The CordThe tie that binds since 1926 Weekly Volume 46 Issue 20 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 25,2006 www.cordweekly.com Grits win K-W, lose Canada Matt Symes WON THE BATTLE, LOST THE WAR - An ambivalent Andrew Telegdi stands alongside wife Nancy and daughter Erin on Monday night, moments after being elected for a fifth-straight term as Kitchener-Waterloo's MP. When he goes back to Ottawa, Telegdi will find himself on the other side of the floor as a member of the official opposition. DAN POLISCHUK "1 guess you can never be too News Editor sure, but judging by how his cam- Kitchener-Waterloo Election Results paign went... I'm hoping he'll be a As Stephen Harper and his good leader," said Champagne, Conservative Party were on the who got a chance to ask a direct brink of being chosen to lead question to Harper during CBC's Canada, the reaction of Laurier Your Turn. student Colin Sutton-Quaid may While there was a lot more blue have rung true with many stu- showing up across the Canadian dents across the country watching political landscape on Monday, the final results appear. one riding that remained in the "Fucking hell!" yelled Quaid, a grips of the Liberals was that of first-year psychology student, while Kitchener-Waterloo. glancing at the figures that would Incumbent Andrew Telegdi eventually show the Conservatives gained 10,000 more votes than his taking over Parliament with a closest competitor, Conservative minority mandate. Amjer Mandur. Telegdi will now With 124 seats, the Tories serve a Fifth straight term in Ottawa. dethroned Paul Martin and the "I feel good about it ... it was a Liberal party - which had been at tough campaign. It had its highs the top of the Canadian political and lows," said Telegdi about the hierarchy since 1993. The Grits, local victory. losing some important ridings in "We'll have an interesting type Quebec, saw their total slip to 103. of Parliament," he added. The NDR led by Jack Layton, When asked to comment on a made a vast improvement from their campaign that got quite personal previous showing in the 2004 federal at times, all Telegdi would say was election by grabbing 10 more spots that he was glad to have taken "the in the House, for a total of 29. high road." While some voters showed their However, Telegdi did have some frustration, others, like first-year reservations over the Conservatives Political Science student Mike taking power. Lockhart, didn't find the result "surprising at all". - See TELEGDI, page 2 "The people [of Canada] do real- ly want a change but aren't ready to give any party a majority," he said. > Editorial reaction to this story, PAGE 8 Fellow WLU voter, Jonathan > Laurier profs react to election, PAGE 4 Champagne, had a lot of optimism > Student reaction in VOCAL CORD, PAGE 2 for a Harper-run Canada. THE COUNTDOWN TO FEB. 2 IS ON With the federal election over, Laurier turns to its third campaign this month - the Students' Union election. For all the candidate's best-laid plans, see WLUSU PLATFORMS, PAGES 5-7 For what's new with the electoral system and presidential candidates, see NEWS, PAGE 2 2 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 25, 2Q06 News JIHI- (OKI) VVI iKi Y VOCAL Election gives students CORD How do you fee! waking up to a Conservative wealth ofchoices Canada? "I don't think it's going to change much, I feel OK about it." - Trent Irwin Third-Year Geography Brandon Currie YOU'RE ON CANDID CAMERA! - Candidates running in the upcoming WLUSU student elections give it their all for the camera at last week's All-Candidates meeting. With elections on Feb. 2, organizers are hoping for an improvement from last year's dismal turnout rate of 30 percent. Candidacy up 28 percent from last year as 46 Laurier students seek to represent their constituents on Feb. 2 "I'm a little sad, we may BRANDON CURRIE and sitting on the Lettermen exec- help students by leading a Union theme, this year's election will be Editor-in-Chief utive. that's socially and environmental- branded "Vote Responsibly." "It's become more Americanized." "The most important thing I ly responsible," he said, adding about understanding the issues With the WLUSP and federal elec- want to do [if elected] is really start that "affordability" is the most dire and being an informed voter," said - Lindsey Cepek tions finally over, last Wednesday's to address student needs," student need that he would Sandhu of her reasoning behind First-Year Language & All-Candidates Meeting marked Cayenne said, adding that his address as president. the slogan. Literature the beginning of the third cam- plans to create a