The University of Alberta’s student newspaper, The Gateway, has received criticism from students for making alleged racist jokes in a recent humour piece.

According to The Vancouver Sun, the piece is part of the publication’s annual article that criticizes the posters of candidates in the University of Alberta Students’ Union elections.

The article comments on Board of Governors candidate Sangram Hansra’s poster, which refers to the candidate as “the brown guy in this election” and the “love interest in a Bollywood blockbuster,” caused students to send angry e-mails to The Gateway.

“They’re pretty critical, pretty rude,” Hansra told the Sun. “They have to realize they have a monopoly [on student media on campus]. There are standards to be kept.” Hansra went on to add that he didn’t think the piece was intentionally racist.

Gateway Editor-in-Chief Mike Kendrick issued a formal apology in a form of a letter to the student body on the paper’s website. “Considering the comments made by myself and others…it is clear that, regardless of original intent, they were poorly worded and potentially offensive,” he wrote.

“Because of this…I would like to apologize for any comments in the article that have caused offence to the candidates, our readers, or the general public.”