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It's hard to say what comprises the VP Student Life platforms. Though each has a 'platform' that was an early post to their website and Facebook groups, they have each been offering additional ideas throughout the campaign period. For the sake of simplicity, I'm sticking to the initial offering from each (Kris | Krista). They are short, so no summaries.
As usual, metrics. Most are self-explanatory. The Flesch-Kincaid metrics use words, syllables, and sentences to estimate the reading difficulty. Grade Level estimates the number of years of education required to comprehend the writing. Ease measures how easy it is to read, on a scale of 1-100 (100 = very easy).| Candidate | # Words | # Paragraphs | Flesch-Kincaid
Grade | Flesch-Kincaid Ease | % Passive Sentences |
|---|
| Krista | 470 | 17 | 11.8 | 51.8 | 7% |
| Kris | 721 | 7 | 11.2 | 52.4 | 20% |
Frankly, neither platform is that great, though I don't think that in this case the platforms are an accurate reflection of what either candidate brings to the table.
I'll use the mostly random categories I invented for the president again.
Most concrete innovative ideas: Kris. I have it 4-2; Krista offers a lot of ideas, but not concrete ones.
Most obvious typo: Kris. He won it entirely for this terrifyingly incomprehensible sentence: "left with little guidance accept for here is you class schedule and good look". "accept" should obviously be "except", "you" should be "your"... but what is "good look"? "good luck", I assume? Even without the obvious errors, it's a terrible sentence. READ YOUR OWN DAMN PLATFORMS.
Best organization: Kris, for the 2-3 word category he gave each item.
Most annoying use of third-person: Krista.
Best Presentation: Krista, for calling it a campaign platform, and for not tacking it onto the end of a questionable list of experience. (Kris' experience includes, for example, "attending orientation week". But I digress).
Best use of vague platitudes: Tied.
'No Shit, Sherlock' Award: Kris. I invented this award after I read this sentence: "After speaking to many students on all 3 campuses I have gotten the impression that many students feel segregated from those on a different campus, particularly Carlton and Sexton being separated from Studley." (By the way, PROTIP: spell Carleton correctly, you're not Chris Ide).
Comments:
Chris M says:
[Mar 17th @ 06:21pm]
Kris or KrisTA... Hmm...
Whatever happened to the days where candidates spelled their names with a "C"?
That's the right way.
Chris "No One Will Amount to My Greatness" Ide says:
[Mar 18th @ 12:51am]
Chris M, I'm with you on the 'K' thing.
Mike, I know you've been out west for a while so I'll forgive you for not knowing that the last thing I did as VP Internal was remove the 'E' from what is formerly known as "Carleton".
I See You're Pretty Gangsta. I'm Pretty Gangsta My says:
[Mar 18th @ 01:29am]
That and the bitching about the C-level societies. Man, I didn't see *that* one coming.
Jen Bond says:
[Mar 18th @ 10:35am]
Ahahahaha. Oh Chris Ide. You are truly a legendary leader, even amongst the alphabet.
Chris M says:
[Mar 18th @ 11:23am]
Evidently, there is no IDE in TEAM ; )
I took a look at the VP Internal platforms. Obviously, my first thought was "Holy Hell, Jones, what were you thinking?" As you may have noticed, her website puts all content in this tiny little box where you can see about 5 lines of 8-10 words each. Then you scroll down to read another 50 words. Then you scroll down some more. Then you scroll down again. Then you cut yourself (remember, down the line, not across the tracks). And that's only if her green fetish didn't already make you want to put out your own eyes.
First, of course, some metrics. Most are self-explanatory. The Flesch-Kincaid metrics use words, syllables, and sentences to estimate the reading difficulty. Grade Level estimates the number of years of education required to comprehend the writing. Ease measures how easy it is to read, on a scale of 1-100 (100 = very easy).
| Candidate | # Words | # Paragraphs | Flesch-Kincaid
Grade | Flesch-Kincaid Ease | % Passive Sentences |
|---|
| Boyle | 2830 | 26 | 13.3 | 42.8 | 34% |
| Jones | 674 | 20 | 10.8 | 53.5 | 12% |
I haven't taken the time to summarize the entire platforms here. You can read their platforms for yourself (Boyle | Jones).
I'll use the mostly random categories I invented for the president again.
Most concrete innovative ideas: Boyle. I even calculated this per word; he might have the most concrete practical ideas of any candidate in any race.
Most obvious typo: Jones. It's not a typo so much as it is rampant spelling mistakes: sustantial, it's instead of its, accessability...
Best organization: Tie.
Best Presentation: Boyle. In particular, I liked how his website didn't totally suck.
Best use of vague platitudes: Jones. "I hope to expand that greatly" ... "also something I will work towards" ... "encourage societies to work together to achieve similar goals." ...
