Candidates for the director of communications & internal position let students know why they believe they’re well suited for the job.
While candidates can make promises during their campaigns, it’s important for students to know that much of what is promised cannot become a reality.
See our fact checker below to understand what is possible and what’s a false promise.
Fact Checking:
- Nikita Yadav says she will expand the gym hours to open on the weekend. Potentially by renting the gym from the college. This is not how things can happen. During her time on the board, Angeline Nijmeh, former director of education & equity, advocated on behalf of students at Waterfront to have an athletics space at that campus. Only through hard work and advocacy can this become a reality.
- Pranjal says she will get students free iPads or laptops for one semester; she makes these promises without any real plan of implementation. If her plan is to get the SA to buy these devices, a rough estimate for every new students to get an iPad would be about $17-million. This is not feasible. She also mentions other schools that offer this, but fails to note that it is NOT the respective student unions, but the colleges offering these to students. She also fails to mention that the colleges have a limited supply and only give out to students who need it. It should be noted: at GBC, the Library Learning Commons rents out devices to students for a short period. Perhaps through advocacy, this can be negotiated and expanded to include longer rentals for students in need.
- All candidates spoke of PRESTO passes or the “U-Pass” but none explained what this means. Firstly this will NOT BE FREE and students will be paying for this pass that gives them unlimited rides on transit. This cost is estimated to be $90 per month, thats $360 per semester and $720 for students studying September through April, and does not include students studying May through August. In order to get a U-Pass the board of directors must request a referendum where 80 per cent of full-time students must vote yes to wanting this pass. Students should understand that they MUST pay these fees if a pass is implemented, and there is no opting out.
- Students should also understand that this would only work on the TTC, and students who use GO transit and the transit systems of other cities will still be required to pay. For example, students who live in Vaughan must pay their transit fare on their way to campus AND their regular GO transit fare. Only after arriving in Toronto and using TTC would the pass work. Travelling home, students would only be able to travel as far as the GO transit before having to pay full price.
- Pranjal is promising to give students free Uber rides and grocery gift cards. This is absolutely false. Not only did she not explain her plan for this, but the SAGBC does not just give out Uber gift codes or grocery cards to anyone who wants them. The SA gives these out as gifts and prizes for students at events, they do NOT, however, give these out to any student who asks for it. Now suspended board member Muhammad Usman promised to get rid of SNAP grocery hampers and give students gift cards instead when he first ran in 2023. This promise was never fulfilled because that is not something the SAGBC will ever do. This promise is completely false