully aware of things outside of the students' union. it can be noted that some platform promises are supports/ideas that already exist through other departments on-campus 05. by adding and managing more international student iniatives 06. connect with student body on a more personal level. be less officious in communicating and working with students. We are all undergraduate students and it's difficult to feel represented when the su doesn't communicate on an equal footing...more can be done to foster authenticity and genuine interactions 09. provide more information when it is time to nominate yourself to run for positions 08. be more open about the mental health services available at laurier and how to go about accessing them 07. student's rights iniatives; actively informing students about their rights as tenants and as part of the laurier community - providing more support when it comes to affordable housing in waterloo 10. be more willing to work with student publications 11. sessions for student concerns 12. advocate more academically on behalf of students 13. i feel represented in the laurier community, however, i do feel that the brantford campus gets forgotten about sometimes 14. there should be a greater effort to spread information about the elections and candidates. perhaps lecture professors should remind students to vote or build a culture surrounding voting in first year. 15. more representation of poc and women; from the pictures of candidates i've seen so far, it is clear that we need to do more to reach a more diverse audience. what is holding those students back from running? what kind of spaces are we creating and have created? i have only seen white men running this year and would like to see people who look like me and understand my concerns. not people who use equity and diversity as a platform for their campaign and don't make any changes. 16. more activities, events, mental health resources and student engagement surveys to hear from students 17. nothing! I feel accurately represented

*lsp required both a laurier email and student id to submit feedback

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WEDNESDAY JANUARY 26, 2022

ELECTIONS

Potential president plans for student life CRYSTAL XUE LIFESTYLE EDITOR

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WLUSP IS

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hiring POSITION Editor-in-Chief PUBLICATION OF CHOICE

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the cord

With the Students’ Union election closer than ever, the future of the undergraduate Laurier experience is in the hands of this year’s candidates; Shane Symington and Ezra Ceniti. One of them will be directly responsible for overseeing the union that represents the over 19,000 undergraduate students at Laurier. Simply put, the candidate who wins will determine whether the following year will be akin to a blockbuster college movie or resemble a depressing indie flick. Each candidate has his own ideas for how to ensure a student life that is equal parts welcoming and enjoyable. Symington plans to increase engagement through a range of events, from Fantasy Sports pools to Bachelor and Bachelorette viewing parties, along with more hockey nights in the Turret. If elected, he would introduce a “Battle of the Houses” event inspired by Western’s “House Olympics” in which Laurier student houses compete via Instagram to see which is the most fun. He also wishes to increase wellness services, such as puppy therapy and peer support groups. Cenitihas included the needs of off-campus students in his plan, proposing the continuation of virtual programming next year and a hybrid model for events during busy times. In addition, he would allow Laurier’s Off-Campus Advisors (OCAs) to request funding for transportation to events. He also hopes to allow reimbursements for OCA purchases that go towards event prizes. To further show appreciation for

off-campus students, OCAs would be part of the icebreakers team in orientation week. As for building a welcoming culture, Symington aims to replace the SU’s dismissal of drinking culture with initiatives that promote safe partying. In collaboration with the Center for Student Equity, Diversity and Respect, as well as Laurier Students’ Public Interest Research Group, he will promote equity-deserving clubs. He also wants to make an annual event of the walk-out that occurred on Sept. 23, where students stood in solidarity with those impacted by gendered and sexual violence. Candidate Symington seeks to make menstrual products free on campus through funding by suggesting a $1 undergraduate fee to make this possible. Social justice is also important to Ceniti, who wishes to introduce mandatory disclosure training for SU volunteers. He plans to invite the Board of Directors, institution members and campus clubs leaders to join. He will also enable the possibility of anonymous identities on the current violence, harassment and sexual violence form. Through a “Filter before you fill” campaign, Ezra’s goal is to improve the cleanliness of drinking water on campus and save students’ time. We’d be able to report replacement requests for drinking stations to SU, who would help Laurier buy quality filters and track how many are needed. So, will next year be a blockbuster college movie or depressing indie flick? It’s up to us, and our equally promising candidates, to decide.

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WHY YOU SHOULD GET INVOLVED...

You’ll get to share your passion and talents by commemorating student life in 2021/2022 while gaining transferable skills and some pals along the way

application: submit cover letter, portfolio and/or resume to president@wlusp.com