Most convincing case for being able to achieve goals: Boyle. Rick Mercer endorsements only get you so far in life.Comments:
No comments for this post.
The campaign wraps up at 8pm Monday, so get your last looks at any campaign materials. Websites, posters, facebook groups... all have to be down by 8pm. This includes the Facebook application.
Remember to make your predictions for the election outcome. You can get details and instructions at the original post.
It was a quiet day - the candidates are pretty tired, and for the most part rested or plotted one last big blitz tomorrow. I, being a lazy pundit, today offer only a wrap-up of the updates on the InterTubez.- Dan Boyle updated us on the campaign, and announced the winners of his "what the hell is he holding in that poster?" campaign. He still hasn't told us what he is actually holding, though... Anyway, he's been a regular updater all week, and I have to say he's got the right idea - as a VP Internal candidate, it's probably a good idea to demonstrate that you can communicate, even for the little things like 'campaigns'.
- John Hillman put up another of his entertaining videos. The Mark Coffin reference was probably my favourite part.
- If you've wanted to learn more about Blair Mason, his picture & profile are now up on the official candidate information page.
- 14 comments, all on last night's wrap-up, including one where an anonymous poster kind of loses it a bit.
- Larkin and Osmond also posted news updates.
- Some of the online debates that have occurred this campaign really remind of this web comic. Hilarious in its accuracy.
Comments:
Anonymous Coward says:
[Mar 17th @ 05:44am]
I am beyond thrilled that Hillman used a Yoko Kanno tune in his latest video - though that could just be the lack of sleep talking.
Good morning, and welcome to day 7 of the campaign.
As is tradition here at MikeSmit.com, I'm running a 'betting pool' where you predict not just who wins, but the margin of victory. It's lots of good clean fun.
If you want to participate, first pick your winners. We ignore spoiled and blank ballots. Also, sad to say we won't be predicting the VP Ed / Grad Senate races this year, as feedback last year indicated that yes/no votes for candidates were completely uninteresting.
Then, fill out this form. You can choose your privacy settings. I won't be publishing everyone's individual guesses beforehand; rather, I'll publish my own guess, and some numbers in terms of who the peanut gallery predicts will win. Then I'll publish the winners once the results are announced.
I have most of my own predictions in mind already, but I still have some thinking to do. I'll close the form to submissions once voting starts next Tuesday.
I should tell you, I've won for two straight years - calling the races to within .2% at times, and on average to within 2% - but there are other very strong contenders, like Jen Bond. Every year is different - this year it could be you.Comments:
No comments for this post.
So little happened today that I've gone off on random tangents in this wrap-up to make it seem longer. Don't say I didn't warn you.- Quiet day on the campaign front. Some candidates visited residences, others are recovering from the night before, and of course some are still in Antigonish. Quiet day here at MikeSmit.com, too, though I did do some work on the presidential platforms.
- Fine rumours - Debobraegorski was fined $20 for comments made on this site (in particular, the comments about the full time staff having inappropriate relations with dogs). The EC has broad authority to govern campaigning, and that comment was definitely objectionable. Having worked with many current and past full-time staff of the DSU, I can attest to how hard they work and how they are really great people, especially once you get to know them a bit. Running for change is fine, free speech is fine... mounting personal attacks on staff that are apolitical is not something you want to see in a DSU election campaign.
- Speaking of those comments, many of you will have heard that during the question period of the presidential debate, Kris Osmond brought up some of the comments Debo has made on this site. More on that in the debate summary, but since then Debo has thrown his support (and supporters) behind Krista. "You have my vote. We need new blood in DSU."
- Poll Results are still updating live, now at 30 responses. Looks like Krista supporters have shared their thoughts, and there seems to be some back-and-forth quasi-debates. Add your own thoughts.
- Quiet electronically today, too. Dan Boyle weighed in, and Krista made major design changes to her site. She also posted a news update and some pictures. Of note is her explanation of her slogan, "get a life". I haven't been a big fan of the slogan, but her explanation makes sense to me: "... going to DAL is not just about going to school: it's also about a community of people that seize the opportunity to have amazing times together." I work with high school students doing recruitment, and without fail my message to them is to get involved with campus activities - university is more than just classes. I learned a lot during my university years, much of it through extra-curricular involvement (including the DSU, which might be why I'm so twisted). I think if her paragraph of explanation were her online profile, she'd have the election locked up. Krista, I love the sentiment. Word of advice for the future, though - slogans should make sense without the backstory.
- In case you've ever wondered, I try to consistently use last names when talking about candidates. The exception is Kris Osmond and Krista Ali, and that's only because I like the Kris and Krista thing.
