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

I think it’s important to get input from people who have past experience in order to understand how and why things are happening now (says the History minor). That’s why I recently got a hold of James Finlay, past VP External candidate for Change, a slate that ran opposition 2 years ago. I asked him a few questions that would hopefully give insight to why the elections are the way they are now.

Have you ever wondered why there are some of us who have problems with the Canadian Federation of Students – Ontario, while others are completely for it? Ever questioned the conduct of those who are seemingly ‘anti-UTSU’ and ‘pro-UTSU’? Want to know what makes a good slate? Is this starting to sound like an essay topic? Should I remind you to be slightly analytical while reading this?

The following interview is uncut. Therefore, I would like to remind all readers that what you are about to read is the opinion of one person. Perhaps it is representative of a few others, but it definitely is not representative of blogUT.

(more…)

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.

Before I go on, some things to address from my last post:

• Students First now has a website.
• Here is The Varsity’s coverage of Fake Brett’s adventures.

One of the most exciting things about elections is that there are debates. Candidates are put in the spotlight and go head to head. Debates test their ability to think on their feet, and it’s usually here where we figure out how seedy, or legitimate, or committed, or half-assed candidates are. Public speaking skills and, more importantly, public answering skills, can basically tell us how prepared a person is in whatever they’re doing. It’s one thing to convince with your speeches – it’s another to convince with your answers. Am I starting to preach? Sorry – I used to be a debater. Debates gives me lotsa feelz.

However, you need to organize a debate in order to have a debate, and that was something that was done poorly. Yesterday, the #UTSU2012 Twitter hashtag was going crazy over how little notice there was for both the candidates and the general public. More details here. But before you put the blame directly on UTSU, things like debates and, really, anything related to planning and organizing the elections, is dealt with by the CRO and Elections and Referenda Committee. Now, I’m not sure what CRO Daniel Lo and the ERC are playing at but, whatever it is, it’s not cool. Thankfully, the UTSU did a live stream of the event. Twitter was also very active throughout so, if you missed it, do a search for #UTSU2012 and you’ll find coverage.

What I’m going to talk about here is how impressed I was by the presidential portion of the debates. Unfortunately, I was unable to see a good chunk of the VP debates, so I’ll leave them out. Think of this post as a “Meet Your Next President” profiling post.

One of the things that struck me during the presidential debates was how candid the candidates were. There were three: Shaun Shepherd of Unity, Brent Schmidt of Students First, and Rohail Tanoli who is running independently. While on the table, they displayed this kind of camaraderie, actively referring to each other. Rohail even said that both Brent and Shaun are his friends. Cue the “awwwww”s.

(more…)

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.

It’s that time of year again, when critics put on their horns and defenders get their panties in a bunch.

While it may only be the beginning of February, the storm is already brewing. The Varsity has already published a few articles about the UTSU, and even has a weekly column dedicated to the upcoming election just for the sole purpose of keeping us updated. Sadly, if last year’s election turnout is any indication, few people care what really happens. Why? Well, we all say U of T has no school spirit. I really hope that this year we can prove that wrong and perhaps get some dialogue going about something that actually concerns all the undergrads on campus. I’m not just saying this to sound corny and important– UTSU elections actually matter!

Before I get down to it, I want to be very clear that right now I have no particular side I’m writing for. Everything I am saying here is meant to be presented in the most critical and objective way possible. If it appears otherwise, please accept my apologies.

Today, I’m writing about the potential opposition slate, Stop The Salaries. Campaigning hasn’t started yet, but even keeping that in mind, I say “potential” because, as of right now, I really don’t see them gaining much momentum. Why? Well…

(more…)

Source: Letters from Iran (Unfortunately the video I watched that fueled this post seems to have been removed from the Al Jazeera website)

In Iran, the planned and controlled oppression of the young voice is drowning the brightest minds of a country daily.

Iran’s sons and daughters know no freedom.  But freedom knows them.

The fabric of restraint tied around the throats of a nation is slowly ripping and that indomitable force known as the human spirit, is like a dull knife becoming sharper over time; cutting and cutting through the binds of modern slavery to a new era of Arab freedom.

Our lives involve a much less violent form of oppression and control. Gone are the days of unveiled open slavery inflicted on us by others.  We now suffer collectively as western nations from forms of self-inflicted restraint.  Wars are now waged internally; man against himself.

We have become our own greatest enemies.

In the 20th century, the ocean of freedom washed over our western nations and swept away plights of racism, sexism and other basic human rights.  Upon the water’s receding, we entered a new era of freedom of expression, liberation and innovation.  Freedom reigned, whilst in the background the once powerful human spirit, which brought on our evolution to free selves, began quietening and regressing ,as we deservedly began enjoying the fruits of our toils, the spoils of our innovation.

Consequently, less thought oriented we have become.  The poison of laze runs through many of us and a new self-imposed slavery binds us to our halls of freedom where we once triumphantly marched.  Self-progression is halting, but thankfully we are noticing.

Hear today the voices again crying out:

“Repression, we are living lives of repression……”

“Our governments hold us back……”

“We don’t receive what we deserve……”

“Our dreams never realized; our struggles never cease…….”

Do you feel this very fabric tightening around your own throat?  Does difficulty plague your everyday living?

Is your answer, Yes?  If it is, I challenge you to rip the fabric.

