In their first debate of the 2022 AMS Elections, the seven candidates for AMS president largely agreed on several issues, but divisions between veterans and newcomers emerged.
Last night’s hour-long debate included both familiar and new faces. AMS VP Academic & University Affairs (AUA) Eshana Bhangu and AMS VP External Saad Shoaib are seeking the top position in the student society, while newcomers Wesley Choi, Sydney Harakal and Tate Kaufman hope to bring in a new perspective. Two joke candidates — The Pan and Remy the Rat from Open Kitchen — are also running.
Candidates agreed that the AMS needs to work on student engagement and transparency, but disagreed on the path toward this goal.
Choi said he would implement a “moving-out-of-the-office initiative” to encourage other execs to work in the library or other common spaces on campus to bring them closer to students. Kaufman echoed this, stating that he would “actually go out and engage with … students.”
Kaufman added that he would post weekly videos to keep students informed of the AMS’s ongoing projects. Shoaib, meanwhile, said he would host quarterly town hall meetings and require execs to publish quarterly reports to keep students updated.
Harakal and Remy both said that they would raise awareness of the AMS by asking professors to include information on the student society in their classes and syllabi. This would have to be done through the UBC Senate.
Bhangu said she has a track record of engaging with students through surveys and emails as VP AUA and said she plans to continue to “fight for students.”
Candidates agreed, however, that execs or AMS committee chairs who fail to attend meetings and fulfill their obligations should be held accountable.
“They should be responsible to show up to talk about … what's good for the students. And if they're not doing that, they're not exactly doing their job,” said Harakal.
In response to a question on the issues within the AMS’s Sexual Violence Policy (I-17), none of the candidates specifically referenced issues in the policy, potentially indicating a lack of familiarity with it. Instead, candidates spoke of the need to take a trauma-informed and survivor-centric approach when reviewing this policy.
“It's essential that when we are doing these reviews, we're consulting with the appropriate bodies with expertise who’ve been doing this work for years,” said Bhangu.
Insiders versus outsiders
Bhangu and Shoaib, who are both current AMS execs, faced targeted audience questions and criticism from other candidates for their AMS insider status.
When asked by an audience member how he can classify himself as anti-establishment after holding an AMS position for two years and having access to fraternity networks, Shoaib affirmed that he was anti-establishment and that he is proud of the work he has done.
“I am just putting myself out there. This is nothing special. Any student can put themselves out there,” he said.
Shoaib also faced criticism from Harakal for meeting with independent MP Kevin Vuong last month. Vuong has previously faced sexual assault charges.
“I've made it my mission to prioritize my advocacy on sexual violence prevention … I lobbied the province for the past two years on establishing minimum standards and post-secondary sexual violence policies,” he said. He apologized for the meeting.
Bhangu also called Harakal’s words “unbecoming” after they claimed she had copied AMS President Cole Evans’ platform from 2020 verbatim.
“My platform is things I believe in. And if there are any similarities, like for example, affordability and some concerns that all students believe in, it just highlights that those are issues that matter to students,” Bhangu said.
Newcomers talked about their weaknesses — often unprovoked.
Choi said he was “so unqualified” for president and “God help us all” if he was elected. He said he was “willing to change,” however.
“I will combat careerism by campaigning without any intention of being elected,” said The Pan.
The Pan’s representative is Thomas McLeod, The Ubyssey’s blog and opinion editor. He is not involved in this year’s election coverage.
Follow us at @UbysseyNews on Twitter and follow our election coverage starting February 28. This article is part of our 2022 AMS elections coverage.