Comments:
Gregory Debogorski says:
[Mar 16th @ 06:36pm]
No offence Smit, but I do not see a single employee, outside of the food sevices, breaking a sweat or even trying to hussle. My opinion and the backing of statement stands. Freedom of speach; freedom of opinion; freedom as a student in Canada.
DSU Worker Monkey says:
[Mar 16th @ 07:50pm]
Greg: You know that through all the hard work you've put into the DSU and student groups over the years, right? Invisible doesn't mean lazy. In fact, it's usually the invisible people who are doing the best job. Or at least trying to.
Complaining is easy, actually doing something is harder. Try the latter and see how that works out for you.
Then again, I've had and heard some pretty funny 'dog' based conversations over the past few days -- thanks for that, at least.
Gregory Deogorski says:
[Mar 16th @ 08:01pm]
I generally agree with your points.
Hard work is generally correlated with efficiency and effectiveness somehow. These are terms that do not seem to be apparent withing the DSU in my opinion.
Chris Nickerson says:
[Mar 16th @ 08:04pm]
Hey Greg, you know that the DSU is staffed (aside from the full-timers) entirely by students, right? And we do vote, so maybe insulting a segment of the electorate isn't the best idea.
Personally, I've put my heart and soul into that organization over the last four years, doing everything I can to improve it. I've worked more long days (think sixteen hours or more) and late nights than I can count. I rarely get a thank you, but that's okay. You, meanwhile, contribute nothing. Absolutely nothing. Why don't you try actually doing something useful for a change?
Gregory Deogorski says:
[Mar 16th @ 08:11pm]
My comments are not reference to the student workers.
I thought I was trying to do something...
My apologies that you are offended by my comments, but my opinions and comments still stand.
Gregory Debogorski says:
[Mar 16th @ 08:15pm]
Why do people become so upset by my opinions?
Is it so difficult to say "those are his opinions, so what"?
Gorupthink and conformity are rampant across Dalhousie, like a plague.
For the Union!!
Anonymous Coward says:
[Mar 16th @ 09:11pm]
If ever in an argument someone says they have a right to their opinion, it's only because there are no other justifications for holding that particular opinion.
Gregory Deogorski says:
[Mar 16th @ 09:19pm]
Fair enough.
It still does not take away ftom the God given right to hold and express opinions amongst adults as they see fit.
As far as I know, mikesmit.com has fairly exclusive adult traffic. Proably more than most pornographic sites.
Anonymous Coward says:
[Mar 16th @ 09:19pm]
I can't speak for everyone, but I challenge your opinions in the hopes you'll offer any sort of facts or evidence. Like, "I've had the following interactions with staff person X that leads me to this opinion".
The only response to "I've hauled this opinion RIGHT out of my ass, Yee-haw!" is "You're wrong". Doesn't exactly lead to high-minded debate.
Gregory Debogorski says:
[Mar 16th @ 10:12pm]
I am leaving the Killam...
Have you ever seen a single "middle aged" staffer engage the student population outside of the DSU?
Have you ever seen them go out and ask how can I serve you better?
They are part of the apathy problem and they are being paid to be part of the solution.
I will give more to this topic tomorrow afternoon.
mike says:
[Mar 17th @ 12:22am]
"They are part of the apathy problem and they are being paid to be part of the solution."
... actually, no. They aren't. If you think the DSU should change the job descriptions, that's another issue. But the full time staff are paid to do very specific jobs, and they generally do them quite well. When you are running a multi-million dollar organization with many services and operations, you need people to do things other than talk to students. You need accountants, you need people to manage your bar operations, and myriad other tasks. It's not a lemonade stand.
Really Now Children says:
[Mar 17th @ 12:24am]
Ok Fucktardobrowski,
1)Free Speach has limits, learn them. Slander/Liable/Hate speech are restriced.
2)You\'re a know nothing idiot with a low IQ, a chip on your shoulder, and a neo-nazi attitude.
3)Learn to fucking spell. Seriously, this is one of the many reasons people laugh at you. Your ignorance knows no bounds.
4)The comments about DSU staff have made for a pile of jokes and quite a few of the STUDENTs are pissed @ you for insulting the people we see work so hard every day. Consider yourself lucky that no one has taken a shot at you, yet.
5)You seem sad and angry. We at mikesmit.com would love to help you deal with the pain inside, please tell us.
WatchingTheShow says:
[Mar 17th @ 12:27am]
*Grabs popcorn and a cold beer*
Anonymous Pedant says:
[Mar 17th @ 02:27am]
While Debogodzilla does appear to be functionally retarded, in all fairness he hasn't really said anything slanderous, libellous, or anything that would constitute hate speech.
Incidentally, it's "libel", not "liable", and lord only knows what "speach" is.
