The Insiders
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Jan
18
Referendum: Student Court
Posted by: Alex Lougheed | January 18, 2010 | 2 Comments
Edit, Jan 21 2:30am: Much like the House and Senate reconciliate on health care reform, we misinterpreted how the original two questions were to be merged. The Chief Justice will still be required to be a third year law student if this referendum passes. Thanks for the comments, all. Keeps us on our toes.
On the ballot is two questions now apparently a single question designed to change the rules of student court. Overall, the main intent of the changes seem to be the closing of the author-named Lougheed Affair, where council exercised a disallowance power to not receive a ruling from the student court. This raised a crisis about the function of the student court, a body that sparsely met prior to the Affair, and caused council to launch a third-party review.
Being proposed is the removal council’s disallowance power, coupled with the authority of student court to interpret the bylaws, which could possibly be in contradiction with the B.C. Society Act. Beyond this change, there are also a number of riders dealing with some structural changes, and changes in the way referenda make their way to a vote.
Jan
17
How to Cast Your Ballot This Year
Posted by: Andrew Carne | January 17, 2010 | 2 Comments
With voting for AMS Elections opening in just over one week, we sat down with Ricardo Bortolon, Chief Returning Officer, to get the details on how students will be voting.
In summary, the key points for this year are:
1. No paper balloting (except affiliated colleges)
2. 15 minute voting time limit – research candidates in advance
3. AMS Executive elections using Condorcet ranked ballots, other positions remain First-Past-the-Post
4. Elections Committee may allow groups to set up informal polling stations
Full details about this year’s system are below.
Jan
16
Two New Student Court Bylaw Questions
Posted by: Alex Lougheed | January 16, 2010 | 4 Comments
The newly formed AMS Legislative Procedures committee has ruled, and the chair of Council has upheld an interpretation of a March 2009 motion of AMS council to add two questions to the referendum ballot. They interpreted the following resolution of council, brought forward by former Law councillor Clare Benton:
“That on the recommendation of the Code and Policies Committee and the Oversight Committee, Council approve the proposed Bylaw changes contained in the report ‘Bylaw Changes – Student Court Committee Suggestions,’ such changes to be submitted to the membership at a later date in a referendum or general meeting to be called in accordance with a future Council motion.”
– AMS Council, March 2009
Note the last bit of that motion. Normally, Council would simply pass a motion to place the question on a referendum, except it would now be unable to do that due to a rule that says it would have to be passed 10-days prior to voting. That said, the chair in his ruling the chair argued the 10-day requirement was achieved by the original motion.
“The spirit of the referendum question was to change the bylaws […] so I would say adding it in would be in the spirit of the original question and would be in order,” ruled the chair. It remains unclear, however, who can make such a ruling. Ironically, the final arbiter might actually be student court.
Jan
15
Sneak Peek: The Point Grill
Posted by: Neal Yonson | January 15, 2010 | 5 Comments
The Point Grill, located at Marine Drive residence, is UBC Food’s newest restaurant, and is set to open very soon. The always adorable Andrew Parr was nice enough to give myself and Rabi Sun (of Portraits of UBC and Just Shoot Me fame) a sneak peek at what was going in there.
Read more
Jan
12
A New Hope
Posted by: Neal Yonson | January 12, 2010 | 3 Comments
Today we are happy to present a guest post written by Dia Montgomery, Law Rep on AMS Council.
The strongest democracies flourish from frequent and lively debate, but they endure when people of every background and belief find a way to set aside smaller differences in service of a greater purpose.
BARACK OBAMA, press conference, Feb. 9, 2009
It is a new year and the beginning of a new decade. January rains have helped settle the dust after last November’s high-charged UN complaint debacle. In the end, AMS President Blake Frederick & VP External Tim Chu retained their roles, largely due a legal memo advising councillors against severing our errant leaders from their positions. And so, between the tuna sandwiches & paper nameplates, a sort of normalcy has returned to AMS Council meetings.
Yet, after such bitter schisms between Council members, we who serve as AMS representatives must ask ourselves how to work productively for the good of all students. Perhaps the solution is to continue the ban on slates. While it is natural for students to want to organize and operate within groups, the dark side of human nature prevails. As with established political parties, there is a danger that slate members will seek to gain more power than their rivals and take revenge on political opponents. Such posturing and politicking takes away from student representation.
