Lately people have been asking me why are you trying so hard to win this election thing? I respond Im not trying to win the elections Im trying to be in a position where I can make make a change. But the truth behind why Im for a position in OCAD Student Union at OCAD University/ OCAD University Social Group is for a number of reasons... the first one is this last year three friends of mine dropped out of school. One of them a young East African Girl said she went to an Student Union Event and felt really out of place. She felt excluded. After that event she became more conscious of how disconnected she felt and finally decided that this University wasnt the place to be. I asked recently when you were here at OCADU how many friends did you have or people that you can talk to or crack jokes with... She said none and I said damn. Second Friend was a person who identified as being Queer and they(prefered pronoun) dropped out because they realized being in University wasnt cheap. They told me that they often would go and leave school starving. So I asked them if OCAD provided more free food opportunities would you have still dropped out? They said maybe not. I then asked if OCAD had hired you or gave you grant money (like the big idea fund by OCAD U Diversity & Equity Initiatives) would you have stayed? They said Shit, I didnt event know about that! Third Friend was a young man who came from Malton, Ontario(bom, bom), so I connected with him because I knew what it meant to be from the fringes/ the hood and being in an environment like OCADU. He was a first year student and he dropped out because he thought OCADU was WACK and that there was nothing interesting or artistically inspiring that happened at the school. He then went onto to talk about how there are no workshops or classes of interests to him. I asked him recently if OCAD had workshops on the different ways artists can make money, would you attend? He said maybe. So I said if you knew that OCADU was offering a course on HIP HOP and its influence on the media being taught by a dope instructor named Audrey Hudson would you have taken it? He said F___ yeah! I then asked him, if OCADU had more networking events where you come out and chill and enjoy music but meet new people would you come? He said would there be free food? I said yes. He said then nuff said then. But my struggle here at ocad just like many others could be mended. I realized that people care more about how they FEEL than about gaining a degree. I know I do. So I am going hard to try to make a difference here at OCAD University because I want to make other people FEEL like they can belong here. I want to be in a position where I can help others people say to themselves After all that I been through to get here I FEEL like it was worth it. To create #anOCADUthatYOUcanFEEL is about progression. Its about returning the influence of change and growth back to us, the students the ones who really matter. And this is why I would like to be elected.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 14:44:41 +0000