PROTIP: If you're calling someone out for being an idiot that can't spell, at least try not to do the same thing.
Gregorian says:
[Mar 17th @ 10:09am]
You speak as if I have never worked for a multimillion dollar organisation Mike.
Managing multimillion dollar organisations is what I am also being educated in.
Organisational culture and behaviour stem from the strategic apex of an organisation. This also includes the upper echelons of the techno-structure and support structure.
They may do their job well. I will give you that, because I cannot comment on specific failures based on job description. They do not show heightened levels of organisational citizenship; they do not do a "great" job that strives to "delight" students.
Gregorian says:
[Mar 17th @ 10:13am]
No one, not even himself, claimed Gregory Debogorski was better than anyone else.
He just has a crazier and much cooler vision for the DSU than anyone else.
And he's hella-cool!
Sean says:
[Mar 17th @ 02:18pm]
I am not sure how some of these staff members are supposed to 'delight' students.
"Wow, you delivered those bills to us DELIGHTFULLY"?
"You balanced our accounts DELIGHTFULLY"?
"Your advice on this student code of conduct charge is simply DELIGHTFUL"?
Gregorian says:
[Mar 17th @ 02:37pm]
You obviously have never taken serious academic literature of business or public management.
Communication and marketing (internal included) speaks much to the concept of "delight". Including employee delight.
Silly critics.
Sean says:
[Mar 17th @ 03:20pm]
Except you were not talking about internal delight, you specifically mentioned that internal staff should be striving to delight the students.
I would have preferred something like a) clarification of your point or b) examples to illustrate your point, rather than so that any misconceptions I hold could be corrected. Instead I am labeled as a 'silly critic' for basically asking a question.
Gregorian says:
[Mar 17th @ 03:41pm]
If you allow me until after classes are through, at 7pm EST, I will do you the favour of writing you a brief essay about what I am talking about.
I need you email address though. I doubt mikesmit.com wants me to publish my essay on the comments secton.
AEB says:
[Mar 17th @ 03:43pm]
No, I think you should post it here, since I'd like to know what the hell you mean as well.
Sean says:
[Mar 17th @ 03:54pm]
I can wait and will be sure to include it in my morning reading tomorrow.
I have privacy concerns with posting my email address in public areas.
However, since other people seem to be interested, another option is to post it elsewhere and then post a link here (if the essay ends up being a bit long).
Gregorian says:
[Mar 17th @ 04:17pm]
If you give me a place I shall due my best to provide.
If you are unable to find a place, send me your email address to gr267981@hotmail.com
Have neither of you taken business or public admin courses??
AEB says:
[Mar 17th @ 05:08pm]
Just post it here... and I cannot speak for Sean but business and public administration courses are not generally part of a computer science degree or a bachelor of arts degree in German.
JP says:
[Mar 17th @ 06:48pm]
"Have you ever seen a single "middle aged" staffer engage the student population outside of the DSU?"
The CSB .. many of the staff know the students by name and they are generally far more friendly than you'd expect from people who have to pick up after a bunch of spoiled, self-centered, ill-mannered children in their 20s.
"Have you ever seen them go out and ask how can I serve you better?"
Since when is this part of their job description? Who would be immature enough to put the impetus on positive change at the BOTTOM of ANY corporate ladder? Oh .. right .. the CEO of a corporation about to tank due to mismanagent. Yah .. I think you just lost another vote.
"They are part of the apathy problem and they are being paid to be part of the solution."
Are you high? They aren't being paid to be part of the solution. They are being paid to clean the floors, print your transcripts, and put fancy stickers on your Dal ID. Leadership is the responsibility of those who are NOT protected by unions.
"You speak as if I have never worked for a multimillion dollar organisation Mike."
I've served coffee for Aramark .. that doesn't qualify me to lead Aramark. For that, I'd need a lobotomy.
"Managing multimillion dollar organisations is what I am also being educated in."
Clearly, basic English literacy is no longer a requirement for such a degree.
"Organisational culture and behaviour stem from the strategic apex of an organisation. This also includes the upper echelons of the techno-structure and support structure."
You realise that the APEX is the TOP and that staff are .. how do I put this delicately .. NOT AT THE FUCKING TOP?
"they do not do a "great" job that strives to "delight" students."
They are also not working in a shady massage parlor. I'm not sure what you expect from Dal Staff, but I'm pretty sure it is illegal.
"You obviously have never taken serious academic literature of business or public management."
I did, but I put it back. Stealing is wrong. Speaking of crimes, I should mention that your lack of basic communication skills makes me want to weep.
Gregorian says:
[Mar 17th @ 07:56pm]
Silly critic. I am ignorant to your use of CSB. I will address the staff at the SUB. They might know students within the DSU building, but I doubt that they know those that do not frequent the DSU's events or clique.
