Here are the statements from the candidates for our Fall Executive By-election. Candidates will be elected at our October 1st ASSU Council meeting.

Thank you to everyone who put their names forward to run for a position!

Nejat Ahmed

Hi everyone! My name is Nejat Ahmed, and I’m running to be an executive member of this year’s Arts and Science Student Union. Over the course of my first year, I quickly learned how much a student’s mental health is paramount to their overall success. I want to bring mental health and wellness to you, your lectures, and your tutorials. Through workshops and resources dedicated to wellness and success, I promise to make student-wellbeing a top priority and will advocate on your behalf for a more mindful community.

Here’s a list of ideas I bring to the table as an ASSU candidate:

*Mindfulness workshops during tutorials

*Seminars on mental health

*Promote student organizations and resources in lectures

According to a 2020 study conducted by The Light Program, there are multiple factors that play a part in mental health crises found in schools. Among which is the pressure to succeed, uncertainty about the future, and the stigma around mental health. This is no exception for the Faculty of Arts and Science. Bringing mental health into the classroom reassures students that there are resources that they can tap into, that there are people there to help, and that they’re not alone in what can feel like a very isolating environment. As a candidate for ASSU, I will promote student mental health and bring it right to you.

Jolie Gan

Hello!

I’m Jolie, a first-year Social Sciences student. I have spent a small amount of time at U of T, but I have big ideas that are ready to hit the ground running.

The past two years have been hard, especially for new students. With information coming from left and right, it’s easy to feel disoriented and overwhelmed – I get it: I’m in the same boat. This is why I hope to curate a hub of opportunities, information, and resources, with an emphasis on first and second years, to be available in one place at the ASSU office, website, and social media. Imminent topics to address ASAP include details for applying to POSt and program requirements, CR/NCR procedures, scholarship and financial support, and an updated list of extracurricular opportunities.

To further my goal of representation for new students, I will also work with course unions to formulate tailored, actionable items as to how union leaders can best support and represent new students. I have no doubt that my position as a first-year student will add valuable insight to your course union’s goals and initiatives.

Having represented over 20,000 diverse youth through my work with Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Canadian Bar Association, the United Nations General Assembly, and others, I am more than ready to serve U of T’s ArtSci student body and advocate for what is important to you.
A new year means new opportunities when you Vote for Jolie!

Sumeya A. Hassan

It is with great pleasure to announce that I am running for an executive position for this year’s Arts and Science Students Union. As an ASSU executive, I hope to improve the quality of life on and off campus by advocating for more funding for therapy sessions, and facilitating linkages between students and culturally safe therapy providers to ensure access to programs that better reflect the student body. I will also aim to keep options open for additional accommodations, such as fighting to extend the credit/no-credit option beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research programs are often restrictive and limited in their abilities to acknowledge the challenges that first year students face. To address this barrier, I will push for the creation of more internship and research project opportunities and improve research opportunities for underrepresented students who lack prior experience. Furthermore, I will promote introducing community member review opportunities and remove barriers for the application processes of both research and scholarship programs.

My genuine interest in building inclusive authentic relationships with diverse groups of people is what makes me qualified for this position. If elected, I will use my power to make your voice in the UofT community heard. If you’re looking to elect a passionate, approachable and dedicated candidate, I am your person. I represent a fresh voice with new ideas. I pledge to be creative and resourceful while also going above and beyond to represent you. Vote Sumeya for executive!

Suleekha Hirsi

Hi, y’all!

My name is Suleekha Hirsi – I’m a third-year student double majoring in Peace, Conflict and Justice Studies and Political Science. As a third-year student, I know the difficulties students face when it comes to mental health, racism, discrimination, etc., and especially how these issues are exacerbated during a second consecutive pandemic school year.

As an ASSU Executive, I hope to accomplish the following:

• Tackling the mental-health crisis on campus by eliminating the barriers domestic and international students have when accessing mental wellness resources and accessibility services on-campus, virtually, and in-person.

• Working towards flexibility from course instructors with late penalties, extensions, deadlines by advocating for students to receive three extensions/accommodations without documentation for each course.

• Implementing anti-discrimination/anti-oppression course policies to decolonize and reconstruct course syllabi to foster safer environments for BIPOC and marginalized students.

I have experience from holding an executive position for two consecutive years on the University College Literary and Athletic Society. I worked alongside students, student unions, and faculty to reduce barriers and create equitable opportunities.

We can hold as many conversations as we would like about mental wellness, anti-racism/anti- discrimination, but tangible change is created through action, accountability, and transparency. Your undergraduate degree at UofT goes by quickly and it should not be the worst years of your lives because of the lack of mental wellness resources, lack of support, and lack of change. I don’t just talk about change; I go out there and make it happen!

YOUR voice is MY voice. Vote for Suleekha!

Anusha Madhusudanan

Hi everyone! My name is Anusha and I am a second-year double majoring in Economics and International Relations with a minor in Urban Studies.

