Why Community Matters
If you’re like me, deciding who to vote for isn’t easy. There are many factors to consider, and many candidates to vet, so I see why voter turnout is low.
The amount of time and effort needed to make sure your decisions are informed can seem like that extra project you don’t have time to do. This decision doesn’t come with the possibility of an extension, so let me save you some time and take this opportunity to endorse the team that deserves your vote.
Community matters! Let’s stop and think about these words. Some important buzzwords are being tossed around by most platforms so you have to ask yourself, which team actually has the ability to represent the community you want Concordia to be? For me, the answer is glaring. We need a team that understands what it takes to implement—and has had experience in leading—community movements, taking concrete steps to better the lives of students.
Through their efforts, Community Matters has already contributed to student life on both campuses; it makes sense to see them continue this amazing work to make our university a space that represents us. They have all contributed (and, in many cases, founded) important work at the People’s Potato, Divest Concordia, the Concordia Food Coalition, Sustainable Concordia, the Hive Co-op Café Project and other groups that fill this team’s impressive CV. We’re hearing a lot about what other candidates plan to do for our community once elected, but Community Matters has already planted the seeds of their platform and it will be exciting to see these initiatives grow and mature.
There is also a referendum question being put to ballot, asking if you’d like to see the decisions surrounding fee-levy group funding changed from its current state to a per-faculty vote. If passed, this decision will have profound effects on how these student organizations operate. In some cases, they may cease to exist. Community Matters envisions a community that is collaborative and gives students the autonomy to engage in whichever way they wish. This includes having the opportunity to join any group or activity, no matter what faculty you’re in. Instead of playing into these divisive politics they’re even more motivated to work with fee-levy groups to ensure each student on campus has an enjoyable experience. This is the definition of leading; it’s the result of experience. The decision is simple, vote Community Matters!
—Mark Underwood
