As BUSU’s February election draws near, candidates have begun releasing their campaign manifestos.
With voting taking place from Feb. 11 to 13, candidates for a plethora of student representative seats are sharing their visions of how they plan to advocate for students if elected. Voting will appoint seven candidates to one-year seats as BUSU Board Members, four candidates to two-year seats as BUSU Board Members, three candidates to two-year seats on the Brock Senate and one candidate to a one-year seat on The Brock Press Board of Directors.
There are 14 candidates running for the seven, one-year seats on the BUSU Board of Directors: Kelela Dennis, Binoy Mahmud, Yasmin Elgerf, Bella Bai, Tanner Burr, Omar Rasheed, Ian Bhimani, Hasan Rana, Zaina Siddique, Vidhi Malik, Andrew Hawlitzky, Travis Hartono, Hinkal Patel and Mentalla Elgerf.
Many candidates cited their prior leadership experiences outside of Brock as motivation for their decision to run. For example, Kelela Dennis — a former member of the Jamaica Youth Parliament and the Jamaica Union of Tertiary Students while also serving as a faculty representative at her previous university — outlines in her manifesto that she aims to increase BUSU decisions that will be in students’ best interest.
Bella Bai also outlined past leadership efforts in her manifesto. Bai served as Head Student at her high school in Hanoi, Vietnam and was a fundraising event organizer for a non-profit organization. Bai elaborates on her campaign website that her work as Head Student at her previous school increased student engagement by 40 per cent. At Brock, she currently serves as treasurer for the Brock University Chinese Student and Scholars Association (BUCSSA). Bai cites her prior leadership experience as equipping her with the ability to manage finances, plan events and prioritize cultural diversity.
As another candidate with prior experience in critical positions at Brock-related organizations, Binoy Mahmud, who has served as a BUSAC Councillor, Vice-Chair of the Clubs Committee, Chair of the Elections and Referendum Committee, President of the Muslim Students’ Association and a Board Member on the BUSU Board of Directors, says that the drive for his leadership efforts are making every Brock student feel “represented, valued and empowered.”
Similarly, Hasan Rana says that his experience as a Med Plus mentor and Team Lead Swim Instructor has helped him learn to facilitate empowering and communicative environments, which he aims to bring to BUSU if elected to the Board.
As former Project Manager at Brock’s Finance Investment Group and current Director of Events for Brock’s Muslim Students’ Association, Omar Rasheed has also cited his past leadership roles as he aims to foster an environment that values student voices in BUSU. Rasheed is also advocating for students to have more access to how their fees are distributed within the university to bring accountability to BUSU and cultivate responsible spending habits.
Yasmin Elgerf’s campaign prioritizes similar issues, as she is advocating for students to know how their money is being spent within BUSU. Elgerf also said that she will advocate for women’s-only hours to be established at Brock’s pool and to be increased at The Zone.
Candidate Zaina Siddique says that re-instating executive elections will be necessary to bring accountability to BUSU. In Siddique’s manifesto, she outlines that she will fight to ensure that BUSU keeps the interests of students in mind by “rebuilding BUSU from the inside out.”
In Vidhi Malik’s manifesto, she says that the power to foster “togetherness” and ensure that student voices are valued drives her passion for pursuing a seat on the Board of Directors. With these values in mind, Malik seeks to represent all students at Brock equally.
Similarly, Mentalla Elgerf aims to represent students by advocating for their right to access “affordable and diverse” meals on campus. Elgerf also says in her manifesto that she intends to bring more advocacy for student demands to BUSU.
Both Ian Bhimani and Hinkal Patel are seeking re-election as Board Members. Bhimani says that he wants to ensure that Brock “feels like home” to students, with a goal to help students feel more involved at Brock. Patel says that serving on the Board of Directors has been “an incredible journey” and she wants to continue working on initiatives that improve student experiences at Brock.
Advocacy for more transparency from BUSU was a major theme across several campaigns, with candidates Yasmin Elgerf, Bella Bai, Omar Rasheed, Hasan Rana, Zaina Siddique and Mentalla Elgerf naming it as a priority.
As of writing, there are no listed manifestos for Travis Hartono, Tanner Burr or Andrew Hawlitzky on BUSU’s website.
