VP Administration candidates Aidan Wilson and Sylvester Mensah Jr were separated by a clear knowledge gap as they faced off in the Lev Bukhman Lounge yesterday evening.
Mensah and Wilson covered more topics than the first debate, where they often got caught up in long-winded exchanges in open periods. In a showdown over the AMS artwork, sustainability and social justice, Wilson’s understanding of the society’s inner workings shined through as he described policy details that Mensah could not.
Although Mensah criticized Wilson for not having achieved his goals while sitting on the AMS Operations Committee, Wilson’s knowledge of the admin portfolio was apparent in his policy proposals. Wilson said that projects using the Capital Projects Fund such as adding more green space to the Nest would improve the student experience.
“We have to make sure that we’re not just adding another place to sit in the Nest [but] that the space creates community,” he said, giving the example of the Nest rooftop garden. Mensah retorted by saying that the patio garden was unmanaged, but this was incorrect: Roots on the Roof oversees it.
“I'm obviously not dismissing this but I think there’s a lot of greenery on campus already,” said Mensah.
Wilson fielded an audience question on where cash would come from if the fund were exhausted by listing other possible funds that could be used for similar projects. Mensah said he felt “as though we have enough funds to cater to those issues,” but did not name any.
On how candidates would further sustainability, Wilson spoke favourably of the AMS’s Ethical and Sustainable Purchasing Policy, which outlines the purchase of fair-trade goods. He said he would consider meatless meals in AMS food locations, as well as removing advertising of fossil fuel interests from the Nest, such as RBC ads.
An audience member called him out on naming the policy, which hasn’t been revised since 2005. He responded that it should be revived to consider environmental sustainability and climate justice for marginalized communities.
Mensah’s plan was vague aside from consulting with clubs on sustainability policy so club executives could enforce them in their circles.
Mensah also said his platform “doesn't address any specific types of [capital] projects," but rather he wanted to focus on ensuring the capital projects already completed by the AMS were being used effectively and operations continued to run smoothly.
Questions about the Hatch Art Gallery and the AMS’s permanent art collection also highlighted the candidates’ knowledge gap. Even though a 2017 referendum passed allowing the AMS to sell a limited number of pieces from its collection, both candidates promoted maintaining the collection and exhibiting it in the Hatch. Wilson said that money from artwork sales should only go to buying new art, and Mensah echoed this.
Mensah said that to improve student engagement with the Hatch, he would instate a “student month” where students can display their work which would increase student engagement with the Hatch and the permanent art collection.
“I do not think students are going to see these numerous artifacts that we have because students are not being encouraged to engage with them,” he said.
“Which is why I do think having more student initiatives, or having more students display their work in there is what's going to generate engagement.”
But student artists already present a vast majority of Hatch exhibits, something that Wilson pointed out.
Candidates carried from the previous debate the question of Mensah’s fraternity membership and whether that would bias AMS–InterFraternity Council (IFC) negotiations over a memorandum of understanding. Mensah claimed that he did not have any bias that would impact his ability to conduct this work and said he agreed with the Operations Committee's decision to deconstitute the IFC.
“As a matter of fact I do agree with the current stance of the AMS in disbanding the IFC because they did break a lot of rules, but moving forward it’s important that we work with the various groups on campus and support them.”
Discussing the society’s relationship with its resource groups, Mensah said he would increase awareness of them so students would be engaged and show up to events.
Wilson gave Mensah flak for not including diversity in his platform. Later in the debate, he also offered tangible plans of his own to help resource groups, like making it easier to submit referenda questions so they can increase their budgets and update their bylaws.
In Mensah’s answer to a question about the AMS’s responsibility over the Lennon Walls — in the Nest for Hong Kong and in the Life Building for Kashmir — he again brought up student engagement and acknowledged the importance of having these walls so students feel included.
Diverging from the walls in a slight non sequitur, he said that the AMS needs to diversify its food offerings.
“This goes beyond just making sure that there are walls in place for people to put things up,” he said. “This can be seen through having more comprehensive and more inclusive menus in our food options.”
Wilson said he would address vandalism to these walls through policy I-7 on expulsions from AMS property: “No one should be able to defame these,” he said.
Sylvester Mensah Jr previously served on the The Ubyssey's Board of Directors, but resigned shortly before the AMS elections campaigning period began. The Board of Directors does not influence the decisions of content editors.
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