I believe I should be elected president of your students’ union because I put students’ needs before political agendas. In the past few years, the students’ union has consistently failed to provide an engaging campus for all students, and I am ready to make major changes.
To start, I will push for discounts at the U of T bookstore, so that all students be they international, national, engineers, philosophy majors we will have the economic burden of paying for school decreased.
BERNARDA GOSPIC/THE VARSITY
Second, I would like to increase clubs funding. While I was asking for nomination signatures I asked students if they could have one thing from their student union, what would that be? A majority of students, who actually knew UTSU existed (many did not) asked for greater club funding. The student union levies a little over $1.2 million per year from members, according to their budget, of which $800,000 went to wages this year. As the president, I would look into a smarter method of allocating cash so students’ needs could be met. My third action would be to increase transparency by creating a more explicit budget and making the UTSU website more easily accessible. I would also invite campus newspapers to sit in on board of directors meetings and ask questions when appropriate. This would lead to a faster spread of information in the university.
Lastly, I would build a U of T campus bar not so people can get belligerently drunk at will, but so students would have a common area to engage in. York, Ryerson, and McGill all have campus bars, and I have seen first hand how it fosters social networking. Most varsity and student clubs throw fundraising events at the Maddison Pub or Tequila Jack’s, but if we had a campus bar, the fundraisers could be thrown on campus and would lead to greater networking opportunities.
My fellow students, this university needs someone who has no political agendas and shows no favouritism to particular groups for endorsing their slate. This university needs an independent, objective, and moderate leader — someone who is not confined to the limitations of being on a slate. I am that person. It is time we start breaking walls and building bridges. If you want to put students first, then you will vote Rohail Tanoli. If you want to achieve unity, then you will vote Rohail Tanoli. If you want to have memories and friendships which will last a lifetime, you will vote Rohail Tanoli. At the end of the day all of us, as students at this great institution, deserve more. Thank you and vote Rohail Tanoli.
