‘Students4Better’… Better for who?
The dubious “grassroots initiative” using paid marketing to target Concordia students and CSU elections
It all started with an ad…
Technically, it started with Reddit posts about the paid marketing for a suspicious entity called “Students for Better” (S4B). Future generations will remember this moment as ad-ception: when the CSU (Concordia Student Union) elections, targeted social media advertisements, and a bunch of annoyed users on Concordia University's subreddit (r/Concordia) collided in comic disaster.
The first mention of S4B on Reddit took place in a Feb. 23 post. It was captioned, in classic misspelled Reddit fashion: “Anyone else getting these adds? Who has money to spend on student union adds?”
Attached was an image of a paid Reddit post by a user named “Students4better” and captioned “CSU is Failing You - Vote for change March 11-13.”
The paid Reddit post reiterated the call to vote during the upcoming polling period and asked its readers, in no uncertain terms, to replace the current CSU executive team. “Make your voice heard,” it read, “Make a plan to vote for a NEW CSU.”
Under the r/Concordia post, Redditors expressed confusion at the ambiguity of the paid marketing. One user commented: “WTF is this!”
Fortunately, S4B linked us to their website, studentsforbetter.com, where we could find all the answers to our most pressing questions. Like, who are these people?
Some names would have allowed us to confirm we’re not dealing with a faceless, oppressive entity obscuring its identity to avoid accountability. After all, S4B claims to stand for “Transparency. Action. Results” and commit themselves to “Real Leadership. Real Solutions.”
Yet, S4B does not provide names, ominously identifying itself as “a grassroots initiative driven by a group of students, alumni, and community members who share a deep commitment to fostering a productive environment for students on college campuses.”
Nowhere on their website or social media does S4B provide any further detail as to who they are and what their affiliation truly is, except to insist: “While we are not affiliated with any single institution, administration, or external organization, we are deeply concerned about student life at Concordia […].”
In other words, S4B may, in fact, have non-student, non-Concordia affiliations, but will not outright state these connections (financial or otherwise). How perfectly unsettling that seedy organizations are possibly paying to involve themselves in student politics!
In a post on S4B’s Instagram page, the group vaguely alleges the student union’s failings: “CSU is failing you—Mismanaged Funds, raising tuition, fewer resources—students deserve better.” The accompanying reel then concludes: “Make a plan to vote for a NEW CSU. March 11-13.”
By continuously drawing attention to the election voting period, it’s clear enough that S4B is targeting voters while simultaneously failing to identify itself as a campaigning “slate.” This failure might indeed be a deliberate one, since campaigning outside of the campaigning period violates sub-section 6.1 of the CSU’s Policy on Elections and Referenda. This may result in a candidate’s (or slate’s) disqualification, due to the group violating rules relating to influencing elections.
Redditors have raised concerns regarding the group’s abundant social media presence, obscure political connections and the validity of their claims that the CSU is failing students.
Amongst calls to reveal who runs the organization and calls for financial transparency from S4B, one user asks, “Does the organization or initiative receive outside funding?” As candidates for the 2025-2026 CSU executive team prepare to campaign, it is important to determine whether or not S4B is deliberately skirting CSU election bylaws.
Students at Concordia are also alleging that they are connected to pro-Israel groups on and off campus. It would make sense. The majority of vocal opposition on most student issues is conservative Zionists who coincidentally also sit on the CSU council.
Ultimately, it’s clear: S4B have not succeeded at convincing students-at-large that they do, truly, stand for better. As fascist sentiment rises on campus, S4B’s attempts at media manipulation, however pathetic, are testament to attempts at hijacking student democracy.
Correction: The paid post was made on Reddit, and not Instagram as stated previously. The Link aplogize for this mistake.
This article originally appeared in Volume 45, Issue 10, published March 4, 2025.