In my first year, I served as the President of the First Year Council at the UTSU. During my presidency, I created a first-year project fund, a first-year community award, hosted networking events, and lead a mental health task force that hosted town halls and surveys to collect data. Using the data, a first-year mental health report was created and later shared with the Health and Wellness offices at UofT where I met with the Executive Director and advocated for the betterment of their services.

It would be an absolute honour for me to serve as an ASSU executive!!

If elected, I will create a course union fair during the POST period for first years. This gives first years a chance to interact with different programs before applying and also provides upper years with the chance to learn about new resources and opportunities being advertised by their course union.

I will also advocate for the continued recording of lectures, update the ASSU website to be more interactive, and start an Instagram series that highlights academic accessibility resources available to artsci students that are often unnoticed.

I am also an international student who grew up in seven countries and I believe my lived experiences bring a unique perspective to the union!

Thank you for reading and please consider voting for me 🙂

Mariam Mahboob

Hello, friends! My name is Mariam and I’m a 4th-year student studying neuroscience and immunology.

Over my undergrad, I have gained extensive experience in student advocacy work through both official student bodies, such as the Trinity Equity Committee and IMMSA, as well as independently. It has been a personal initiative of mine to dismantle the legacy of isolation UofT has garnered – whether it’s by freely sharing notes, encouraging positivity, or addressing challenges openly with professors & students.

Unfortunately, there is still a lot of work to do to make our A&S community more equitable for all students! Hence, I wanted to bring my leadership skills to the ASSU to support the following motions:

1. Work with college registrars to create a digital space that directly connects students with the ASSU and its initiatives.

2. Create a series of seminars throughout the year, featuring representatives from local businesses, hospitals, and labs to help students access academic opportunities (which has been incredibly difficult during the pandemic).

3. Continue supporting mental health initiatives across campus and advocate to keep the “Absence Declaration” method in place beyond the pandemic.

I would sincerely appreciate your support and I hope to make everyone proud as an ASSU executive!

Nicholas Merrithew

Hey UofT! I’m Nick Merrithew and I’m running for an executive position on the Arts and Science Council. If you are looking for an approachable, passionate, and dedicated candidate to represent you during this challenging year, choose me to be your voice. I am heading into my second year at University College as an Anthropology major, double minoring in Sociology and Political Science. As a Martial Artist, member of the Pre-Law Society and an executive member of the UofT News-Review, I bring confidence and active listening skills that I hope to use to create positive change within our Faculty. I intend on representing the Faculty with integrity, bringing your ideas to the forefront of discussion as a member of the Council.

Eugene Seo

We all took our first steps into this excellent unique experience of university life. But then, we all found ourselves in a hazy fog of academia, trying to sort out our academics, extracurriculars, and social life.

I want to act as a helping hand for students to find a clear path through this fog.

My name is Eugene Seo, and I am a first-year Life Science student from Vancouver, BC, running for an ASSU 2021-22 executive position.

As a first-year student who ran high school government during COVID, I desire accessibility and clarity from any offered support groups. A common issue that I constantly found in conversation in my high school, no matter the discipline or group, is a lack of information and mental health support. Therefore, I am running for the ASSU executive position to be an advocate for both.

Through the ASSU, I want to use my social skills to interact with the community and guide those in need. I never want to make unfulfilled promises for any future initiatives. However, I can guarantee that you can have complete faith in my drive. My leadership and qualifications are evident through my efforts to manage programs at my school, raise the third-highest donations between high schools for the Vancouver Food Bank, and create a scholarship and piano/math tutorial sessions at an elementary school in my hometown.

My passion, commitment, and empathy are evident in everything I do. I believe I would be a strong candidate for this council.

Chelsea (Ziyi) Song

Hi everyone! My name is Chelsea (Ziyi) Song. I am a third-year student studying Global health. It would be a great honor to be considered as your Arts and Science Students’ Union Executive.

On campus, I had the opportunity to work at the University of Toronto Students’ Union as the Executive Assistant under the student life portfolio. I’ve been a part of many clubs and student organizations, and my involvement ranges from being the co-director of REV dance community, to serving as the UC Lit Deputy Communications and outreach commissioner, the president of Deaf Awareness Club and many more. Through these experiences, I have seen the powerful role student leadership plays when it comes to striving for real changes, and I hope to leverage my previous student governance and leadership experiences to better serve and reflect the true needs of our community.

If elected, I hope to work on the following:

• Many of my peers have shared the sentiment that finding opportunities can be difficult ad overwhelming, and hence I hope to put together a resource handbook with internships, research opportunities, and other on-campus opportunities for students to refer to.

• Encourage inter-course union collaboration to promote greater student engagement.

• Provide course union leaders with equity trainings, and ensure campus-wide mental health resources are accessible

Above all, I recognize that to understand the true concerns of our community, the ASSU needs to play a listening role. I will work closely with you to ensure that your needs and concerns are fulfilled.