Two leaders of the Association of Part-Time Undergraduate Students say that students were misinformed when they voted to help pay for construction of the 2015 Pan American Games sports complex at UTSC.
Students were told during the campaign period that they would not get the complex if they voted “No.” UTSC principal Franco Vaccarino said in a March 3 town hall forum that the construction could not proceed without the students’ support though the levy.
John Aruldason, SCSU’s VP campus life and the next SCSU president, confirmed that the university’s stance was that a “No” vote would lead to no sports facility. “[It was] not possible to build the complex without the levy,” he said. “This was [the message] on the posters.”
According to APUS executive director Oriel Varga, “The major issue is that they misled students to believe that they would lose it all. Students could have gotten this for free.”
A series of messages between officials and APUS, as well as UTSC student and “No” campaigner Brish Azimi, state that the complex would have gone up despite a “No” vote.
“If students vote ‘No,’ the building would not stop due to how many different financial partners are involved and how much planning is already underway,” said Peter Vanderyagt of Ward 44, the ward where UTSC is located.
Colin Service, manager of policies and planning for the Town of Markham, said that Markham would not be a secondary plan if a “No” vote went through. Markham was considered a runner-up against UTSC for the location of the complex.
Varga said that Michael Booth, spokesperson for mayor David Miller, told her that the U of T administration would have had to pay its share toward the sports facility if students voted against the levy. Booth could not be reached for comment.
Joeita Gupta, APUS VP external and a member of Governing Council, said that “Vote No” posters were torn down hours after they were put up, so that students were overwhelmingly exposed to “Yes” posters.
Responding to what APUS called an “overabundance” of Yes campaigning, Aruldason said that APUS members were not as visible on campus as the SCSU and “Vote Yes” campaigners. “[The] SCSU is the largest governing body,” he said. “We’re there every day.”
Varga said that “Yes” campaigners were sending a message that no student should be critical of the levy. “[Those who] were being critical were [portrayed as] outsiders,” she said.
During a “Vote No” forum held on March 15, members of the Yes campaign told APUS members that they did not represent a large enough portion of the student population. “Why should I listen to you when you represent only, let’s see, [about] 1,000 students?” asked Milad Moshfeghian, a fourth-year student and member of the “Yes” campaign.
“This is a scam,” said Gupta. “The constant bombardment of ‘Yes’ propaganda as well as numerous attempts to derail the ‘No’ side created a climate of intimidation on campus in order to ensure a ‘Yes’ vote.” Gupta spoke of difficulties booking the venue for the “No” forum, as well as the heckling and jeering from the ‘Yes’ side during the forum.
The levy passed with 62.2 per cent of voters casting “Yes” ballots. It awaits ratification by the board of directors and will be implemented either during the summer or fall semester. Construction of the athletics complex will begin late 2011 or 2012.
