Elamin Abdelmahmoud and Hakim Kassam, both ArtSci ’09, were shocked to discover that they were the only team running for the Arts and Science Undergraduate Society (ASUS) executive.
“We’re not happy about being the only ones running,” Kassam said.
Abdelmahmoud is running for ASUS president, and Kassam is running for vice-president.
To win their acclamation vote, Abdelmahmoud and Kassam still need a 60 per cent confidence vote in order to be acclaimed to their positions. ASUS Vice-President Kyle Abrey said he likes the team’s platform.
“It seems very constructive—they have some good ideas for change,” he said. “I think they’re bringing some fresh innovative ideas into the society.”
Although Abdelmahmoud and Kassam haven’t sat on ASUS Assembly, Abrey said he doesn’t think this will have an effect on their ability to govern.
“It’s not that uncommon that new exec haven’t sat on ASUS Assembly before,” he said. “We’ll just have to get to know them, I guess.” Abdelmahmoud and Kassam said one of their top priorities for ASUS next year would be to improve communication with students through newsletters and town hall meetings.
“We’re worried about the awareness of ASUS’s great role,” Kassam said.
Abdelmahmoud said revamping the ASUS webpage is a critical focus for next year because it’s a vital means of communication among students.
“We want to explain how important ASUS is to the Queen’s community,” Kassam said. The two also plan to increase ASUS events throughout the year and get the ASUS movie theatre running on a regular basis again. The theatre, which usually has weekly screenings, went on hiatus for about a six-week period in December.
ASUS Services Commissioner Melissa Grosser said the problem was caused by a blown fuse in their projector.
“We purchase it as a used projector, so there obviously are a few problems,” she said. “The fuse just blew last semester and we’ve been trying to get it serviced. We’re just on top of getting it fixed right now.
“We’re trying to get some parts completely replaced inside the actual machine so ASUS can use it for several years.”
Both Abdelmahmoud and Kassam were Gaels this year, and said their participation in Frosh Week was a motivating factor in their decision to run.
“The ‘Walk of the Town’ during Frosh Week made me recognize ASUS is crucial, and we feel like we could improve it.” Kassam said.
One of the main problems Abdelmahmoud said he thinks can be improved is that many students lose touch with ASUS and ASUS events after Frosh Week is over.
“We want to carry on the Frosh Week momentum throughout the year,” he said.
Other plans the team has for next year include a general refurbishing of the ASUS Core on University Avenue.
“Right now, it’s not the cleanest place, it’s not the most organized place,” Abdelmahmoud said. “We want to spruce it up a little, make it more accessible—make the Arts and Science society something very relevant to everyday student life.”
Abdelmahmoud said he and Kassam haven’t yet set a budget for the project, but would raise money through a sidewalk sale or street festival that is still in the planning stage.
ASUS vice-president Kyle Abrey said this isn’t the first time an ASUS executive race has been one of acclamation.
“It’s unfortunate but not that unusual,” he said, adding that he would rather see contested elections.
“Other teams approached us with hopes to run, but it just didn’t end up happening. It’s difficult, as you need two people willing to commit their whole summer and eight months of work.”
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