Comments:
Gregory Debogorski says:
[Mar 10th @ 07:41pm]
Curse the usurper!lol
Antics Observer says:
[Mar 10th @ 07:42pm]
this is absolutely precious. hahaha.
Gregory Debogorski says:
[Mar 10th @ 08:00pm]
It is precious, is it not? If 500 students read my statement, as poorly written as it is, and I persuade only one third of them to side with me, on only half the issues I raised in my statement, then I have "won" this year's election.
Then, next year, if I can convince just another third...
The DSU is only a mock reality of the existence of larger problem in our society- citizen apathy and tyranny over the masses of "have not's", by the "haves"
I wonder how many of our dear candidates spend years of sleepless nights pondering the things I do. Maybe I am just the campus crazy.
Anonymous Prole says:
[Mar 10th @ 09:20pm]
Rise up students! You have nothing to lose but your chains! Also dignity! Self-respect! Oh, and TITLES!
-- Anonymous Prole, ESQ.
... wait, shit.
-- Anonymous Prole
Gregory Debogorski says:
[Mar 10th @ 09:23pm]
There is no dignity in making a mockery of people who have the courage to try and change the world for the better.
Chris M says:
[Mar 10th @ 09:34pm]
I would emphasize, IF the opinions you hold are in fact persuasive.
Good Luck.
Pseudonymous Coward says:
[Mar 10th @ 09:34pm]
Just then they came in sight of thirty or forty DSU pols that rise from that SUB. And no sooner did Debogorski see them that he said to his squire, "Fortune is guiding our affairs better than we ourselves could have wished. Do you see over yonder, friend Grego, thirty or forty hulking giants? I intend to do battle with them and slay them. With their spoils we shall begin to be rich for this is a righteous war and the removal of so foul a brood from off the face of the earth is a service God will bless."
Antics Observer says:
[Mar 10th @ 10:14pm]
If only we could see the transgression that is being done to us! Then maybe we could decide to change the world for the better, but alas, we are blind. We are shackled by our ignorance, decieved by our own institutions! Certainly we must want to change it, but how?....how?
Gregory Debogorski says:
[Mar 10th @ 10:43pm]
The Proletariat is growing weary and more anxious for change every year.
effffdemocracy says:
[Mar 10th @ 11:12pm]
You do know, dear Greg, that you come off as crazy, poorly organized, and a tad mentally defective when you rant like this? Not trying to take away from what you\'re doing but put a little time and thought into getting things correct and no one will laugh at you. mmm kay?
Anxious Prole says:
[Mar 10th @ 11:50pm]
"...If 500 students read my statement, as poorly written as it is, and I persuade only one third of them to side with me, on only half the issues I raised in my statement, then I have "won" this year's election..."
Issues like renouncing the Liberals and Conservatives, political parties with which the DSU is unaffiliated? Or posting minutes (which roughly six people besides you actually care enough to read) to combat student apathy? And please explain how convincing one third of 500 students (about 167) would win you the election, in which over 20% of the electorate (3000+ students) vote. That would give you about 5.5% of the vote - 0.6% less (by Mr. Smit's old blog posts) than you won for BoG. Apparently we do math differently.
I wish you luck sir. You'll need it.
Anxious Prole says:
[Mar 10th @ 11:58pm]
Also - anyone else notice that nowhere in that entire manifesto does Mr. Debogorski actually state what position he's running for? Wow.
Annomous Juggernaut says:
[Mar 11th @ 12:28am]
I like to think of debogorski as the Unnatural Law candidate for the presidency
Jen Bond says:
[Mar 11th @ 12:29am]
A lot of words, but not one idea. Until Debogorski proposes some concrete solutions to the problems he sees in the Union, he's just another complainer.
John Hillman says:
[Mar 11th @ 01:43am]
I think he made a good enough point about the minutes. I've been irked by that myself. Putting them up might not do anything about student apathy, but by not putting them up, council is failing to leading the fight against apathy by example.
As for the rest of the document...I suppose we're all entitled to our opinions, just as others are entitled to mock them mercilessly. Cynical though I might be, I'll leave it at that for now, as it's a bit too easy to kick a guy while he's down, even if he is my top rival for the mentally unstable vote.
Gregory Debogorski says:
[Mar 11th @ 01:48am]
Patience my dear ladies and gentlemen. This lunatic of a candidate happens to have one disadvantage that the two of his opponents do not. He is taking a full course load.
It is 1:30am and this nutcase is still working on his marketing presentation that is worth 4% of his mark.
