The Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) vice-president (VP) external develops the union’s political campaigns and represents the union externally and in some university committees. In advance of the March 4–6 elections, The Varsity spoke to both VP external candidates about what they hope to advocate for if elected.

Gori Debo-Adesina (ELEVATE UTSC)

“I’m like the voice for everyone,” Gori Debo-Adesina, a fourth-year political science and philosophy double major, told The Varsity when describing why he wanted to run for VP external. 

Currently representing philosophy students on the SCSU’s Board of Directors, he said that his experience advocating for students and forming relationships with his high school administration prepared him for the role. Debo-Adesina’s campaign focuses on addressing students’ needs by revamping health, housing, and transit.

To ensure students can access quality health insurance after graduation, he wants to work with GreenShield — the SCSU’s current health insurance provider — to create a system where students can retain the same healthcare plan after graduation, where the union would pass insurance on to individual graduates. 

“We know how important residency is for people and, even within the opening of Harmony Commons, people are still struggling to find a good residence,” he said. To address this issue, he hopes to create a platform where students can find affordable housing options with landlords vetted by the SCSU.

Debo-Adesina also hopes to continue the SCSU’s advocacy for a bus connecting the UTSG and UTSC campuses and a universal pass similar to that provided by the UTMSU.

Omar Mousa (IMPACT UTSC)

Omar Mousa, a fourth-year linguistics major specializing in psycholinguistics, is running for VP external on the Impact UTSC slate. 

In an interview with The Varsity, Mousa described himself as a person “who likes to take the lead.” He said that, through direct work with the UTSC administration and holding the administration accountable for their actions, he could make an actual difference as a VP external.

Mousa’s campaign focuses on decreasing the financial burden for students. He wants to implement a free or discounted transit pass for UTSC students and collaborate with the administration to reconsider campus housing fees. 

He also said that one of his objectives is to organize rallies that would hold the administration responsible for recognizing global events that affect students. He previously organized walkouts for the Palestinian Culture Club and continues to work with the Toronto Chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement.

Finally, Mousa wants to strengthen tri-campus solidarity through grassroots organizing on topics such as the Boycott, Divest, Sanction movement — a movement that aims to exert financial pressure on the Israeli government.