There are seven candidates running for the four spots to serve as a BUSU Board Member for two years. The candidates include Vinay Yadav, Mariam Ben Omrane, Olivia Gillespie, Mohiz Imtiaz, Shreya Jignesh Patel, Abdulrahman Al-Naqeb and Kira Simmons.
Vinay Yadav centred his campaign around increasing funding for Brock’s clubs. In his manifesto, Yadav says that he will advocate for clubs by ensuring that BUSU increases their club levy. He also wants to increase the number of student jobs at Brock and ensure that BUSU hosts more free events for students.
Candidate Mariam Ben Omrane also aims to promote job opportunities for students at Brock if elected to the BUSU Board of Directors. Additionally, she says that bringing more “culture and fun” into BUSU events whilst promoting inclusivity would be one of her priorities as a Board Member.
Olivia Gillespie’s manifesto outlines how her successful leadership activities in high school fostered her passion to make change at Brock. Gillespie says that ensuring student voices are amplified in BUSU is a top priority, along with bringing transparency and accountability into the organization.
Shreya Jignesh Patel says that, if elected to the Board of Directors, she will advocate to strengthen mental health support for students. In doing this, Patel aims to foster a “affirmative mindset” within Brock students and the Brock community.
In Abdulrahman Al-Naqeb’s campaign, he advocates for increasing bus services to Brock. He proposes bringing buses that can transport students to Hamilton, Toronto, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Welland and Port Colborne.
Kira Simmons’ manifesto focuses on the ways that “transparency, democracy and fairness” can be improved at BUSU. Simmons says that students must be given the opportunity to know how their representatives are elected and how they are making their decisions, advocating for General Meetings to be more widely promoted, working equitably to meet diverse student needs, reviewing BUSU’s executive team structure, protecting The Brock Press by ensuring any changes to funding are approved by students and reducing student costs overall.
As of writing, Mohiz Imtiaz has no manifesto listed on BUSU’s website.
There are seven candidates running for the three two-year spots on the Brock Senate. The candidates include Rishi Yogesh Mandalia, Shruti Jain, Mah Noor Naveed, Yana Verma, Vincent Flores, Arwen Arzadon and Maheen Rajani.
In his manifesto, Rishi Yogesh Mandalia says that accessibility services, equality and promoting the well-being of students at Brock must be a priority for BUSU. In ensuring these priorities are met, Mandalia says that he will consider how his experience as BUSU’s Vice President External Affairs Advisor and Clubs Funding Advisor can provide insight in these areas.
In Shruti Jain’s manifesto, she says that amplifying the voices of every Brock student is how she aims to advocate on the Brock Senate. Jain says that students should be able to have meetings with the Senate so conversations between the two can be reciprocal.
Mah Noor Naveed is advocating for changes to the learning environment that benefit students. For example, Naveed’s manifesto outlines her aim to give students better access to textbooks via Brock’s library, facilitate more accommodation initiatives for students and advocate for classroom diversity initiatives.
In Yana Verma’s manifesto, she says that her event coordinator position in the Indian Students Association gives her “immense pride,” as it is an opportunity to bring the Brock community together. Bringing this motivation into her campaign for the Senate, Verma says that she wants to advocate for students and contribute to real progress.
Similarly, Vincent Flores’ manifesto outlines his commitment to ensuring that academic policies improve student experiences at Brock. He notes the Senate’s responsibility over Brock’s educational policy, saying that he will amplify student concerns regarding “academic policies” and “curriculum development” if elected to the Senate.
As of writing there are no manifestos listed for Arwen Arzadon and Maheen Rajani on BUSU’s website.
Ghassan Balouze is the only candidate running for the seat on The Brock Press Board of Directors, but there is no information at this time on his platform.
By voting, students can build an environment where they feel truly represented. Voting for BUSU’s February election will open at midnight on Feb. 11 and close at 9 p.m. on Feb 13. To cast your votes, visit brockbusu.ca/Brock-Votes. Navigate to the top right corner and click “profile” to ensure you are logged into your student account before voting.
For more information about election candidates and the voting process, visit brockbusu.ca.