As for solutions- there is no set solution apparent to the DSU's problems until the student population is properly engaged into what their true opinions are of the current programs and expenditures. Hence, this nutcase would spen all summer compiling information about every program and expenditure of the DSU.
*Now this is for the very simple minded folk who jsut do not seem to get the real root of student apathy, no matter how much they yap their gums at me.*
STUDENTS, IN GENERAL, DO NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY WANT FROM THE UNION.
Most are unaware of the many programs and committes that the DSU offers. Most do not fathom the potential that the DSU holds for embettering student life.
WE need leaders within council to part from their precious building and actually, in person, ask students (by the thousands) what they want. Imagine that, politicians who actually do real politicking outside of election time. What a beautiful thing that would be.
Give me about one hour to finish my priority and I will lay out a gameplan for you and everybody else.
Gregory Debogorski says:
[Mar 11th @ 03:49am]
The very begginings of my platform is up ladies and gentlemen. Criticise, howl at the wind, and attack me for another seven days!lol
Gregory Debogorski says:
[Mar 11th @ 03:52am]
Unfortunately, you will have to stoop yourself with viewing my disgusting Facebook group in oreder to view my platform. I am too computer illiterate to create a website this year.
mike says:
[Mar 11th @ 03:59am]
Dear readers,
The group he mentions is
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8377969589.
Gregory Debogorski says:
[Mar 11th @ 04:13am]
And for now, that is as much of a platform as anyone is getting until I finish my Marketing presentation on framing a viable campaign for ebryonic stem cell research.
AnonymousDSUer says:
[Mar 11th @ 01:37pm]
I read Mr. Debogorski's platform (so the rest of you don't have to). As you'd expect, it doesn't make much sense - he promises to spend a lot of time collecting information that is already available, do the VP Finance's job (using his newly acquired accounting skills) because he wouldn't trust them, and post minutes on the DSU website.
BONUS: - Uses the word "fatherland" (anyone else think that's weird?)
- Confuses "on camera" with "in camera"
- Uncalled for ad hominem attack on Mike Tipping
- Promises to prepare an "Address of the Union" (I thought it was 6136 University)
- Capitalizes random Words, puts "others" in quotes.
Gregory Debogorski says:
[Mar 11th @ 01:53pm]
I do not think you realise what information I wish to collect and how I intend to use it.
Each to their own opinion.
I think that the fact I am ignorant to the things you pointed out is exactly what the problem is. If I am this ignorant, what aout the students that have no involvement with DSU whatsoever?
Silly critic!
Jen Bond says:
[Mar 11th @ 01:57pm]
A referendum (in September no less!) on each line of the budget?
Please...can we start talking about Gault, Larkin and Hillman? Methinks they might actually have some ideas that would affect change.
John Hillman says:
[Mar 11th @ 02:17pm]
Wait, ideas? You expect me to have ideas?!
Because of the attention everyone gave Greg, I just spent the last four days preparing a diatribe to inspire Dalhousie students to overthrow Mike Tipping and lead the charge in the global war against capitalism! You mean to tell me that isn't what these elections are about?
Crap! Back to the drawing board!
AnonymousDSUer says:
[Mar 11th @ 02:35pm]
Sorry John, I think you're going to have to actually come up with a real platform. Seriously though - it's Tuesday and the "Campaign Platform" section of your site remains empty. What gives?
Jen - I'd love to see some real change in the DSU, I genuinely would. But after a number of years around the SUB, I'm not optimistic. Maybe someone will surprise me this year though. Until then, Greg keeps the campaign entertaining.
Gregory Debogorski says:
[Mar 11th @ 04:10pm]
The problem with your opinions are that they lack creativity and imagination. The DSU's issues are of a magnitude that radical change is needed to shock the student population out of their apathetic slumber.
There were only a handful of students present at todays forum and not a single DSU "outsider" sat through the whole of it! Maybe the reason is that they feel they are not being "entertained". Maybe they are feeling that they are being the same election lip service as every other year.
If the Union does what it has always done, it will get what it always receives. Apathy and more problems.
The union wants to work with ANSA and CASSA to reduce tuition; try lowering the union fees we charge first. Is it not similar to tuition because it is mandatory taht students pay the Union fees?
Another dollar fee hike is likely this year for another initiative that a majority of students could not give a rat's ass about!
Gregory Debogorski says:
[Mar 11th @ 04:22pm]
Another thing, if I had as much free time on my hands as some of the candidates I watched over the last year. I would be a DSU expert too.
It is too bad that due note wasn't taken of the number of head nods and thumbs up I received today while I spoke.