As for spoiled- I was going to the school of hard knocks while you were going to junior and senior high school. If the young adults are 'a bunch of spoiled, self-centered, ill-mannered children in their 20s', it is only because people refuse to see the REAL roots to the problems that plague our society. This is very similar in context to the problems of the Union.
I do not have my Organisational Behavior text books with me. The gist of New Public Management and New Business Management is audience/customer/citizen based. It aims at decentralizing authority and responsibility in order to provide better service. Just because something is not defined in your job description does not mean that one should not do it. If one sees a task that will benefit or help in achieving organizational goals, then one should at worst identify the task, opportunity, or idea to a superior (Intrapreneurship- yes 'Intra') or at best strive to do the task themselves.
Silly critic Every single student and employee of the Union is part of the apathy problem. Including myself. The question is who is striving to be part of the solution. I do not consume narcotics.
If you were unable to identify problems within Aramark serving coffee, you must have been on drugs or have the IQ of a tomato. I hear complaints about the coffee shop management policies from the front employees pretty consistently. Eg staffing not being able to keep up during peak demand hours, negligence by management in giving staff proper recognition, supply of honey (indirect material) not meeting demand of consumers (which in turn has upset me), not enough pay, not enough off time, etc
I worked at a convenience store of campus as a stock boy and part time clerk; I learned tons about the internal and external problems faced by that small organization. Like come on, you obviously are a smart guy (you are in University) stop trying to bust my balls, just for the sake of it. I seriously believe strongly about the opinions that have been stated and consider them relevant.
If your comment referring to my English was about the s in organization; it is correct English Canadian spelling. Check it out. If it was not, I am not going to proof read my posts.
The Apex of the Union's full time staff is exactly what one of the major problems within the Union is. Debogorski refers to them as the full time staffers; he is not referring to the janitor.
The 'shady massage parlor' comment is not even worth responding to.
In reply to your last comment- I am truly sorry you are so angry at life and feel the need to attack others based on so little. If you ever really need someone to talk to about your strife's, email me at the address I posted above. Let us work together as comrades to solve the world's ills. For the Union!
AEB says:
[Mar 17th @ 08:32pm]
JP has a MA in English (in addition to two other BAs)... I don't think it was the 's' he was objecting to.
Yannick says:
[Mar 17th @ 09:45pm]
Greg,
I've took some management, economics and leadership courses as an undergrad and I can tell you that you text book cannot fully prepare you for a management job like the DSU presidency. I was the president of DAGS for only 3 months and the I learned much more from the experience than the class or the text book. The class or the text book are good foundation but experience still count for more.
Roberts says:
[Mar 17th @ 10:09pm]
I've been hooked to this site all week and am really loving the back and forth debates within the comments section. I also appreciate those who, when making bold statements, provide their real name (or at least something that allows them to be identifiable). Which leads me to my next question: who is "Gregorian"? I don't think it's the Gregory running for President. GD has consistently used both his firat and last name. Also, an e-mail he offers is his last name @dal.ca while Gregorian offers an e-mail that is clearly a Dal banner number attached to a hotmail account (?). Maybe GD decided to change his posting name or I'm missing something but it's be nice to know for sure who's arguing for who.
Thanks to all for the reading material!
effdemocracy says:
[Mar 18th @ 12:01am]
Put it this way, young GD will never be the type of fellow ANYone would ask to run something larger than a lemonade stand and even then they wouldn't let him be in charge of strategic direction or speak to the media.
A Dal BMgmt isn't great training and PAdmin courses are for the hopelessly inane. PROTIP Co-op helps to develop real skills, get a BComm.
Reality Check says:
[Mar 18th @ 12:15am]
Yeah, I guess you could do that, but why would you go through Arts when you could get a real degree?
JP says:
[Mar 18th @ 04:52pm]
"I was going to the school of hard knocks while you were going to junior and senior high school."
You were in the school of hard knocks in '86? Did you get a diploma? Does your mother know that you refer to her womb so harshly?
"If your comment referring to my English was about the s in organization; it is correct English Canadian spelling. Check it out. If it was not, I am not going to proof read my posts."
It was not. The fact that you are unwilling to take a couple of minutes to proof-read communications aimed at potential voters speaks volumes, though.
"The 'shady massage parlor' comment is not even worth responding to."
True, but it was pretty damned funny.
Gregorian says:
[Mar 18th @ 05:39pm]
I had experience running an organisation long before I came to Dalhousie. It was my own; it was not as large as the Union obviously. It was succcessful.
Are you guys so critical hateful with everyone or is just me?
Just rememeber one thing; "it's cool anyway I bust it".
Lighten up! It's election time.
For the Union!
