Dear Editor,
The next few months at UTM are going to get crazy and exciting. Why? Well, it’s election time for the student union. I’ve been waiting for those moments when I am bombarded by candidates pressuring me to vote “yes”, without even having any knowledge about their platform. Aren’t you? I am curious to see whether the union will continue to be transparent to their student body, even though meeting minutes haven’t been posted since August.
I also wonder whether an opposing team will be running in this year’s election and who will run again in this year’s election from the current union. It has been decided that the CRO and DRO positions have been filled by current students. However, why isn’t the union hiring impartial non-students, like those hired by UTSU?
I am writing this letter to remind people that their student union makes important decisions that sometimes benefit and sometimes hinder students. In the forthcoming elections we must ask these candidates many questions about their plans for our university. It is our duty as students to do research and make sure that the platform they present is realistic and possible. This is your money, and it’s your right to know where it is being spent (like the $9,000+ on t-shirts, which more than half the school doesn’t even use). Campaigning period is around the corner and the approach the candidates use will be crucial. It is their way to persuade voters. However, if their focus is on past achievements, then be somewhat wary—because we need to live in the moment and look forward to the future, not back into the past. It’s great that we achieved so much (or so little) last year, but we must ask, what are you as our union going to do for us this year? I encourage you, my peers, to vote “yes”, only if you have done your research and if you truly believe that these candidates are fit to lead next year’s union. If you feel that their platforms are weak, remember that you don’t have to settle. You can vote “no”. Get involved, ask questions, be knowledgeable.
Yours,
Mariana Comito