Silly critics, the students hate most of the DSU candidates and could give a crap about the stupid committees and other crap.
They want a Union, not a boring headache.
efffdemocracy says:
[Mar 11th @ 04:47pm]
Thanks to whoever read that platform.
On to real contenders...any thoughts from the peanut gallery on larkin/gault/hillman?
Anonymous Coward says:
[Mar 11th @ 06:48pm]
My impressions from their websites:
Not a huge fan of either Larkin or Gault... but Gault's campaign platform seems to be more focused than Larkin's. Courtney seems to be capitalizing on all the *amazing* things she has done this year... oh my god, she organized a successful FallFest! Oh wait, that's part of her SL portfolio anyway. And she probably knew how to do most of it because she was the SL commissioner from the year before, and had already learned from her mistakes. Tara's campaign at least focuses on what she wants to do next year. I don't see anything hugely innovative on either of their parts but at least Tara seems organized and more future-oriented.
I also heard that Courtney was originally planning on re-offering for VP SL... so if that is true, I am curious as to why she switched to the presidential race.
mike says:
[Mar 11th @ 08:12pm]
"Another thing, if I had as much free time on my hands as some of the candidates I watched over the last year. I would be a DSU expert too."
I took a full course load and maintained a 20-hour per week part time job during my entire time on DSU Council. Computer Science, Honours, first class, etc. I still maintain a full-time workload as a grad student, and keep tabs on the DSU despite being in Edmonton.
Name all the ideas you want, but don't play the long-suffering student card with me. It makes you sound ridiculous.
jae-con says:
[Mar 11th @ 08:19pm]
Greg, I believe that as full time students, we only pay 113 dollars to the DSU a year. Since you commented earlier that you had trouble navigating the DSU website, here's the address where you can find the fee breakdown:
http://www.dsu.ca/aboutus/studentfeebreakdown
Personally, I doubt that I'd feel the discount in union fees that you have proposed in your plan to cut unnecessary programs. Actually, more than likely my university experience would be hindered by the cuts to programs that I and many other students so greatly enjoy! At a recent Student Experience meeting with BOG members, it came to light that these programs and societies are a key
reason why students stay at Dalhousie.
I'd like to know how you're going to reduce fees so drastically that I'd feel it (ie. over $50/year) while still maintaining the great student societies and programs available to me. This just seems unrealistic. Heck I'd rather that you charge me an extra $2 and provide another helpful service or other resources.
Hmmmm refunding people for a little which in turn cuts a lot... sounds like a recent budget I've seen..
Gregory Debogorski says:
[Mar 12th @ 02:07am]
It is wonderful to see that my critics have been buys while I slept. Silly critics. Yes, Mike, I am sure when you went to Dalhousie it would snow ten feet deep, and you had to walk up hill both ways with a 1980's model IBM on your back. I dearly apologise in thinking that students want a Union that is more accessible and easier to get involved with. I am such a twit! I think we have confirmed that you and most others who wish to comment here think I sound ridiculous; I do not need to 'play the long-suffering student card' with you, because who could of suffered more than Mike. I know a good psychologist in Edmonton if you ever need to talk about it. If the psychologist doesn't work out, I can send you to talk to people I grew up with that know the true meaning of suffering.
As for Jae-con, I never said that I wanted to lower student fees, unless that is what students tell me to do, for the sake of lowering their overall tuition. I simply remarked that if the DSU is going to keep hiking the levy they impose on students, year after year, it is hypocritical to invest resources in ANSA to decrease tuition. The results of these silly federations have never, correct me if I am wrong, truly influenced 'real' politicians or bureaucracies into making any major tuition or loan cuts. Although, I would like to know who was responsible for influencing the federal government into forgiving millions in forsaken student loans when Chretien was around. You want tuition cuts, manage to lure out more than a few hundred or even a few thousand students. Put ten thousand Dalhousie students chanting in front of the Nova Scotia legislature, and maybe later city hall, and tuition cuts will follow. Not until then. Not until the Union has unity!
mike says:
[Mar 12th @ 02:13am]
My point seems to have winged over your head like one of them fancy stealth fighters.
My point was not to compare 'suffering', or even to assert that I suffered - I regret none of the time I spent with the DSU. Rather, I wanted to point out that you aren't the first person to combine DSU stuff with school work. It's just that the rest of us don't bring it up every 30 seconds.
You make some good points, and ask some questions that some people need to think about. My advice is to not obscure your point by talking about your schoolwork so much. That's all.
Gregory Debogorski says:
[Mar 12th @ 02:23am]
point taken
