CSU Slate RiZe Advocating Against Campus Sexual Violence
Slates Says They’re Anti-Austerity, Anti-Capitalist and Anti-Monopoly
Continuing campaigns against campus sexual violence, supporting student strikes, and expanding mental health services are only some of the promises on riZe’s to-do list if elected in the Concordia Student Union elections.
Claiming to be anti-austerity, anti-capitalist and anti-monopoly, the slate is lad by general coordinator candidate Margot Berner. Berner currently sits on the CSU’s council, and was involved in creating their new sexual violence policy.
“This position would give me the resources and the time to really push the administration to hold professors accountable,” Berner told The Link. “I have a long history of fighting for accountability processes, and this is something that I’m extremely passionate about.”
Berner says she isn’t in this to have a career in politics down the line. As a survivor of sexual violence herself, she said she’ll bring a perspective that’ll ensure their policies are accessible and sensitive to the needs of those who’ve experienced sexual violence. She also wants to push the administration to improve their sexual violence policies in the same way.
RiZe candidates in full:
- Margot Berner – General Coordinator
- Harvin Hilaire – Academic and Advocacy Coordinator
- Elliott Boulanger – External Affairs and Mobilization Coordinator
- Ashley Torres – Finance Coordinator
- Sophie Beauchamp-Lizotte – Internal Affairs Coordinator
- Manuela Simo – Loyola Coordinator
- Apochele Kamwendo – Sustainability Coordinator
- Paige Keleher – Student Life Coordinator
Ashley Torres, running to become finance coordinator, believes the slate can make a difference on issues that run deep within the school, especially through their healthcare plans.
International students are not covered under the CSU’s healthcare program and are obligated to buy into the Blue Cross plan provided by the university. This plan can run international students up to $8,000 per year.
“There are international students that don’t necessarily come from wealthy families,” said Torres. “We welcome students to get an education, and then [the university] takes advantage of them, and that I think is unacceptable.”
RiZe wants to see international students adopted onto the CSU healthcare plan and negotiate for better coverage for less money. Torres said since the CSU has previously been successful in negotiating for the cheapest coverage plan in the province for Quebec students, that union has the same capacity to do the same for thing international students.
RiZe’s candidate for academic and advocacy coordinator Harvin Hilaire said he wants to support students in their search for jobs and paid internships, by increasing the efficiency of the CSU’s Housing and Jobs Office.
They also want HOJO to create a list of employers that have poor working conditions for students to avoid, and a list for employers who have more demand for work between May and August. They also want to place an emphasis on employers looking for students don’t speak French.
Hilaire said they want to offer CSU services to help students better their French and begin a bi-annual campus jobs fair with HOJO employers.
“As a person who has struggled to get where I am, I am able to understand people’s situations, especially if they are also struggling,” he said. “I am also going to be able to give them feedback, advice and give out a helping hand in making sure they are playing on equal grounds with everyone else in the university.”
Polling for the general elections begins on April 2 and runs until April 4.
