The credibility of the sole presidential candidate in the Central Student Association (CSA) general election has been called into question following the resurfacing of previous criminal convictions.
Jay Rojas, the CSA’s current local affairs commissioner and uncontested candidate for president, was outed on social media Monday, the first day of voting in this year’s election.
An old news article from CTV News Kitchener was shared on the popular Overheard at Guelph Facebook group that reported that Rojas was arrested in February 2014 for multiple break-ins and thefts at two Wilfrid Laurier University residences. The article reported that Rojas was a residence don and had access to a master key.
The charges included “39 counts of breaking and entering, 10 counts of mischief to data, five counts of theft under $5,000, four counts of mischief and one count apiece of possession of stolen property over $5,000 and trafficking in stolen goods,” according to the CTV News article.
In 2011, Rojas also “pleaded guilty to possession of property obtained by crime” in an incident in Peterborough in late 2010, as reported by the Peterborough Examiner.
Fourth-year University of Guelph student Emily Malcolmson posted these reports on Overheard at Guelph on Mon, Mar. 6, encouraging students to be aware about who they are voting for to fill the position of CSA president.
“My intention was to simply inform other students,” Malcolmson explained in an email statement to The Ontarion. “I was going to vote blindly and I’m sure others were ready to do the same. This instance made me realize how important it is to educate ourselves about something that can actually impact our education and daily lives.”
This post caused a lengthy discussion on the Facebook group with many students questioning Rojas’s ability to represent the students as the face of the CSA.
“When I posted the article, I was completely prepared for any, and all, sort of backlash. That being said, I wasn’t trying to attack Jay at all,” said Malcolmson.
Aside from reading the first couple of comments and providing his personal contact information in the thread, Rojas said he hasn’t read any of the Overheard messages, but has been connecting with students one-on-one since the article was posted.
“I’m not hiding it under the table,” said Rojas in an interview with The Ontarion. “I acknowledge that that happened, I have received consequences, and I didn’t realize that those consequences weren’t enough.”
Rojas said that he understands why students might be hesitant about giving him their trust and their vote based on his past, but said that he has learned from his mistakes.
“I was struggling with a form of obsessive compulsive disorder, as it were, and it was in the form of kleptomania. It was an addiction to stealing,” said Rojas, explaining that following his arrest, he spent a few months in a mental health clinic and 244 days at the Maplehurst Correctional Complex in Milton.
“I’ve been sober from that addiction for more than three years and that is due to the fact that I made myself vulnerable,” said Rojas. “I know that, in recovering from my fears, faults and failures, I needed to do two things: I had to improve my character and develop my relationships—and I couldn’t do one without doing the other.”
Ryan Shoot, finance and operations commissioner, spoke to The Ontarion on behalf of the CSA regarding the organization’s policies and election process.
“Bylaw 1 section 1.5.4 basically says that we will not discriminate against anyone and Bylaw 1 section 3.1 says that anyone who is in good standing with the CSA is eligible to run, so we’re following those bylaws and policies currently,” said Shoot.
CSA Bylaw 1.5.4 states, “No person shall be excluded from the CSA for reasons related to age, gender, race, nationality, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, illness or results from medical tests, sexual orientation or preference, place of residence, school of thought, beliefs, religious affiliations or activities, criminal record, any physical handicap or invalidity, or participation or nonparticipation within the CSA.”
As Rojas is running unopposed, Shoot explained that the candidate needs a simple majority vote to be elected, provided a quorum of 10 per cent of the membership is reached. Students have the option to vote with a “Yes,” a “No,” or can choose to abstain from voting.
“A ‘No’ vote would basically go forward and say, ‘No, I would not want this candidate,’ whereas an abstain would say, ‘I don’t have enough information on this candidate that I’m not going to choose to vote yes or no’,” said Shoot. “Both would result in not a ‘Yes’ coming out though, so no matter what if the ‘Yes’ has the majority, [Rojas] will be elected, but if there’s no full ‘Yes’ majority, and the other two claim a majority then he won’t be elected.”
Rojas is currently running on a platform of change and hopes to maintain open communication with students going forward.
“I’m open to ideas because I know that, through cooperation and collaboration, that’s where we can truly be the change. And that’s why that’s my platform—because I’ve changed. Because I’ve changed from the person I was running for local affairs [commissioner], because I have changed from the person I was three years ago, because I’ve changed from the person I was yesterday,” said Rojas.
Transparency throughout the election process was also a major concern for students posting on Overheard.
“Running for president, I’m sure he knew that someone would look into his background,” said Malcolmson. “My question is, why didn’t he address this in his campaign?”
Rojas told The Ontarion that he didn’t address it earlier, because he didn’t know how.
“I’m scared, to be frank. This is not something I thought I would tackle head on,” he said. “I’m scared that people won’t accept me for who I used to be—that people won’t accept me for where I’m going.”
If Rojas is not elected as CSA president when the voting period ends on Wed, Mar. 8, Shoot explained that elections would open up again in the fall.
Photo by Matteo Cimellaro.