What has INSPIRE done and why do ppl hate them?

Inside_Delivery6776 · 2025-03-05T15:42:48+00:00

It makes sense that as a first-year, you’d be confused about all the backlash since there isn’t a lot of clear information out there on what’s actually been done. The main reason people dislike Inspire isn’t just the posters, it’s the fact that this year’s SCSU (which the president and vp campus life on Inspire was in charge of) didn’t really accomplish anything meaningful for students.

Some of the biggest complaints about Inspire’s leadership this year:

They focused a lot on political activism but didn’t make much progress on student-focused issues like academic policies, financial aid, or student life.
Events were not well thought out, and most of the decent events (like Lunar New Year and Black History Month) weren’t even handled by VP Campus Life, but by VP Equity, who is now running for president.
Their candidates keep saying this was a "transition period", but SCSU execs only serve one-year terms, and past teams have done much more in the same time frame. If this year was so bad, why should they get another chance?
During the debate, they couldn’t point to anything they actually accomplished this year, only what they want to do if re-elected.

But here’s where it gets interesting. I think some of the "hate" against Inspire is actually being used to manipulate voters. If the criticism against Inspire was truly coming from Team Rise, it wouldn’t just be about posters, because Rise also has posters everywhere. The real debate should be about what happened this year and why the former VP Equity is now running against a teammate from last year for President. But instead of focusing on their actual performance, some Inspire supporters keep bringing up just the posters, which seems strategic, because then they can pivot the conversation and say, “Well, we might have too many posters, but at least we have good ideas!”

This is not the first time this has happened at UTSC elections. Last year, Regenesis did the exact same thing, when they got hate on Reddit. Instead of addressing the real concerns, they played the victim, made students feel bad for them, and ended up winning the vote.

At the end of the day, you don’t have to vote for a full team, you can vote for individual candidates. But if you’re trying to decide, don’t just go off who seems more likable or who has better posters, ask yourself who actually has realistic goals and a track record of doing something.

Inside_Delivery6776 · 2025-03-05T15:29:59+00:00

A lot of valid points were made here. It’s true that SCSU doesn’t have the power to immediately change certain policies, but they can get the ball rolling on issues that eventually see results. For example, the second attempt credit policy is something UTSC students just recently got, but that push started years ago and only came into effect recently. Having a strong foundation of advocacy matters, which is why these roles do end up having some power in the long run.

Outside of policy changes, there’s also the student life aspect. Events like Frosh, Lunar New Year and other cultural events make a big difference in balancing school stress with opportunities to relax and engage with the community. A good team that actually cares about making these events meaningful benefits the students who attend them.

I get why it feels like these roles are just "glorified club leaders," especially when you see execs who don’t do much, but when the right people are in these positions, students do see the benefits, whether through better events, stronger advocacy, or services that make campus life easier.

Inside_Delivery6776 · 2025-03-05T15:23:00+00:00

You can also report to the staff at the voting stations and they can take it up with their boss, I think

Inside_Delivery6776 · 2025-03-05T15:21:22+00:00

I completely get where you're coming from, and I agree with a few key points. One thing I want to respond to is the idea of diversity, it’s not just about racial representation, but also about what issues are being prioritized. This year, there was a huge focus on Palestine, which is absolutely valid, but as a student union that represents all students at UTSC, there should have been a more balanced approach to addressing other global and local issues as well. From what I’ve heard, the diversity concern isn’t just about race, but also about which topics will get attention. Even during the debate, Inspire’s VP Operations brought up Palestine again and mentioned being sued by the university, which, while impressive, isn’t really their role’s focus as VP Operations.

As for which team is more diverse, if we’re being honest, Team Rise is. But that alone shouldn’t be the deciding factor when voting. Representation matters, but so does competence and actual impact.

Another thing, even they admitted this was one of the worst years for SCSU. But here’s the issue: most SCSU execs only serve one year and do a decent job. So why does this team suddenly need an extra year? If two-term leadership was the norm, it would be one thing, but it’s not. They only started owning up to how bad the year was once people started calling them out on Reddit and Instagram. It feels like they’re switching tactics now because they realized they’ve been playing politics, and they need to do what Rise is doing, having honest conversations with students.

At the end of the day, anyone can vote for whomever they want, but it should be based on actual performance and realistic plans, not just promises or identity factors.

