By: Hailey Miller, Staff Writer
The 2024/25 SFSS executive committee elections vote is taking place from February 26–29. All undergraduate students are encouraged to vote via a portal that will be sent to their SFU email. A total of 30 candidates will be running across seven positions including president, vice-president equity and sustainability, vice-president events and student affairs, vice-president external and community affairs, vice-president finance and services, vice-president internal and organizational development, and vice-president university and academic affairs.
Muriel Adarkwa, SFSS campaigns and mobilization coordinator, stressed the importance of students voting in the election. In a statement to The Peak, Adarkwa stated, “Over the years, students have exhibited apathy concerning student elections, and this year, the society hopes to see something different.” Adarkwa further explained how having so many nominees contributes to a variety of “different platforms, ideas, and directions” which allows students “the opportunity to access and choose which [candidate] resonates with them the most.” Adarkwa’s message is for students to “be informed, engaged, and vote, because, if you don’t vote, someone else will do it for you. Your vote is your power!”
The Peak interviewed some of the presidential candidates to learn more about their positions, goals, and campaigns. The four candidates running for the president position are Ashley Flett, Emmanuel Adegboyega, Adriana Cumming-Teicher, and Thomas Lueth.
According to the SFSS Bylaws, executive committee members’ responsibilities include making recommendations to the Council, upholding SFSS policies, running Council meetings, and representing the student body to the general public. Each member of the executive committee has specific roles and responsibilities they must carry out in their year-long term. The president should ensure other members carry out their duties, coordinate compliance with collective agreements and employment contracts, and uphold legal contracts between the SFSS and external groups.
In a statement to The Peak, Flett stated, “I’m running to be your next president because I believe the SFSS has been unable to adequately or equitably fulfill the needs of students.” A third-year psychology major, Flett is currently on the SFSS executive committee as acting vice-president internal. “If elected, I will empower the student body from the ground up. The society can be more than it is right now. Help me prioritize students like you first, and redefine the SFSS.”
Emmanuel Adegboyega is a fourth-year political science student with a minor in international studies and social data analytics. Adegboyega has taken on many leadership roles, including being on the SFSS Council and currently representing the residence hall’s association. He explained in a statement to The Peak, “It is no news to anyone that the SFSS is in need of great leadership now more than ever before, especially with the expiring union agreements and staff vacancies coupled with the continuing budget cuts to student services by SFU. SFU students need their representatives to fight for them more than ever before.” His experience “working with a diverse group of students” points to his values “around love, excellence, service, inclusivity, compassion, equity, unity, diligence, and justice.”
In Adriana Cumming-Teicher’s campaign platform, they stated they want to set priorities for student services to better support students. As a constituency group representative for the Out on Campus collective, they promise to hold monthly town hall meetings where everyone is welcome, and hold accessible office hours available to all students, giving their “undivided attention” to create a better society that students can rely on.
In a statement to The Peak, Thomas Leuth said “As vice-president university and academic affairs, one thing I realized was that most students are unaware of the services the SFSS provides and how they can be involved. I would like to ensure students are more informed about the SFSS and its processes, and improve the communication between councillors and students. I had also noticed that there are numerous internal issues with the SFSS, which hinder it from functioning as well as it could to provide for the student body.” Leuth stated that he will “always strive to optimize efficiency.” As a current SFU engineering student, he will work to support students in their best interest.
Candidates for the other electoral positions are as follows:
- Vice-President Equity and Sustainability candidates: Chloë Arneson, Vee Babbar (Vaibhav), Anandjot Hothi, Pranay Ratan, Mujtaba Tariq
- Vice-President Events and Student Affairs candidates: Rayan AlHatti, Jenna Huynh, Maria Jose Gomez, Lydia Lu, Chitransh Motwani, Saransh Nagpal, Hyago Santana Moreira, Besmillah Sultani
- Vice-President External and Community Affairs candidates: Ayooluwa Adigun, Joel Gilani, Mehtab Singh, Natalia Zuluaga
- Vice-President Finance and Services candidates: AbdulKarim El Hayek, Simar Kaur Sahota, Boris Perdija, Aaqib Wani
- Vice-President Internal and Organizational Development candidates: Sam Killawee, Saranpreet Singh, Claudia Zhou
- Vice-President University and Academic Affairs candidates: Rishu Bagga, Ashkan Saffari
More information regarding all positions and the candidate platforms is available on the SFSS website at sfss.ca/get-involved/candidate-platforms-2024.
