Letter: Vote for Act Together

LettersCharles Gonzalves — Published March 21, 2016

Being a student is weird. It’s at times fun, affirming, oppressive, enlightening, thankless labour that takes a lot of time to anchor any significance to.

Whether you’re fresh from CEGEP, a mature student returning from the depths of “the real world” for meaningful study, an international student who first must wrap their head around poutine (or English, or tuition), or a head-on-your-shoulders-vaguely-cynical-I-don’t-need-anyone-but-myself type of student, the reality is that you do indeed rely, very heavily, on systems of representation, not just to orient you to, but to sustain and improve your experience at Concordia.

The Concordia Student Union is the body that represents undergraduates and members of the Concordia community at large.

They should work to make things like orientation a safe and stimulating experience; they should advocate for the preservation of the quality of your education and support critical services (like the People’s Potato and Hive Free lunches) in times where being fired from Concordia gets you six figures; they should be constantly self-critical and strive to foster a culture of growing—of acting—together.

I am writing in support of Act Together for next year’s CSU executive. I can speak for the candidates of Act Together because of the dedication to and presence of these people in this community.

I moved here in August. Members of the Act Together team—Lucy, Marcus, Sophia, Aloyse, and Adrian—were some of the first people that I met at Concordia.

Throughout a very turbulent fall, they made my experience at Concordia feel immediately valid and important, stressing my access to services like the Centre for Gender Advocacy, including me in activity at CJLO, guiding me through a hostile political environment on campus in light of the ongoing student tribunals, and always—always—having an ear for whatever I needed.

They highlighted my value and importance as a part of the student body which led me to consider, and follow through with, sitting on the CSU council of representatives for this academic year.

All this to say: in a sea of big (often empty) talk, the actions of these individuals resonate clearly and meaningfully, and not just for me. If you let them, they will for you too.