Jonathan Wilson says:
[Mar 19th @ 01:19pm]
Here we are again, another year has passed by and I feel the need to add my name to the list of people trying to talk some sense into those mis-informed about the DSU...
I won't get into the whole attack someone personally, although that is what I do best. I will try something different this year and point out shortcomings in people's logic (or lack thereof).
The DSU Full-time staff is not SUPPOSED to have any real contact with the student body. That is what the executive, and the governing body of council is for. The full-time staff is mainly there to support council and the exec., and to be department heads for the majority of the DSU's endeavours.
Do you see the clerks at the Department of Finance mingling with the media and the voting public on behalf of their organization? Of course not. They are the grease that keeps the wheels running smoothly behind the scenes. It is the job of the elected/appointed officials and the communication staff to engage and communicate with their public.
See? No insults, but I am sure I still managed to make that Greg Jhnajjfdfdsksdborski guy feel like more of an idiot.
Keep it up Smitty.
Gregorian says:
[Mar 19th @ 05:14pm]
The reality that you mentioned is the traditional method of providing public service. This I agree with.
New Public Management (NPM)philosophies view the mechanics of the public service in a different way. There is contradictions within NPM dealing with accountability issues and the problem of laws keeping up to the pace of new policy, but the philosophies of NPM appear to working both in Canada and abroad. One of the keys to NPM is greater flexibility and response to public demands by increasing public service interaction with the public.
There is the fallcy of composition, which would state that the philosophies may not be transferable from the Macro to the Micro, but the fact remains that something different needs to be done within the DSU.
Increased awareness of public demands for DSU staffer's will embetter staffer's ability to make decisions of their own and advise the executive.
There are many ways this can be done.
But what do I know, you are likely far better educated than I.
Jonathan Wilson says:
[Mar 19th @ 08:59pm]
Not more educated, just more awesome.
Anonymous Coward says:
[Mar 20th @ 01:58am]
I'd vote for Awesome. Too bad I'm ineligible and Awesome isn't running for office.
It would seem I am trying to make up for a lack of posts today by posting one really long one. I've been going through the presidential election platforms. Slowly. I've written summaries, which are below.
I don't know what percentage of voters will be checking out these platforms - since the websites will be down on election day, I suspect the number isn't high. That said, I think it's important that candidates articulate ideas and a vision. People like me WILL read it, and it's a useful exercise to do yourselves.
For the record, I looked up the profiles Gault and Larkin ran with last year... neither made well-defined promises, so I can't really track their performance. I can tell you that although Debogorskhrushchev wasn't elected last year, his promise was that he would keep running and raising his ideas, and he's done that.
Then I tried to locate the executive review report, and found the first one in one of the three sets of minutes posted, in January (only late by 5 months, yay Council!). I'd forgotten how toothless exec review reports had been in recent years. How is that recommendations that we made 6 years ago and were universally agreed to STILL haven't been implemented? I was, however, pleased to see they are still using many of the student survey questions my committee wrote in 2001, and that they are still using the software I set up for them years ago (now maintained by the Dal-ACM). Wow, I'm meandering like an old man.
Don't get me started on exec review. Anyway, there wasn't much there, but I noticed one interesting thing - councillors felt that Gault better reflected the will of Council but less so the will of students, whereas Larkin better reflected the will of students but less so the will of Council.
Moving on.
In keeping with my autocratic streak, I've invented some categories, and declared winners.
Most concrete innovative ideas: Debogorski. I suspect some are not practical, and I am certain they won't all achieve the stated objectives, and some are batshit crazy, but he gives a detailed plan. Actually, some of his ideas make good sense. I think he has political Tourette's - he can sound like an outsider with a vision for a better DSU for a few minutes, and then all of a sudden he's calling a great bunch of people dog f***ers. John Hillman is the runner-up.
Most obvious typo: Larkin. The very first sentence: "Courtney Larkin is a strong leader that can leader you..." (emphasis added).
Best organization: Gault. Break it down by vision, then by ideal, and then offer some ideas on how to get there. Nice.
Most annoying use of third-person: Larkin. Michael Smit wants you to know that she wins hands-down.
Outstanding Achievement in unattainable goals: Debogorski.
Best Presentation: Hillman, for highlighting the important points of his platform so we don't have to read every word.
Best use of vague platitudes: Gault. "students must now create a unified voice" ... "Engage with community partners" ... "These initiatives need to be strengthened" ... "This is a clear growth opportunity" ... "facilitating connections and collaboration" ...
Most convincing case for being able to achieve goals: Larkin. Melding her experience in with her goals works well for me. Gault also did well in this category.
Summaries
These are (mostly) my words, based on my reading of their platforms. For latest versions and more details, see the platforms for Larkin, Gault (3 pages), Hillman, and Debogorski.
