It has been a long week. With 24 candidates running in the main races for the 2005 Students’ Union General Election–not including throngs of commissioner hopefuls–the Gauntlet has been burning the candle at both ends to speak to everyone, review every platform and compile the fairest, most objective candidate review supplement possible. Actually, I think we threw the candle into the fire two or three nights ago.
From our privileged position of covering the SU all year long and having a chance to sit down and question each major candidate, we have an opportunity the student electorate doesn’t. This is not a responsibility we’ve taken lightly and throughout the process we’ve done everything possible to ensure each candidate received the same treatment.
We arranged interviews with each of the SU Executive Cabinet candidates, grilled them on numerous matters from academic quality, accessibility and student apathy to lobbying strategies, university budgets and the best way to throw a large-scale student party. Candidates seeking the Senate Representative, Board of Governor’s Representative, VP External, VP Academic, VP Operations & Finance, VP Events and SU President positions were given 15 minutes in front of our editorial panel. Each got the same harsh questioning, the same cold stares and each have been evaluated by the same people.
In a project like this it is inevitable some people will be upset with our opinions. But there are bound to be even more people upset when the election results are finalized. After all, it is important to keep in mind only eight of the candidates within these pages will find themselves working for the SU next year.
Undoubtedly, our recommendations won’t appease everybody. Nor should they. We are not the be-all and end-all of student politics, though sometimes the daily grind of investigating and covering student issues might make us secretly think so.
Actually, we are students just like you. We have opinions and though they may have the advantage of being decently-informed, they are still just opinions.
The purpose of this supplement is not to tell anyone how to vote. Attend the all-candidates forums. Ask questions. Above all, read the candidates’ platforms available in the pull-out accompanying this paper. Get informed, then get out there and vote.