student food In addition to his work as a She is also encouraging voters paign to hit Laurier in the month bank and extend building hours Director and Student Senator, to become more engaged in next of January: the WLUSU student on campus would give students Alexander has been on the execu- Tuesday's open forum, which runs elections. better nourishment, study space tive ofsix campus clubs and is cur- from 10:00am-3:00pm in the All told, a total of 46 Laurier stu- and security. rently the president of two, to go Concourse. Students can submit dents made their candidacy offi- Booth, a fourth-year Pickering along with his experience with questions ahead of time to cial for 28 positions, up 28 percent native in Communication Studies, Student Pubs as the Editor-in- [email protected] or ask a from last year when 36 ran. 27 can- felt the time was right to run for Chief of the Blueprint magazine question in person at the forum. didates are vying for 15 director president. "I had the support and and Keystone yearbook. All queries must be submitted 24 positions, a marked increase from the backing, and I felt this was my His platform is geared towards hours before the forum takes the 17 that ran last year, while time to do it ... to quote Van helping students financially in a place. again, three male students will Wilder, it was my 'Dare to be great' number of ways. "Cheap food is an Waterloo campus Laurier stu- "I'm a little scared. I think there compete for die Union's top job, situation." Booth's leadership element (to affordability], the dents will also vote on four refer- President & CEO. experience includes being an ice- Economic Aid Team is an element, enda questions, the most interest- is going to be a lot of job losses." "There's a lot of people for the breaker, a two-time captain for as well as donating to bursaries ing of which will decide whether students to look at; there's a lot of Winter Carnival and three years of and fighting for reduced tuition ... or not students will pay $4.75/year - Jason Lucez choice," explained Kiran Sandhu, Greek Life. The main reason why affordability to create a public interest research MBA the Chief Returning Officer (CRO) Due to what he perceives as an is an issue in this election is group (PIHG) on campus. in charge of the election. "It works increasingly dangerous student because it's an areaWLUSU hasn't In terms of waning voter well for the entire democratic sys- community, Booth's first priority really applied itself to in the past." turnout in the Union's elections, tem." as president would be to increase In other new electoral develop- Sandhu hopes her team can help Most intriguing, as usual, is the campus security with better light- ments, this year candidates will be bring out more than last year's 30 race for president, which pits two- ing, more security poles and sexu- allowed to blog after it was out- percent, though she may be overly time WLUSU Director David al assault workshops. "There's lawed last campaign, and ballot optimistic. "I'm hoping for 100 Alexander against Union Graphic some dark and dreary areas of counting will be computerized via percent [voter turnout], but I'm a Design Co-ordinator Adam Booth campus ... in the past four years scantron cards to eliminate positive thinker," she said with a and VP: Student Activities Allan there's been a number of sexual human error and speed up tallying laugh. Cayenne. predators around and it's scary to votes. Cayenne, a fourth-year think of ... even I've been jumped "It's a form of expression, and Kinesiology and English student right at Albert and University." you can't really stop someone "They may take back gay mar- from Waterloo, says he's running Rounding out the candidates is from doing it," Sandhu comment- For more on The WLUSU election, riage and raise GST, which is to "give back to a school that's David Alexander, a fifth-year ed about the online journals, see pages 5-7for candidate and ref- given me so much." He has execu- English and Psychology student adding that she would be checking erenda platforms. Next week, look- ridiculous." tive experience within WLUSU in from Toronto who wants to build the blogs regularly to ensure no far thefeature-length interviews his current role, with the A-Team on his reputation as a progressive candidate is slandering another. with your presidential candidates - Kerri Mungar and Winter Canrnival and outside director to take WLUSU "in a new In stark contrast to last year's First-Year Business the Union, playing varsity rugby direction" if elected. "1 want to "Voting is Sexy" promotional MP pledges to fulfill agenda extent to it.