(My commentary is offered in italicized parentheses).
Gault
She's pillaged the "Imagine..." catchphrase, and is imagining a three-quality union based on Approachability, Sustainability, Empowerment.
Approachable:- Make the DSU more diverse by putting free-for-all society space and gender-neutral washrooms in the SUB (That's *all* we are missing.)
- Come up with a strategy to improve communication (Vague platitude... we must need a committee!)
- Further existing leadership initiatives, working with Dal and local businesses (To hell with local businesses, we need jobs in ONTARIO)
Sustainable:- Let the sustainability office do its job (yay thanks!)
- More financial review (sexy stuff!)
- Long-term vision, facility improvements, consulting students on upcoming food services contract.
Empowered:- Help societies with turnover, encourage open Council dialog (My recollection of Council is that it needed hella less dialog)
- Give students a voice through HSA and municipal election
- Improve Metro Transit, add late-night route
- More campus awareness of post-secondary education issues
Debogorski- Extensive research to learn about the DSU, its employees, its facilities, its structure. (This, by the way, will be achieved in 3 days.)
- Study the finances of the Union and all societies, hold all unnecessary spending, maintain day-to-day operations over the summer.
- Deliver an address of the union to describe potential cuts, based on relevance, cost, and usage of services. Then, hold a referendum, voting line-by-line on budget cuts. (Please, take a few hours out of your day to vote in the referendum)
- Using the savings, host a 2-day "Unity Day" after finals, including multi-disciplinary events and an unparalleled celebration.
- Fix the DSU website, including publishing minutes, major upcoming decisions and past decisions with voting records, and quartery financial reports.
- Abolish in-camera discussions
- Allow in-store pickup for online bookstore orders.
- Put the Dawgfather inside the SUB(Hello, health department? I have a tip...)
- Consolidate and eliminate committees; implement Union Criers.
- Hire students with different backgrounds to audit and report on the Union.
- Open Union-owned business, subsidized by the government. These businesses will sell skills, replacing the currently ineffective services sector.(Amusingly, the services sector now accounts for over 50% of the US economy)
- Have law students fix the constitution to prevent political cliques.
- Offer online voting on issues before Council.
- Use the Gazette to make students aware of Union issues and events.
- Work with the DFA to get professors to advise and help the Union.
Larkin
Student Experience- Student engagement by motivating the DSU executive and encouraging teamwork
- Encourage societies as a vehicle for student engagement; help societies reach out to students.(Hey, you know what the DSU needs to do? Muck about with something that's already working.)
- Work with BoG Student Experience Committee to help guide university in its efforts to understand the student experience.
- Increasing awareness of DSU services, using orientation week, society fairs, residences, etc.
- Work with CASA and ANSSA to improve the student experience, and encourage students to understand and get involved with both.(Not a goal so much as a job description.)
Safety in the Community- Advocate for student safety throughout the city. (... who are we advocating for 'safety'? Are we cutting a deal with gangs?)
- Work with the HSA.
- Security on campus - safety walks, more foot patrol officers.
Sustainability- Support the initiatives of societies, students, and the sustainability office to move the DSU to be more sustainable.
Hillman
Student Involvement- Dialog with the students, through channels like Gazette and DSU, to reduce the mystique of the office.
- Solving approachability through real action, like visiting student hubs at lunch, passing out cookies, and listening.
- Using his first month of pay to run an event designed to reach out to students and learn their issues, like some type of competition. A ground level, affordable approach instead of throwing money at TVs.
- Work to make societies more inclusive, including Kings students.
External Lobbying- Continue the leading role Dal plays in CASA and ANSSA
- Full support of the premise of the HSA, especially given its perceived relevance to students relative to ANSSA and CASA
Student Safety- More late-night bus routes
- Improved campus safety - better lighting, major improvements to Tiger Patrol especially walking services, learn from examples on other campuses.
Sustainability- Fiscal prudence - stewardship of student fees.
- Using sustainability to save money
Comments:
Official Gang Liaison says:
[Mar 16th @ 11:44am]
If Larkin is going to start cutting deals with gangs, she has my vote. I suggest taking it further and paying them out of the budget to replace campus security. SMU kids violate our turf? I don't think so.
Union Criers! Brilliant! Be sure to hire that guy in front of the SUB who wants you to know about Jesus, he has plenty of experience.
Larkin and Gault both have an impressive stance on sustainability: let the Sustainability Office do its job while the VPI makes sure it happens. Isn't it great when you can target a hot-button issue without making any actual promises whatsoever?
Anonymous DSUer says:
[Mar 16th @ 01:11pm]
...you know, Hillman's platform actually sounds pretty good. I wouldn't mind seeing him win.