However, a continued ban on slates is not a surefire path to AMS unity. Even without slates, members of AMS Council, either deliberately or inadvertently, wear their larger political leanings on their proverbial sleeves. Our council chambers are often divided by NDP or Liberal affiliations. This divide distracts us from our duties by creating animosity between members and promoting petty jealousies.
But there is a way forward. Our AMS could benefit from something so clichéd, old fashioned and ridiculed that it just might work: teamwork. Hackneyed though it may be, we need to be grown ups and forgive each other for last year’s hurt feelings. Yes, we felt betrayed. Yes, we feel as though the other side did not understand our good intentions and would not really listen to us. But that was last year. Like it or not, we are still the AMS Council. We still have the responsibility to work together.
There continue to be real problems facing students at the University of British Columbia and we must get behind each other’s efforts to solve them. We have to collaborate and create a culture of teamwork. From this point on, no one councillor should completely own an idea or process. Instead, we should seek out ideas and opinions differing from our own. We should be open and receptive to ideas and input from others. We should interact with each other, despite past animosity, and maintain the willingness to engage even when things are not going the way we planned.
While we have had difficulties with each other in the past, these skirmishes should not be allowed to define us. This is a new year, an Olympic year, and we can rise to the challenges ahead together. What do you say, fellow Councillors?
Jan
11
Board of Governors Invents Secretive Voting Procedure
Posted by: Neal Yonson | January 11, 2010 | 15 Comments
Last fall, the Board of Governors gave its consent to UBC’s newest policy, Policy 92: Land Use and Permitting. Look closely at the top right-hand corner of the policy. The approval date listed is October 2009.
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One problem: the Board never met in October..
Jan
11
EA Clarifies Endorsement Ruling
Posted by: Alex Lougheed | January 11, 2010 | Comments Off on EA Clarifies Endorsement Ruling
From the Elections Administrator last Sunday:
I have decided to allow club/group etc members to attach their title to their name when they endorse candidates, PROVIDED that they state that their opinion is their own and does not reflect upon the group they are a part of. (this is, of course, if the group decides not to endorse said candidate.)
Second of all, I have decided to allow all candidates to seek endorsements from non-students prior to the beginning of the campaign period. For example, if a candidate wanted to seek the endorsement of a past AMS president right now, they can do so. However, no such endorsement must be made public until the beginning of the campaign period. All other rules regarding endorsements still stand.
This is a step in the right direction. The earlier ruling at the All-Candidates Meeting that titles were not to be used was awkward and without precedent. Happy campaign prep to all candidates!
Jan
9
Three Candidates Drop Out of BoG Race
Posted by: Neal Yonson | January 9, 2010 | 4 Comments
Less than 24 hours after the All-Candidates Meeting, the first withdrawals have occurred, all in the race for Board of Governors. The info was tweeted earlier today by Elections Administrator Isabel Ferreras.
Statements from the former candidates about their decision to withdraw:
Peter Stein: “By observing others I’ve noted that in many cases, unless it’s needed, it’s best to be prudent in one’s proclamations. With all due respect, no comment.”
Nader Beyzaei: “My entrance was a strategic decision, and based on the nominees I decided it would be best to drop out, and focus on what I originally set out to win: Senate.”
AJ Hajir Hajian: “My commitment to “our UBC” falls more closely into the academic scope of the Senate.”
This leaves 6 candidates in the race for the 2 BoG seats: Bijan Ahmadian, Blake Frederick, Philip Edgcumbe, Sean Heisler, Guillaume Houle and Azim Wazeer.
UPDATE: Jan 10, 8:50pm.
Philip Edgcumbe has also dropped out of the running for Board. When asked why, he responded that he is “pleased with the quality and commitment of the other candidates and I trust that they will represent UBC students well on the BoG.” Philip also included a plug for two other candidates, which we will keep quiet on until campaigning opens.
Jan
8
2010 Elections All Candidates Meeting
Posted by: Alex Lougheed | January 8, 2010 | 1 Comment
Much of this post is since outdated. Visit our elections page for up-to-date information.
Live from the all-candidates meeting. Lists verified with the Elections Administrator. Tentative on petition checks.