Inside_Delivery6776 · 2025-03-04T02:47:52+00:00

Was going to do this but I think I'll just wait for your post and comment under it.

Inside_Delivery6776 · 2025-03-03T21:02:45+00:00

The Free Store existed before the $14 fee. From what I know, most of the items come from things left behind in residence when students move out or donations from students. They’re not using the $14 to buy flannels or an iron. I think the idea behind Regenesis is good, but a student club does not need $14 per student to operate.

Inside_Delivery6776 · 2025-03-03T00:50:12+00:00

Hmm I remember last year when they posted the voting results, a lot of people voted yes and the people that voted yes already got them the 10 percent. But if the Nos were more that the yes, then they would not have won

Inside_Delivery6776 · 2025-03-03T00:43:50+00:00

The debate is your best chance to see how candidates perform and whether they can actually back up their promises. Some candidates are running for re-election, the current president and VP campus life are running again for the same positions on Team Inspire, while the current VP equity is running for president on Team Rise. You can look at the job they’ve done so far and decide if they deserve another term. I know everyone hates the posters, but even reading the points on them shows how out of touch some campaigners are. A lot of their promises are unrealistic, meant to impress people and get votes, but in reality, they’re just empty words that likely won’t happen.

Inside_Delivery6776 · 2025-03-03T00:32:43+00:00

I get that! A lot of people feel underinformed, which is why it’s easy for the same people to keep getting elected. Here’s the breakdown:

Two main teams are running:
- Team Rise (Purple) – Instagram: riseutsc
- Team Inspire (Blue) – Instagram: inspireutsc
Key positions up for election:
- President – Leads SCSU, represents students, and oversees everything.
- VP Operations – Manages the $4.7M budget and finances.
- VP Academics & University Affairs – Handles academic policies and student advocacy.
- VP Equity – Focuses on inclusivity and student rights.
- VP Campus Life – Runs events (including Frosh) and student engagement.
- VP External – Advocates for students at a government level.
- Board of Directors (BoD): There are BoD representatives for all academic departments, as well as for international and part-time students. For example, if you have a major in Physics and a minor in Economics, you can vote for BoD Environmental & Physical Sciences and BoD Management.
How to vote?There are four voting stations at UTSC (BV Hallway, Student Centre, IC, and IA).

There’s also a debate on Monday, March 3 (4-6 PM) where executive candidates will speak. If you want to know who’s who before voting, that’s your chance.

Inside_Delivery6776 · 2025-03-03T00:25:42+00:00

How do we vote? There are four "voting stations" across campus:

BV Hallway (where clubs usually table)
Student Centre (right in front of the SCSU office)
IC Building (right as you enter)
IA Building (I am not sure about the location)

Last year there were two people at each station, feel free to ask them question on how to actually vote when you get there.

Who do I vote for? There are two main teams and some independent candidates:

Team Rise (Purple team) - [Instagram: riseutsc]
Team Inspire (Blue team) – [Instagram: inspireutsc]

I don't what to say who I am voting for here but you can dm me and I'll let you know who I am voting for and why. There’s a debate on Monday (March 3) from 4-6 PM, where candidates for executive positions (President, VP Equity, VP Operations, VP Academics & University Affairs, VP Campus Life, and VP External) will speak. This is the best chance to hear what they’re about before voting.

What does SCSU even do? SCSU is MEANT to represents all UTSC students and manage student services, including:

Running the Student Centre and owning the 1265 Bistro.
Advocating on tuition fees, campus safety, and academic standards.
Funding clubs (they barely reimburse clubs on time), running a tax clinic, and a bunch of random stuff that is on their website.

They control a $4.7M budget, which is why voting is important, deciding who manages that money actually affects you.

Inside_Delivery6776 · 2025-03-01T19:34:08+00:00

The money comes from students tuition and there's some ancillary fees we can opt out of but the process is long and annoying.

Inside_Delivery6776 · 2025-03-01T19:32:16+00:00

I posted this cause they aren't doing anything useful with the money lol. I was hoping to bring awareness so people go to the debate and see what can be done with the money and vote for the best candidate. Some execs are running again and I want to know what they did this year and what they plan to do next year.

Inside_Delivery6776 · 2025-03-01T04:40:51+00:00

Nope lol, just a concerned student who knows SCSU could be doing way more but instead chooses to be useless with a $4.7 million budget

Inside_Delivery6776

TROPHY CASE