The Insiders
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Jan
31
AMS Council Meeting, Jan 30, or how much we care about committee reform, deep down inside.
Posted by: Neal Yonson | January 31, 2008 | 23 Comments
Today’s council meeting was both disappointing and heartening. Disappointing because the anticipated public lynching of EA Brendan Piovesan failed to materialize. Heartening because it turns out that deep down inside, we really care about committee reform. And there were several other important (University Ombuds Office!) and thoughtful (Systemic discrimination in the AMS?) decisions. We got […]
Jan
30
BioScience Building locked down
Posted by: Neal Yonson | January 30, 2008 | 8 Comments
from the UBC website: There has been a police incident at the Bio Sciences Building, which is located at the intersection of Main Mall and University Boulevard at the University of British Columbia. On the advice of the RCMP, the Bio Sciences Building has been locked down. Building occupants have been instructed to stay where […]
Jan
30
Student Court challenges, election 2008
Posted by: Neal Yonson | January 30, 2008 | 11 Comments
The period for the 2008 AM elections was punctuated by numerous irregularities of various sorts. When problems arise in elections, or in other matters of stuff that goes against the AMS Bylaws or Code, complaints can be brought to a group of people called the “student court”. These are seven people, typically law students, that […]
Jan
28
The 432 isn't worth the paper it's printed on
Posted by: Neal Yonson | January 28, 2008 | 14 Comments
This is where I get mad. The 432, the Science Undergraduate Society’s official newspaper, is … euuugghh. The very idea that students are funding such a worthless, offensive, and generally craptastic rag is insane. This newspaper, apparently, used to be good. It used to be smart and hilarious, and enjoy more readership than the Ubyssey. […]
Jan
27
How to vote in VFM – Interpolated Consensus,WTF?
Posted by: Neal Yonson | January 27, 2008 | 11 Comments
Voter Funded Media, the contest that accompanied the AMS elections for the second year this year, is an idea that’s meant to award media public funds by the will of the people, thus fostering better journalism, more informed voters, better elected leaders, and healthier democracies. The assumption is that media, as opposed to candidates or […]
Jan
26
Best of AMS Elections 2008
Posted by: Neal Yonson | January 26, 2008 | 20 Comments
Hi everyone still reading the Insiders. This is Serious Steve from the Devil’s Advocate, bringing you the Best of the 2008 AMS Elections, as nominated by the VFM candidates and decided by me. (And before you ask, yes, yes I did hack the Insiders website. Because I’m that good. Watch my post stay up here […]
Jan
25
Elections Results: photos and mockery.
Posted by: Neal Yonson | January 25, 2008 | 5 Comments
Last night, I took photos. This morning, I mock people. You know you like it. Aaron from UBC Devils, undoubtedly plotting. Austin from UBC Devils. I’m a firm believer in keeping one’s friends close and their enemies closer. Andrew Forshner, of whom I cannot take a photo without it looking like he’s singing. Stef Ratjen, […]
Jan
25
Results! (prefunctory)
Posted by: Neal Yonson | January 25, 2008 | 21 Comments
Here are the results. That is, the results before the 3 to 5 student court challenges that should be comin forward in the next week or so due to voting irregularities. Note the Bottom-of-the-barrel voter turnout. This is worse than this year’s SUS elections, if memory serves. To quote the Devil’s advocate: “Brendan Piovesan. DISENDORSED.” […]
Jan
23
Ineptitude? Carelessness? Cheating? Elections train is off the rails
Posted by: Neal Yonson | January 23, 2008 | 21 Comments
In a surprising announcement today, Elections Administrator Brendan Piovesan confirmed that the race for VP Administration, between incumbent Sarah Naiman, “Scary” Mike “the Rabbi” Kushnir, and Yian Messoloras, has been cancelled. The exact reasons are yet unclear, but they involve campaign rules transgressions on the part of one candidate. Apparently, Messoloras broke the rules when […]
Jan
23
Issue of the Day: The Musqueam Issue
Posted by: Neal Yonson | January 23, 2008 | 25 Comments
Now for something a little more controversial. Somebody who I work fairly close with recently questioned my leftist politics. That’s fair – I feel quite comfortable in the bureaucracy of the AMS, and I feel quite comfortable trying to balance the 42 000 different opinions of AMS members, and I even support many CASA policies. […]
