STUSU By-elections Transcript

Ella Henry is the new student union president.

She defeated Melissa Bastarache 290 votes to 245.

About a quarter of the student body voted.

Ella was in Ottawa when the announcement was made.

“We were in the middle of a seventeen and a half hour plenary meeting, and I found out …as I was reading the results someone was handing me the mic because I was next on the speakers list. So I sort of forgot what I had intended to say when I saw those results.”

Sean Thompson is the chief returning officer for this election.

Most of his time in the last few weeks has been spent running booths and counting votes.

“I am happy it’s over. It’s been a long and grueling process, very exhausting. I’m happy to have a bit more time back in my life so I can actually do school work or maybe go out and have a good time on Friday night.”

This election marks a milestone of sorts.

Ella Henry believes that she is the first openly gay student union president.

“I didn’t really find it a significant issue for myself. And I don’t think anyone else really thought about that.”

“I think it points out that we go to a really wonderful school, that we can run an election based on pure politics and not based on any personal issues what so ever.”

Ella doesn’t believe that her orientation relevant either, and wants to move forward as president.

“I’m looking forward to next year. I’m looking forward to working with all the great people who’ve been elected to the executive and to council. And to really put in place some of these ideas that we’ve been talking about on campus for the last month here.”

For STU Journalism, I’m Colin Hodd.