The University of Winnipeg’s Students Association’s (UWSA) spring election is shaping up to be an interesting race, with candidates eager to change the face of the ailing students’ association. With 23 candidates total and only one uncontested executive position, there are many fresh faces to choose from.

Over 50 students showed up to the Info booth foyer on Monday, Mar. 9 to hear the first of three lunch-hour candidate speech sessions. Catch the presidential candidate speeches tomorrow (Friday, Mar. 13) starting at 12:30 p.m. in the same place.

On Monday, many candidates expressed a desire to bring the UWSA back into touch with students.

“This is your UWSA. We don’t want to be down in the basement,” said Matt Schaubroeck, commenting on the literal and figurative isolation of the UWSA within the school. Schaubroeck is a former federal NDP candidate for St. Boniface who is running against longtime UWSA critic David EisBrenner for vice president advocate (VPA).

Courtney Maddock, sole candidate for vice president internal (VPI), promised more accountability and transparency regarding the UWSA’s budget, by making better use of the UWSA’s website.

Sustainability was also a popular topic, and not just for Nicole Jowett and Jazmin Villalta, both vying for the position of Environmental Ethics director. The proposed U-Pass and bottled water ban were mentioned as priorities by many.

There are five new faces running for the presidency: Vassan Aruljothi, Jason Robillard, Brenden Sommerhalder, Jason Syviaxy and Shimby Zegeye-Gebrehiwot.

Kelly Ross is the only incumbent candidate, running for a second term as vice president student services (VPSS) against newcomers Mohammed Subhan and Leanne Romaniuk. However, current part-time president Vinay Iyer wants to try his hand as Canadian Federation of Students’ liaison director and current VPI Geoff Brown is running against incumbent LGBT* director Jonathan Niemczak.

Also featured on the ballots will be two referendum questions, one on the initiative to ban bottled water on campus and the other regarding a $2 student levy to go toward a campus and community cycling facility.

Published in Volume 63, Number 23 of The Uniter (March 12, 2009)