concordia’s independent newspaper the other campus paper since 1980 Who’s gonna pay? Student union says they’re CFS hits Concordia in the clear. Student Union with $1M bill • News 3 Former student union president says union has unremitted fees. Canadian Federation of Students demands the money. $48M student centre set for January • News 4 volume 30, issue 23 • tuesday, february 16, 2010 • thelinknewspaper.ca volume 30, issue 23 • tuesday, concordia’s independent newspaper the other campus paper since 1980 Who’s gonna pay? Student union says they’re CFS hits Concordia in the clear. Student Union with $1M bill • News 3 Former student union president says union has unremitted fees. Canadian Federation of Students demands the money. $48M student centre set for January • News 4 volume 30, issue 23 • tuesday, february 16, 2010 • thelinknewspaper.ca volume 30, issue 23 • tuesday, the link • february 16, 2010 • thelinknewspaper.ca/news news 03 contents 5 news $1,033,278.76 owed: The ASFA candidates speak... well, some of them do Canadian Federation of Students 9 fringe arts Concordia Student Union says claim is unfounded Owen Pallett “laid bare” for ‘We don’t know what it’s for,’ says student union president all to hear • TERRINE FRIDAY & JUSTIN GIOVANNETTI 14 features In a legal memorandum sent to the Concordia Student Union on Gold, silver, bronze and... Feb. 10, the Canadian Federation green? of Students—a national lobby group—claimed that the CSU owes them $1,033,278.76 in unpaid 23 literary arts membership fees, equivalent to two-thirds of the CSU’s yearly Tree planting: Canada’s other operating budget. game Although the memorandum was delivered to the CSU last week, it was accompanied by an 25 sports acknowledgement signed by 2008-09 CSU president Keyana Kashfi dated April 19, 2009. Who’s up for some sweaty The demand for outstanding dick punching fees comes in the midst of the CSU’s campaign to defederate from the CFS. The CSU has not 31 opinions been granted a referendum— where Concordia students will be given the opportunity to vote—due Desperate cash grab yet to be to new bylaws adopted by the CFS CSU President Amine Dabchy would be hard-pressed to pay the CFS over $1 million from his $1.6 million annual justified at their Nov. 25 to 28 Annual budget. PHOTO JUSTIN GIOVANNETTI General Meeting. The petition was delivered to the CFS’s national movement can be advanced. weeks prior to the first day of vot- adjusted every year with the CPI. CONCORDIA’S INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER offices on Oct. 19. “The Concordia Student Union ing [in a defederation referen- That’s problem one because it Volume 30, Issue 23 editorial: (514) 848-2424 “When you look at that amount, has failed to remit the entirety of dum].” never happened.” Tuesday, February 16, 2010 ext. 7405 arts: (514) 848-2424 ext. you can’t believe it,” said CSU these membership dues to the Although the CFS emphasized Kashfi said the other issue Concordia University 5813 Hall Building, Room H-649 ads: (514) 848-2424 ext. President Amine Dabchy. “Are you Federation for an extended period the importance of following was that students enrolled under 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W. 8682 Montreal, Quebec H3G 1M8 fax: (514) 848-4540 serious? A million dollars? It’s like of time.” Motion Six, it still recognizes the the John Molson School of business: (514) 848-7406 a couple of them just sat together According to Molenhuis, there CSU’s defederation petition, Business and the Engineering editor-in-chief interimphoto editor TERRINE FRIDAY RILEY SPARKS and chose what seemed like a good were years since 1998 where the which garnered only 18 per cent and Computer Science news editor graphics editor number. correct fee amount was not collect- of the student body vote. Association had only started JUSTIN GIOVANNETTI VIVIEN LEUNG features editor managing editor “I think this is how they’re ed by the CSU. However he could “We sent them successive let- paying fees after a 2007 referen- LAURA BEESTON CLARE RASPOPOW fringe arts editor layout manager going to alienate more and more not go into details about what ters to give us a [referendum] dum, even though the agree- MADELINE COLEMAN MATHIEU BIARD Concordia students,” Dabchy con- years the student union had been date,” Dabchy said. “At least four. ment with the CFS states all literary arts editor webmaster CHRISTOPHER OLSON TRISTAN LAPOINTE tinued. “Because now, there’s not delinquent and by how much. Give us a date. Give us a date. undergraduate students are sports editor business manager only one reason to leave the CFS, “This is not a nice organiza- Give us a date.” members. CHRISTOPHER CURTIS RACHEL BOUCHER opinions editor distribution there’s 1,033,278 reasons.” tion,” Dabchy