Month: February 2012

Opinions shared in this post belong solely to the author and do not reflect the opinions of the blog.

Post Publishing Correction: According to ex-SPAC members, SPAC no longer exists. Correct me (again) if I’m wrong, but I think Stop The Salaries is more accurate.

It has finally started! UTSU election campaigning period has begun and already it seems like one slate is ahead of the other. Who are the slates, exactly? Well, they are…

Unity

Motto: Because U of T Needs Unity

Candidates:

• President: Shaun Shepherd
• VP Internal & Services: Corey Scott
• VP External: Abigail Cudjoe
• VP Equity: Noor Baig
• VP University Affairs: Munib Sajjad

See any familiar names? Well you should, because two of them are this year’s current VPs. Shaun and Corey are VP External and VP Internal, respectively. If you’re from UTM, you’ll recognize someone else. Munib is VP External of the UTM Student’s Union. Needless to say, Unity has got an impressive roster that is full of experience. That, and the fact that they are the “incumbent” slate gives them a lot of leverage in this election.

One thing, though: Is anyone else surprised that Shaun is running for President? Not that I’m saying he’s unqualified – I just think we were all expecting Corey to run. Given his experience, first as a UTSU associate and then his two consecutive terms as VP, he is the obvious choice for presidency. That was quite a curveball there, Unity.

Students First

Motto: Build the Campus Bar

Candidates:

• President: Brent Schmidt
• VP Internal & Services: Dylan Moore
• VP External: Alexander Ripley
• VP Equity: Karthy Chin
• VP University Affairs: Carmen Reilly

I can’t say that I’m very familiar with the Students First candidates. All I know is that Brent Schmidt was part of last year’s Students First slate. Their (frustrating) lack of website and posters just adds to the mystery. Boo. 🙁

Day 1: Feb 27:

When I walked around campus this morning, I was prepared for a mosaic of posters plastered on every pole and wall. Instead, what I saw was a lot of electric blue. ‘Strange,’ I thought. ‘Don’t they start postering at 7?’ One of the rules of the election is that opposing slates are not allowed to cover or take down each others’ posters. That makes postering somewhat of a property battle; once you get the spot, no one else can take it.

The posters I saw belonged to Team Unity, and clearly they already have the upper hand.

I’m not saying this because I support Unity – I want to get to know each team’s platform first. I’m saying this because, like any prepared team, they have posters, a full roster of candidates (executive and board of directors), a functioning website, and a working platform. Conversely, Students First’s lack of posters, website, and platform (at the time of writing) shows that they were unprepared for this election season. Their Facebook page and Twitter also lack any detailed information. What exactly does “Build a Campus Bar” mean? An ambiguous motto like that requires explanation, and the fact that Students First are unable to provide one sets them back.

That brings me to question whether or not they are serious about their campaign. Their lack of preparation is a rookie mistake – one that shouldn’t happen if their campaign team is committed to their slate. Do they have anything up their sleeves? Could this be a political tactic? Does past candidate Brent Schmidt have something planned? Or am I being too hard on them and technical difficulties really did arise?

But it’s only Day 1. Students First, you still have time to impress us. One question: Is it too late to change your colours? Blue against blue isn’t very… eye-catching. Your blue logo won’t stand out against Unity’s blue posters, and Lord knows you need to catch up. Big time.

Bonus
The “Scandal” – The Mystery Impersonator: Is UTSU impersonating with the intent to defame?

While Students First is showing a disappointing lack of activity, a couple of their supporters are making up for it. Student Political Action Committee (SPAC) members Brett Chang and Taylor Scollon had their feathers ruffled on Sunday when an impostor Tweeter impersonated Brett. Unfortunately, I was unable to see what Fake Brett tweeted, but whatever he said got quite a response from Real Brett and others. If my skills of deduction are correct, Fake Brett posted something racist and Real Brett took the hit. Anyone care to provide more explanation? Click here and here for the original tweets. The links will work as long as Real Brett doesn’t delete them.

(FYI: SPAC is kind of like the answer to UTSU’s problems.They are the masterminds behind Stop The Salaries, what Taylor called an “issue advocacy campaign”, and what I saw as the predecessor to this year’s Student’s First.)

Anyway, the @Brett_Chang account has since been reported and deleted, but what I find most intriguing is the timing. If UTSU really did intend to impersonate to defame, would it be smart to do so right before they send their own off into the election campaign period? I find it hard to believe that they would resort to such tactics at such an inconvenient time. It’s bad publicity, right off the bat, and UTSU isn’t dumb enough to do that.

What happened, then? Do you believe that UTSU is behind that account, or is there someone out there who is pulling a prank on all of us just for giggles? Is this an attack on SPAC or a ploy to mar UTSU?

As always, I encourage anyone and everyone to comment and share their thoughts. I will be posting my thoughts here on blogUT throughout the election period, so look out for them! If you would like to contact me or you have a tip you want me to talk about, comment below or tweet me at @cjyc23.