President
Sean Kim
Pak Ho Leung
Natalie Swift
Bijan Ahmadian
VP Academic and University Affairs
Rodrigo Ferrari-Nunes
Ben Cappellacci
VP Finance
Elin Tayyar
The Invisible Man
VP Admin
Ekaterina Dovjenko
Michael Haack
VP External
Stas Pavlov
Jeremy McElroy
Timothy Chu
Aaron Palm
BOG
Sean Heisler
Azim Wazeer
Bijan Ahmadian ?
Nader Beyzaei
Philip Edgecumbe
AJ Hajin Hajian
Guillaume Houle
Peter Stein
Senate
Aminollah Sabzevari
Blair McRadu
Alyssa Koehn
Syed Nayef Andrabi
Miriam Sabzevaed
Joël Mertens
Nader Beyzaei
Ryan Bredin
Philip Edgecumbe
Arielle Friedman
AJ Hajin Hajian
Sean Heisler
Spencer Rasmussen
Johannes Rebane
Gary Tse
Blake Frederick
SLFS
Siavash Ahmadi
JJ MacLean – Students for Responsible Leadership (SRL)
Hillson Tse – Students for Responsible Leadership (SRL)
Aaron Sihota – Students for Responsible Leadership (SRL)
Paul Godin – Students for Responsible Leadership (SRL)
Alexander Shalashnly – Students for Responsible Leadership (SRL)
Anthony Bryson – Students for Responsible Leadership (SRL)
Kyle Warwick
Omid Atai
International Student Representative
Charlott Sandor Johansen
Star
Brittany Purna
Guessy Wang
Se Won An
Xena Hinson
Ding Kun
Ubyssey Publications Society Board of Directors
Chair: Campbell Bryson
Directors: Neil Andrews
Oliver Thorne
Sandy Buchanan
Imran Habib
Blake Frederick
| Event | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Campaigning Opens | January 18th | 8am |
| All Candidates Forum | January 19th | 11am-1pm |
| Candidates Debate (BoG,Sen,Intl) | January 20th | ??? |
| Candidates Debate (P,VPX,VPF) | January 21th | ??? |
| Candidates Debate (VPAD,VPAUA,SLFS) | January 22nd | ??? |
| CITR Debate (P,VPAUA,VPF) | January 22nd | 5pm-6pm |
| Hackfest Beer Garden | January 24th | 7am-11am |
| Voting Opens | January 25th | 8am |
| CITR Debate (VPX,VPAD) | January 25th | 5pm-6pm |
| All Candidates Forum | January 25th | 11am-1pm |
| Elections BBQ | January 27th | 11am-1pm |
| Jello Wrestling at SUB Ballroom | January 27th | 12pm-1pm |
| Quiz Night at Gallery Appeals deadline feb 5th. |
January 28th | 8pm |
| Voting Closes | January 29th | 4pm |
| Results Announced | January 29th | 6pm |
| BBQ | January 29th | ?? |
| Candidate Expenses Due | February 1st | 12pm |
| Appeals Deadline | February 5th |
Spending limit $450.
Reimbursements $300.
One new ruling from the Elections Administrator: Individuals cannot use titles in endorsements unless notifying the Elections Committee. This comes from the general rule that groups cannot endorse candidates without informing the Elections Administration.
| Polling Station Location | Dates | Time |
|---|---|---|
| VST | January 19th and 20th | 10am – 2pm |
| Regent College | January 19th and 20th | 10am – 2pm |
| Pan-Hellenic House | January 20th | 4:30pm – 6:30pm |
| Vanier Cafeteria | January 20th | 5pm – 7pm |
| Totem Cafeteria | January 20th | 5pm – 7pm |
| Koerner Library | January 20th, January 21st, January 22nd | 10am – 2pm |
| SUB | January 20th, January 21st, January 22nd | 10am – 2pm |
Jan
7
No YVR Add Fare for U-Pass Holders
Posted by: Alex Lougheed | January 7, 2010 | 1 Comment
The Translink Commission released a decision on how to implement the YVR Add Fare a couple of hours ago.
Translink had originally applied to the Commission to introduce a $2.50 levy, to be collected each time a passenger were transporting between the Bridgeport and Templeton stations. The Commission, citing the “awkwardness” of the two-way fare, and that the fare did not adequately target air travelers alone, approved a new scheme which includes fare exemptions for non-cash fare media and creates a single $5.00 fee to leave the airport.
One such non-cash fare media is the U-Pass. Others include FareCard, FareSavers, and other non-cash fare media at any station or other point of sale.
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