File photo. Brandon University Students’ Union (BUSU) headquarters in the Knowles-Douglas Building. (Holly Kalyniuk / The Quill)
BUSU council met on March 27th for the first time since early February, with a number of issues on the agenda.
BUSU is currently in the process of negotiating a new soft-drink agreement on campus. They are in talks with both Coke and Pepsi (Pepsi being the current provider). Neither company is particularly fond of the bottled water ban on campus, but the general consensus of council seemed to indicate the ban would remain in place.
Club funding was allocated to a number of groups. The Brandon University Gaming Association (BUGA) was granted $300 towards “club development.” The group is looking towards eventually creating a game design studio on campus.
Meanwhile, the BU Chemistry Club requested additional funding as well, in order to support sending two members to the Western Canadian Undergraduate Chemistry Conference in Saskatoon this May. They were awarded $300, the maximum amount BUSU could allocate to the club. According to BUSU bylaws, clubs can receive a maximum of $1000 in funding each year, which the Chemistry Club has now reached.
The Students for Life group submitted a revised constitution and application for club status to council. After a brief discussion, the issue was referred next year’s council, set to take office on May 1st. The rationale explained the group would have to re-apply for club status in the fall anyways, which would occur under the new council and executive. Therefore, it would make more sense for that particular group of individuals to make the decision, as the switchover to the new council will occur soon.
An updated budget was also presented to council. The regular election last month cost approximately $1,600. While this is a larger figure than usual due to the extended campaigning period, it pales in comparison to the almost $3,000 spent on the by-elections this fall.
Finally, the results from the regular elections were officially ratified, ending a campaign riddled by accusations, complaints, and appeals. After ratification of the results, there was a discussion about re-writing the election bylaws. Members of the ERDIE (Elections and Referenda Discipline, Interpretation and Enforcement) Board, who met many times during the election, expressed grave concerns over contradicting clauses and a general lack of information or direction. A number of potential options were discussed and the executive indicated an appointment had already been made with their lawyer to discuss the situation. Any changes to the bylaws would have to be approved at an AGM.
Republished from The Quill print edition, Volume 103, Issue 28, April 9, 2013.