March 11, 2024
THE VARSITY The University of Toronto’s Student Newspaper Since 1880
Hunain Sindhu elected SCSU president in IMPACT sweep
James Bullanoff UTSC Bureau Chief
Members of IMPACT UTSC won all of the executive positions for the 2024–2025 academic year in this month’s Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) general elections. Four of the executive candidates ran contested, and two ran unopposed. On the evening of March 8, the SCSU posted the unofficial results of the elections on its website. At least 1,755 students — 12 per cent of the UTSC student body, according to U of T’s published numbers from last year — cast their ballots from March 4–6. Last year, TRANSFORM UTSC ran unopposed and won all executive positions with a voter turnout of less than four per cent of those eligible to vote. This year the union will also be run by members of one slate, with TRANSFORM UTSC having run no candidates in this cycle. Executive results Students elected Hunain Sindhu as president with 55 per cent of all votes, Zanira Manesiya as vice-president (VP) academics and university affairs with 64 per cent, Omar Mousa as VP external with 60 per cent, and Lalise Shifara as VP equity received 59 per cent. In the two uncontested elections, Rafay Malik won the VP campus life position with 74 per cent of votes, and Jena Bah won VP operations with 69 per cent of votes.
Referenda and the board of directors The Regenesis UTSC levy passed with a 55 per cent vote of approval. Its levy proposal stated that starting fall 2024, full-time students would pay a fee of $7.23 per session, and part-time students would pay $3.62. The proposal also said that students would be able to opt out of the levy. Students raised concerns regarding this levy increase during a February candidates’ debate. The current VP Operations Akaash Palaparthy also referred to Regenesis UTSC’s budget for the levy as “very rudimentary” during the SCSU’s February board of directors (BOD) meeting. Thirty-seven students ran for the 18 available BOD positions. From ELEVATE UTSC, voters elected nine directors: Kira Jensen, Christine Villa, Jaki Shi, Carlos Arturo Paez Gonzalez, Gayathri Siva, Alexandros Grekos, Ayden Lim, Khalil-Najir Miles, and Sabine Mohamad. From IMPACT UTSC, voters elected six directors: Amna Ali, Harry Xu, Hania, Ayesha Ashraf, Bianca Camacho, and Zakariya Sohail. Every candidate who was elected was part of either the ELEVATE or IMPACT slates. Mya Ayilara and Miriam Younes of IMPACT UTSC were elected to the BOD by acclamation, meaning that because they ran unopposed for their respective positions, they automatically got the positions. No candidate ran for director of anthropology, and that seat will be pushed to the 2024 fall byelections. The SCSU must approve the results during its March BOD meeting, for which the union has not yet set a date. All elected and approved candidates will begin their terms on May 1.
Vol. CXLIV, No. 21
Shehab Mansour wins UTSU president election
Caroline Bellamy Creative Director
On March 11, the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) announced the tentative results of the union’s spring elections, which determine who will lead the union for the 2024-2025 academic year. Voters elected Shehab Mansour as president, beating out Aidan Thompson and Jake Barton with 49.1 per cent of the vote. For the vice-president (VP) positions, students elected Elizabeth Shechtman as VP finance and operations, Avreet Jagdev as VP public and university affairs (VP PUA), Erica Nguyen as VP professional faculties, Sakeena Mohammad as VP equity, and Tala Mehdi as VP student life. The voting period ran from March 4 at 9:00 am until March 7 at 5:00 pm. Within the voting period, 5,476 students cast their ballots online — a voter turnout of 13.1 per cent of those eligible to vote, an increase of two percentage points from the approximately 11 per cent who cast their ballots in the 2023 spring elections. Referenda and the board of directors The UTSU student aid program (SAP) levy increase passed with a 60 per cent approval
vote. SAP assists students with housing, transportation and academic costs by allowing them to request up to $500. UTSU members will now pay five dollars a semester, up two dollars from the previous three-dollar levy. Students also passed the Sexual Education Centre (SEC) levy increase with a 60.4 per cent approval vote, marking the first increase to the SEC’s levy funding since 1996. The SEC provides students with free safe sex supplies, in person peer counselling, and information sessions at their office at 230 College Street, Room 326. In 1996, students passed a referendum to establish a 25-cent levy for the SEC. With this increase, students will now pay 75 cents a semester. Fifteen students ran for Directory at Large of the UTSU Board of Directors (BOD). Rayan Awad Alim, Alice Ferguson-O’Brien, Daisy Zhao, Krishi Shah, Lilah Williamson, Sophia Mitonides, Diego Moura Panario, Jane Lee, Noah Goldstein, and Ron Ulitsky secured the 10 spots available. The current BOD will determine whether to ratify the election results at its next meeting scheduled for March 17. This article has been shortened for print. Read the full version online at thevarsity.ca.
Blues swimming team gets gold at 2024 U SPORTS Championships page 18