2020 Presidential Debate
Written by: Asia Outten
@asiaoutten
Photo by: The SMU Journal
At the Presidential Debate held on February 6, 2020, the candidates Sophia Okoroafor, Salman Sadib and Bryn de Chastelain presented their stance on several issues and changes they would make in SMUSA if elected. Amongst other topics, some of the issues discussed included the first action they would take if elected, their current level of involvement on campus and how it can benefit them in office, how they can work to improve equity, diversity and inclusion, and what they believe SMUSA’s greatest challenge is.
Sophia Okoroafor, an international student from Nigeria, is running for all students on and off-campus and who has had good and bad times at Saint Mary’s University. When asked about the first issue she would address if elected, Sophia answered that she would work to improve the communication between SMUSA and the students, try to create more awareness about SMUSA and their services, and let students know that SMUSA is there for them. She believes that marketing, getting involved and improving school spirit is the best way to go about creating awareness.
Sophia’s current level of involvement includes working at the Patrick Power Library, at the Women’s Center and previous experience as a Pack Leader. She mentioned that being involved allowed her to talk with various students and helped her “build [herself] as a leader[helped her] learn how to speak, and it has [taught her] how to manage [herself] effectively.” On the topic of equity, diversity and inclusion, Sophia said that as an international student, she understands the importance of building a diverse environment; to her “diversity is about culture, it’s about different people’s background, it’s about everyone coming together to form one happy circle. Equity is the art of being fair. In a diverse environment…you have to be fair and understanding [of everyone’s] culture…and you also have to be inclusive. These things go hand in hand.”
If elected, she would like to make all students feel welcomed and included. In terms of SMUSA’s greatest challenge, Sophia believes it is getting students engaged and increasing school spirit and openness, whether that be through sports, societies, events or other means.
Salman Sadib is a presidential candidate who is proud of his culture, family, friends and his fellow students at Saint Mary’s University. He is a 4th year Accounting student who believes in the legacy of involvement and is passionate about leadership. He currently works with the Consent Project, the Sexual Violence Prevention Team, as an airport greeter with the International Center and as a student caller at the Alumni office. Although he enjoys involvement, Salman says that it is also about the student community, listening to students and staying genuinely invested in them. If elected, Salman says the first action he would take would be towards student wellness as he “believe[s] that a student’s academic performance is dependent on their physical and mental health condition”; he plans to promote mental health awareness through social media outreach and other initiatives. “I think mental health is a priority,” says Salman.
Regarding equity, diversity and inclusion, Salman thinks that it is excellent that SMUSA gives students a voice, but in doing so, there can be unconscious biases; he would like to work toward developing transparency and fairness in SMUSA. He thinks that equity should be the focus rather than equality, and that diversity is a strength. Lastly, he believes the most considerable challenges SMUSA faces is that their mandate of ‘students working for students’ is not adequately enforced. He feels that SMUSA needs to understand more about students’ issues and work on covering a broader range of areas. Salman gave the example of the expenses that come with accidentally losing one’s bus pass— a situation like this can cost a student fifty dollars or more; two or more meals worth of money. He would like to advocate to reduce the costs associated with certain things on campus.
Bryn de Chastelain is a 3rd-year Political Science and Economics Major, and the current Vice President Academic and Advocacy for SMUSA this year. He is also taking part in Volleyball intramurals previously, served as Pack Leader. His past involvements and current decision to run for President of SMUSA stems from his love for the energy at SMU and wanting to contribute and give back to the student body. He would also like to nurture student leaders, engage with students, hear about the things they care about most and act on it. His other aims include making student life more affordable, wanting students to have a great experience at University, opening doors in SMUSA to facilitate inclusivity and student participation, and fighting for students to feel accepted.
If elected, Bryn said that the first issue he would act on is making textbooks free for students; he plans to do this through an existing system in Canada called Open Educational Resources, which allows students to have access to free online textbooks. Bryn stated that he is currently working on making this a reality alongside colleagues from the Student Union at Saint Francis Xavier University and Acadia University.
Bryn believes that any experience on campus is valuable because it encourages student interactions. In previous months, he talked with students who have had hiccups in university life, and this has caused him to be open to some of the realities here at SMU. He recognizes that he comes from a place of privilege and that everyone has different experiences that SMUSA should respect by incorporating a diverse team of people who will hear student issues and fight for them. Bryn also feels that SMUSA should value equity, diversity and inclusion. He commends SMUSA for having a VP of Equity and Wellness but does not think that their efforts should stop there; instead, this is something that everyone in SMUSA should work toward daily. “I think [what] we really need at SMUSA [is] to meet people halfway and by ensuring that we’re willing to make changes to our own structure [to] better the representation that we can have on campus.”, says Bryn about SMUSA’s position when making changes.
Additionally, Bryn thinks the most significant challenge SMUSA faces is a lack of engagement. He mentioned that Saint FX and Acadia University have more voters than SMU this year, although their population is much smaller. He also believes that SMUSA has the opportunity to build and should sell students more on what the organization can do for students by being more accessible and creating greater outreach.
Other topics discussed included tuition, sustainability, healthcare, the sexual violence policy and more. Regarding student fees, all candidates agreed that it would be unrealistic to promise students lower prices or a steady charge, but they do have the ability to advocate for predictable expenses. Bryn de Chastelain mentioned for domestic students; the government mandated that for the next five years, tuition can only increase up to 3% per year. However, there is no cap on this for international students. Considering this, he wants to make tuition predictable for all students so they can put more focus on enjoying and succeeding in university life.
As to sustainability on campus, the candidates mentioned taking efforts toward taking precautionary measures to educate students, preserving resources for the next generation, raising awareness, coming together to demand action, updating garbage bins, and more. Concerning a lack of backup healthcare for international students and the time it takes to see a doctor at SMU, candidates spoke about booking appointments via email and encouraging early responses, as well as the current access students have to off-campus walk-in clinics. Also, they would like to hear more about student’s concerns regarding healthcare and do more to accommodate them. The Sexual Violence Policy is another topic that was discussed; candidates recognized things the policy is lacking, including action, detail, support around the issue, updated information and its limited perspectives from not including students in the writing process.
To find out more about the Presidential debate and this year’s candidates, you can visit The SMU Journal’s Facebook to view the live stream, visit SMUSA’s website or contact the candidates independently in person or through social media.