countered. “Seeing The legal memorandum sent to “Since the CSU never adjust- DIEGO PELAEZ GAETZ ROBERT DESMARAIS The problem could have arisen what’s going on, people should be the CSU on behalf of the CFS, ed the fees with the CPI every copy editor DAVID KAUFMANN TOM LLEWELLIN ad designer from the ambiguity between pay- informed. Our role as a student states McGill University’s Post year, and the JMSB and ECA student press liaison ADAM NORRIS ments made to the CFS and the union is to inform the students of Graduate Students’ Society and were not paying fees for so long, OPEN CFS-Q, its Quebec component. what’s happening.” the Alberta College of Arts and that amount had accumulated,” The Link is published every Tuesday during the Payment records from the univer- Design Students’ Association— Kashfi said. “It was closer to academic year by the Link Publication Society sity indicate that cheques were Motion Six both small member organiza- $1.6 million, but we negotiated Inc. Content is independent of the University and student associations (ECA, CASA, ASFA, FASA, made out either to the CFS or the At the CFS’s AGM, the contro- tions—are already slated to hold it down to [the current CSU). Editorial policy is set by an elected board as provided for in The Link’s constitution. Any CFS-Q every year from 2000 to versial Motion Six was accepted CFS referendums between March amount].” student is welcome to work on The Link and 2009. According to the documents according to the CFS executive. At 30 and April 1, 2010. Kashfi maintains that she become a voting staff member. The Link is a member of Canadian University Press and Presse provided by the CSU, the total the time, members of the CFS-Q would not have signed the docu- Universitaire Indépendante du Québec. Material Kashfi responds appearing in The Link may not be reproduced amount paid between those dates protested that only 44 of the 68 ment stating the CSU owes the without prior written permission from The Link. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters was $1,558,332.92, or an average members had voted for it—less According to former CSU CFS $1,033,278.76 if it were not 400 words or less will be printed, space permit- of almost $200,000 per year. than the two-thirds required for president Keyana Kashfi, part of true. ting. Letters deadline is Friday at 4 p.m. The Link reserves the right to edit letters for clarity “Undergraduate students of quorum. the missing amount was caused “The reason why it’s coming and length and refuse those deemed racist, sex- ist, homophobic, xenophobic, libellous, or other- Concordia University have enjoyed Motion Six of the CFS bylaws by the student union’s failure to to light now is because the CSU, wise contrary to The Link’s statement of princi- the benefits of membership since requires 20 per cent of the stu- adjust the fees to the consumer within their own right, has ples. Board of Directors 2009-2010: Matthew Gore, joining the Canadian Federation of dent body to sign a defederation price index—an indicator that decided to defederate [from the Giuseppe Valiante, Ellis Steinberg, Shawna Satz, Jonathan Metcalfe, Matthew Brett; non- Students in 1998,” said CFS petition and allows “no more than calculates the costs of goods and CFS] and before you can defed- voting members: Rachel Boucher, Terrine Friday. Typesetting by The Link. Printing by National Treasurer David two referendums on continued services based on inflation. erate [...] you have to pay what Transcontinental. Molenhuis. membership in any three-month “It was brought to my atten- you owe,” concluded Kahfi. THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS “One responsibility associated period,” even though there are tion in late March of last year by The CSU has the option to Patrizia Bayer, Esther Bernard, Matthew Brett, Alex DiPietro, R. Brian Hastie, Emma Healey, Clay Hemmerich, Elsa Jabre, with membership in the [CFS] is currently 13 petitions filed with a university official that the CSU repay the outstanding amount six David Kaufmann, Stephanie La Leggia, Eddie Majnemer, Alex Manley, Tania Mohsen, Ashley Opheim, Daryna the paying of annual membership the CFS. The CFS now also had not been collecting the right weeks before a defederation refer- Ruhklyadeva, Shawna Satz, Amy Smith, Julia Wolfe. dues to ensure that the collective requires the repayment of all out- amount of fees,” said Kashfi. endum, get locked in to a 10-year work of Canada’s national student standing fees “no less than six “The fees are supposed to be payment plan or head to court. cover by Vivien Leung and Riley Sparks 04 news the link • february 16, 2010 • thelinknewspaper.ca/news Student centre to open within a year Student union to seek extra $2.50 per credit • JUSTIN GIOVANNETTI will expire in 2014.