Director of education candidates discuss how to improve game programming program, fashion and construction co-ops
At the second debate of the Student Association (SA) elections, candidates spoke about their intentions to ensure that Casa Loma students are well-represented.
The SA funds The Dialog.
In the race for director of education, both Values, Voices and Virtues’ (V3) Mitchell Toye and Act Now’s Tiffany White said that they’ve heard of issues about Casa Loma’s game programming program, as well as a lack of co-ops in the construction and fashion programs.
“Together, we can actually get our faculty, get our teachers to listen more effectively, adapt their coursework, and also just bring our game programming, and construction management (programs) to the heights that we pay for.” said Toye.
Toye, who was reminded during the debate by chief returning officer Charles Wilson to use “parliamentary language,” added that organizing events and delivering systems with the SA to put pressure on faculty to change programs is an important part of his action plan for the position.
For White, making sure that students’ voices are heard with faculty involves continuing the Educative and Advocacy Initiative (EAI), which is a partnership with the collaborative nursing program and the SA’s academic advocacy program.
The EAI, which White said she plans to continue to roll out to other programs if elected, provides training for students to advocate on their behalf to George Brown’s faculty.
“(EAI) would be the best way to get the professors on board with us, by actually building relationships with them instead of just coming at them full force and fighting them and saying, ‘you’re bad, you should feel bad,’ ” said White. “We can’t do that because they are people too.”
Riddhi Modi (Act Now) and Harjit Singh Dua (V3) each discussed the lockdown that happened at Casa Loma campus in April 2016. For both communications and internal candidates, making sure that students are aware of what is happening in situations like that is important.
“The first thing that I would like to make sure is that the students are not panicked, they know what is happening, they are inside their classes so that there is not any kind of hazard that could have taken place if people are running here and there,” said Modi.
“I think with The Dialog or with other platforms, we can communicate this issue so that everybody knows what happened at the school,” said Singh Dua.
Mercedes Burrowes, V3’s candidate for director of campus life, highlighted ideas to help Casa Loma students get to events, including setting up more regular shuttle buses to St. James.
“Casa Loma, I know it is hard for you guys to come to St. James,” said Burrowes. “I think we should have shuttle buses here to pick you up if we have events going on at St. James because it’s far; I don’t expect you to make that whole trek when it’s not your campus.”
Burrowes also outlined several events that she said wants to have, including beer pong tournaments and bubble soccer.
Brittney DaCosta, who is running for director of campus life as part of the Act Now slate was not at the debate. A statement from DaCosta read by White said that the director of campus life candidate was in class and couldn’t make it to the debate.
Sheldon Mortimore, who is running for director of equity on the V3 slate also spoke at the debate, while Act Now’s director of equity candidate Alex Stewart sent his regrets and White read a short statement on his behalf.
