Civic speed-date event moved

by Catherine Szabo

If politics were a potential suitor, it would be a stand-up sort of fellow — the kind who lets you know that plans have changed. An on-campus mayoral candidate event, where students will be able to interact with candidates in a speed-dating setting, is now scheduled for Oct. 7 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Wyckham House.

The 2010 budget freeze was not an issue university students across the province were willing to let go easily. While still working on proposals, students from 12 post-secondary institutions across Alberta shed light on a few ideas for the Alberta government to contemplate.

“We tried to look at creative ways to go about the issue, one of them was thinking in the long run, ‘What are we going to do if this were to happen again in the province”, said Robert Jones, president of the students’ association. So we’ve been trying to lobby on the idea of a rainy-day fund,” said Robert Jones, president of the students’ association.

Money would be deposited into an investment pool that can be accessed in case of another recession. The group — representing over 120,000 students — also asked the government to consider taking out more debt to fund post- secondary education.

For now, students will continue to promote the rainy-day fund through lobbying and advocacy. Students will get about 90 seconds to spend with each participating candidate — enough time for one question and answer.

But if politics were a potential suitor, it would be legitimate to admit that it’s also a little selective. To best represent Mount Royal University’s demographic — where the average student is a 22-year-old female — 20 student spots will be made available by faculty nomination only. “At a lot of these events, political and otherwise, there tends to be a lot of males,” said Meghan Melynk, VP external of the Students’ Association of Mount Royal University.

“Which isn’t a problem, we just want a variety that goes with the demographic of this school.”