The Fallen Soldier

by Connor Simpson

Asher Fredericks is slightly delusional. He may actually be on drugs. He somehow did the math wrong and thinks that there's going to be 40 hours in a day next year. This fact is important because he's running to be the Student Union president. Yes, "Asher for Pres" does seem a little familiar. You may have heard it a lot last year, when his high-profile, scandal-ridden battle against current president, Justin Douglas, was the talk of the province. It even made Compass.

"I learned many things from last year," He explains, "The main thing is that you have to be prepared for an election. It's something that Justin taught me, and I respect him so much more for it. He was so well-prepared, ... you can't just run on your name." 

With a platform supported by a foundation of accountability and student engagement, Asher has produced a laundry list of ideas that he thinks are going to improve our school. An underlying theme in his platform concentrates on improving communication between you and I, regular students, and the SU executive. He's promised not to eat his lunch in his office, not once. Instead electing to eat in the SU cafeteria, and even the cafeterias around campus!

On a more serious note, he intends to make a Wave Appeals and Investigations Committee. If you get banned from the Wave, or just have a formal complaint about something that happened there, this would create an opportunity for you to defend yourself. "Even students who get expelled from UPEI have an appeal opportunity, so why should The Wave be any different," he asks. 

Asher has proposed giving away one of his three free credits that he would receive upon becoming elected. The lucky winner would be decided in a raffle at a Student Appreciation Night held at the Wave at the start of the year. The Student Appreciation Night would feature local bands from UPEI students, with performances from UPEI Music students as well. The SU executive would be present and interacting with the students, hearing concerns and welcoming questions at the event.

Asher also feels very strongly about giving residence students a little more freedom when it comes to food. He's got a detailed plan to help them be able to take an apple or muffin from the school's cafeteria, a freedom currently withheld from our comrades in Bernie, New Res, and the other one. 

The oppressed apples and muffins are one of many injustices that a proposed new committee would oversee. The Residence Commitee would look into altering current rules for residence students to make their life a bit more normal. He acknowledges Resnet as a serious issue that has to be dealt with, both for youtubic and academic importance. 

Societies are a big component for Asher too. "What the Union needs to do is work more with these societies. I propose to cut certain expenses in different places where [the Union] is spending money on [themselves], and give more to these societies," he explains. He plans to help enable these societies do more. If a society needs funding for an event or trip, like the recent God debate at the Wave, he wants it to become reality rather than a broken dream. 

"If you run once, and you lose, your ego is out of the equation... If I lose again, its happened before this. I was at the lowest rung, there was no going down further." He's back again, a little more mature and a lot more prepared. You can check out his full, extremely detailed, way too meticulous to be healthy, platform at his website, www.asher4prez.webs.com. If he accomplishes half of it, it'll be a busy year for him. He's put way too much thought into it. He's setting the bar for himself pretty high. This kid needs a hobby.