Timothy Cullen is a young Liberal/current council member who already possesses the key ingredients of a good politician. He knows how to work the political and media arena, and has discovered the lost art of speaking like a mediator. It’s a frustrating manoeuvre because it inevitably means that a straight answer is hard to get, each phrase from Cullen’s mouth is completely premeditated. No matter how difficult, up front, or rude the question is, Cullen keeps his cool. It’s quite annoying. Still, it’s hard to ignore the intelligence implied by the ability to speak so well, so carefully, and so eloquently. Cullen also seems to genuinely care about the issues; he speaks enthusiastically about wanting to work closely with the new diversity office, suggests some innovative ways to increase school pride and spirit, and asserts repeatedly that he wants to focus much of his attention on fixing the inherent flaws of the student union.
It is Cullen’s belief that the Student Union needs a make-over with the aim of increasing student engagement in the campus community. He argues that it’s important for the SU to meet more regularly than it currently does and he understands that students also want to see action. “I would like to organize a student union that has more productive meetings, and more meetings in general. But I also realize that the majority of the student body isn’t concerned with policy. We have to move beyond the boardroom and actually put things into action.” Cullen pauses dramatically and takes a deep breathe, “what we need is a more proactive student union with more direction.”
Cullen wants to arrange the SU in such a way that the president would meet with art, science, and business reps on a weekly rotating basis. If elected, Cullen also hopes to meet with the various presidents of on-campus societies on an on-going basis in order to determine how best to help the students.
“E-mailing the various reps and on campus communities and saying, 'hey you can contact me anytime' is not enough, I would be an active president, one who really understands the value of collaboration with different on campus groups.”
Cullen points to the recent on-campus debate about the existence of God as something that good communication amongst different student groups can create. He argues that this is the type of thing that he would encourage if he were president. Also of note is his intent to make changes that would affect not just his own year as reigning president, but future generations. He says philosophically “I think it’s important to create changes in the basic structure of the student union because I want students in the future to have a government that works for them. I think being far-sighted is the best way to benefit students.”
Cullen is careful not to comment on what many consider the mistakes of presidents that have come before, steering clear of all questions regarding beepers, stolen budgets, SU members who are taking less than the recommended number of courses, and a perceived disinterest with special interest groups. He pauses and then shrugs off these questions with a simple reply of “my campaign and what I want to do is a separate issue. What I want to do has nothing to do with what past presidents have done.”
Cullen is direct when it comes to two student union thorns; he doesn’t deny that the Wave runs a deficit year after year, or that there continues to be on-going challenges with the quality of the Panther Post. “I will admit that yes, the Wave is not a money making venue. On the other hand, it provides students with jobs and a place to go and have fun. And as for the Panther Post, well, it is getting better. The problem is not the budget. The paper has enough money to produce a good publication, and I think that it will continue to get better." He pauses, and seems to rethink his last statement, “it’s about attracting good writers who will improve the quality of the paper, something that I think is very doable.”
So could the far-sighted, well-spoken, political whiz kid who refuses to trash talk, be what UPEI needs? That's for the student body to decide.
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