UTSU elections are about voting for someone with a plan to make your university experience better. Your president needs to have a realistic and positive platform for how we can change U of T for you, and also needs to have the experience and the integrity to accomplish that plan.
My name is Brent Schmidt, and I’m in my third year of studies here at U of T. As a student I’ve been involved in numerous different facets of campus life here at U of T. Last year, I was the training director for the United Nations Society, and serve as the communications director this year for the Hart House Debate Club. I also helped to found the charitable organization Strength in Giving and the Student Political Action Committee, whose mandate it was to increase participation in the UTSU and tackle apathy generally.
BERNARDA GOSPIC/THE VARSITY
I decided to run for president because of the frustration I have seen among students who don’t feel represented by their union, and because I also share this frustration. It’s your union; you pay for it and you should not only have access to all of its services, but you should also be aware of them. Currently, the union isn’t doing a good enough job of letting students know about what it can offer. It isn’t enough to offer the same promises year in and year out and never actually accomplish them, especially when we are talking about such critical issues as access to education and quality of education. I’m an OSAP student and I know as well as anyone else the incredible barriers things like flat fees and soaring tuition costs are for students at U of T.
That’s why it’s so important to build a better relationship with our administration. The union should be fighting for students, but results for students are dependent on the administration and our relationship with them. Putting students first is about more than just rhetoric and campaign promises, it’s about achieving tangible results and having the leadership and integrity to do so. That’s why this election is so important. Each one of the candidates are going to promise you lofty goals and sweeping plans, so what you need to ask yourself before you vote is: “Who will actually get these things done?”
Students First is a team with the experience and results to prove we mean what we say and will give you what we promise. When we say we will build a campus bar and will increase clubs funding by 50 per cent we don’t say it because we want your vote (though we do), but because we think these measures will make campus life better, and attending U of T a little bit easier.
Leadership isn’t about making the easy decisions or fulfilling your promises when they are convenient, but about doing the work to accomplish the difficult things. During my stay here at U of T, during the debate and also the campaign generally I think I’ve displayed this type of leadership.
So if you want the union of the last four years, you know who to vote for. But if you want a plan to make the university better and the leadership and integrity to back that plan up, then vote Brent Schmidt and put students first on March 6, 7, and 8.