Ian says:
[Mar 16th @ 11:23pm]
Actually, I kinda like the idea of a union crier... that would definitely get news out. Nobody pays attention to posters, especially at a university... but someone actually talking about something might get some attention.
The "Improving Metro Transit" idea is dead in the water... Metro Transit would love to expand its routes, they just can't afford to. Period, end of story... and the DSU just doesn't have that much leverage with them.
Putting the Dawgfather in the SUB isn't going to happen either... can't easily replace SodexHo, and even if you could, any other contract signed would be similarly exclusive. That's just the way it's going to be.
Re: Deborat and the Gazette, the Gazette isn't and shouldn't be a DSU mouthpiece... I believe the DSU gets some free ad space already, if not they can always purchase some... or they could just use one of their many websites for communications.
Gregorian says:
[Mar 17th @ 02:46pm]
Nobody stated that the Dawgfather would replace food services that are currently contracted out.
Simply give the man a little cover at the front of the building so students do not have to eat snow with their jalapenos. Give the man a place for his stand that is sanctioned by the Union. That is all that was suggested.
"Union Criers" are a key component of the cure for student apathy.
The Gazette would get more involvement and better support if the Union was receiving the same. The parallel apthy problems for both seem some how correlated. After the Presidential Debate, there was a young lady out front that was vehemently angry bout trying to gain access to the Gazette, but facing a barrier of a similar "in crowd" at the Gazette.
The Gazette faces fairly similar problems as the union if take out a few factors.
JP says:
[Mar 17th @ 06:56pm]
The problems with student apathy do not stem from Dal. If they did, one would reasonably expect to find a non-apathetic student body somewhere in Canada.
The hubris that created your silly belief that apathy has anything to do with Dal and nothing to do with parenting and the social construction of childish adults is staggering.
Thanks for the giggles.
Gregorian says:
[Mar 18th @ 05:59pm]
There was a recent student union election, at a Canadian university, that had a voter turnout just below 50%. I think it was SMU, but I am likely wrong.
mike says:
[Mar 18th @ 07:07pm]
It was St. FX, I actually mentioned it myself in the Day 5 wrap-up.
First, you can't really compare a 5,000 person university to a 15,000 one. It's a very different environment in which to reach people. Even at 50%, that's only 2,500 people who voted - fewer than at Dalhousie last year. Most of voter turnout is due to candidates' friends and friends of friends; that circle of friends makes a much bigger dent in 5,000 people than it does in 15,000.
Second, voter turnout isn't necessarily an indicator of lack of apathy. That was the result of an all-out, year-long effort to get voters, not to increase student involvement. It involved councillors, staff, and executives. It's wonderful, it's a real accomplishment, but we have to remember that their goal was to get people to fill out a ballot, not to cure student apathy. We know they achieved their goal; we don't know if they cured student apathy.
Gregorian says:
[Mar 18th @ 09:56pm]
Point taken.
It would be wonderful if 7,500 Dalhousie students cared enough to vote like St FX.
Your suggestion of "friends telling friends" seems to point at the power a "political clique" can hold in a much larger school though. If the effect you describe is multiplicative, then a group already firmly established in knowledge and fraternity (surrounding an organisation)would hold a severe social advantage over others.
Do you agree? If not,why?
mike says:
[Mar 18th @ 10:35pm]
Yes and no. :)
No because the "friend of friends" thing applies to everyone, regardless of their involvement in the DSU.
No because there is no inside-the-Beltway conspiracy to control the DSU; if there were, you would never see two sitting VPs run against each other.
No because if you show up at Council and want to get involved, the 'clique' welcomes you with open arms. It's only when you run against them that they get bitchy. :)
No because about 1,500 of Dal's votes are from DSU "insiders" or within a circle of friends, but the remainder do come from students with no such associations (these numbers are approximate, but I believe fairly accurate). And often, when you look at the voting trends, these people will vote for the experienced DSUer. That's not because they are part of the "in" clique. My feeling is that in general, people like to 'promote from within' for the executive positions. They want someone with experience and a proven record. People from outside the "in" clique are regularly elected to Senate and BoG positions. It's like most other political arenas; you don't get elected premier or president as an unknown. (I should add that the history of the DSU is replete with cases where people from outside the inner circle have won executive positions, though I agree it is less common). An obvious exception is those very dissatisfied with the current state of the Union and pushing for change.
Yes because everything is easier the second time - campaigning, running, shoring up support, dealing with abuse from MikeSmit.com.
Yes because it is a definite head start if you have strong support from the current power base. Not only will they vote for you - leaving everyone else playing catch-up - but they'll encourage others to vote for you.
Yes because it is those inside the "inner circle", if such a thing exists, who are most likely to know about the positions and seek the positions. Granted, they made the choice to get involved and find these positions, but the point remains.
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