You were born into a free world.  You were given the opportunity of a level playing field.  What will you do with these gifts and advantages?  It is time that we return to our grass roots nature, as the power to change; to obtain; to excel, exists within us all.  Pursue what you deserve!  Why are you playing small?  Why are you settling?  Make today the final day tht you live driven by acceptance.  Instead, drive your life forward with your influence.

The same powerful human spirit that broke chains and rewrote history in the 20th century exists inside of all of us.  Believe in yourself and your rights to success and to the true life you were born to live. Like the youth of Iran, step forward in defiance of all forms of oppression; internal and external.  Do not allow self-pity to slow your progress.

You were born into freedom and with more power than you know.

Rip the fabric holding YOUR OWN development back.

Surge forward and prosper.

Now, I know it’s a little odd to be discussing other universities on a U of T blog, but the recent controversy at the University of Western Ontario has evoked some concerns and questions for me about the U of T image. For those of you who have yet to hear of the changes happening to our notorious rivals, here is an update. This week, University of Western Ontario students were informed by their president, Amit Chakma, that UWO is no more.  Instead, the university has officially changed its name to ‘Western University’. Additionally, the university has released their new ‘visual identity’, changing their symbol from the well-known purple building to a newly designed (darker purple) crest.  The school representatives claim that the name change and the new visual identity was decided upon based on student, faculty, and alumni interviews about the Western image.  It’s assumed that the changes are meant to revive the Western image and create a more marketable institution internationally.

The change has been controversial among the student body at the former UWO. Questions about the necessity of the change, the effectiveness, and financial waste have been points of concern for Western students.  It’s estimated that the new transformation has cost over  $200,000 – money better spent elsewhere, perhaps?

I don’t usually like writing serious stuff, but this needs some serious attention.

You’re on the Internet right now, so you’ve probably already heard of SOPA and PIPA. That is, the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act. And you probably know that many major Internet companies/groups have been opposing this bill. Wiki blacked out for a day to draw awareness, along with Reddit and other information-sharing sites. Google, Facebook, and Mozilla are opposed too, just to name a few.

In short: This bill, if passed by the US congress, will give big companies an advantage in suing non-US companies for copyright infringement. It will most notably not allow sites to have links to pirated material or to other sites that break copyright laws. In a way, it will censor a lot of the Internet. Considering that the Internet has become THE place to share files and information and, considering today’s global community, well… not the greatest idea from the US congress.

Basically, any site that links to pirated information is a target for this new bill, regardless of whether or not the site was responsible for the pirating in the first place. This is censoring the Internet of almost anything that is copyrighted. And it almost sounds legit until you consider that many people use the Internet as a way to share files that they legitimately own. YouTube videos can be taken down… hell, YouTube itself can be taken down. Going to share a link on Facebook? It better not link to a site that links to a pirating site. Even Google will have to watch out for what it shows in its results. Does this not go completely against the idea of the Internet?

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always thought that the Internet would be humankind’s way to connect with other people. It’s a global community – a place for us to share our ideas, interests, and, yes our music, videos, and other copyrighted things. I mean, I’ve shared the Harry Potters movies in real life, so why am I not allowed to do so on the Internet? If they ban sharing of copyrighted materials on sites, then are they going to stop us from EMAILING files to each other too? What’s next? No more USBs because, clearly, we can copy and paste files and share with those as well!

As a student, I feel like this could have major effects on our lives. I mentioned the Wiki blackout – what if it got permanently banned for linking to copyrighted information? Sure, we can’t cite Wiki, but that’s always the first place I look when I start doing research because it’s a wonderful background information resource. And YouTube – there are a lot of good, educational videos that I would really like to stay there.

It’s unfortunate that, as Canadians, we can’t exactly call up a congress member and protest the bill… well, we could, but I doubt it would sway them much. But you should know that SOPA will have the ability to shut down Canadian-run sites, even if no Canadian laws were broken. Piracy certainly is a major issue, but there’s always the issue of when a law would do justice and when it would go completely against what’s fair.

The worst part is, SOPA seems unnecessary. The bill’s actually on hold now due to the Internet blackout a few days ago but, regardless of that, Megaupload’s founder was still arrested and Megaupload remains down. This is exactly the form of legal action that SOPA seeks to bring… but the US authorities managed to do this based on current copyright laws. The action was drastic, of course. Megaupload has been a big help to many of us, and few avid internet users are happy to see it go, but the point is that piracy has been thwarted without the need to censor 90% of the Internet.

But, really, growing up in the Information Age, I think we’ve all learned to appreciate the wonders of the Internet in all its file-sharing glory. And, in all honestly, I don’t think that SOPA, even if passed, would be able to stop the millions of people who use the Internet from finding a way to continue to share. It’s called the World Wide Web for a reason, and severing the threads that link things together will tear the whole thing apart.

Sites threatened by SOPA: http://www.thisblogrules.com/2012/01/top-13-endangered-websites-if-sopa-passes.html

How it could affect Canadians: http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/What+SOPA+means+Canada/6019152/story.html

Google’s Anti-SOPA Petition information: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2012/01/google-anti-sopa-petition.html

Jan. 23, 2012: UPDATE! IT’S BEEN STOPPED!

I wish I had something more to say now, but I think I got my ranting done with. Opinions and thoughts in Comments, please!