Polls close on the University of Northern British Columbia’s Northern Undergraduate Student Society (NUGSS) 2017-2018 election Tuesday afternoon.
Eligible university students are ultimately deciding the fate of the Thirsty Moose Pub, the campus watering hole, in a referendum. Current President Arctica Cunningham says the NUGSS-run bar has been losing money since it opened – including $40,000 in 2015 – and the Society hasn’t found a suitor.
“That referendum is asking students if they’d like to pay an extra $6.50 per semester on their Society fee, which would help to cover the financial losses of the Thirsty Moose Pub and allow the Society to continue operating the pub ourselves.
“The alternative, if that referendum fails, is that the Society will be investigating leasing options and then we will no longer be running the pub ourselves because we just can’t afford to continue covering the financial losses with this current revenue stream that were bringing in.”
Students are also voting for a new slate of NUGSS representatives. The Board has been reduced from 11 to eight seats – a reduction decided at last month’s EGM – which will include:
– NUGSS President,
– Director of Internal Affairs (head of all of the student-run organizations on campus),
– Director of External Affairs (U-pass program, alumni association, regional campus relations),
– Director of Finance (oversees NUGSS budget, Monetary Affairs Commission which allocates money to student-led organizations),
– Director of Student Affairs (organizes and advocates for academic events and groups (formerly the VP social and Academic rep, combined to be one),
– Three student representative positions: one Sustainability, one Women’s, and one Aboriginal representative.
Reflecting on her time as President, Cunningham says moving on is bittersweet.
“I’ve really enjoyed being President but I have no doubt that either of the two candidates running for the position will do a really great job. There’s a lot of really important work that needs to be done for NUGSS in the next year and I think that everyone that’s running for the board is up to the task.”
Voting on the two-day election closes at 4PM.