UTMSU end-of-year reflection: Looking back with gratitude and looking forward with hope
From improving transport services to strengthening overall student connection, UTMSU looks back at their milestones with pride, while crediting the consistent efforts from previous teams and emphasizing collective endeavours required in the following years.
In an interview with The Medium, the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) Students’ Union (UTMSU) reflected on their journey as a team, expressed their appreciation for the UTM community and wholeheartedly encouraged students’ involvement.
Proud achievements
UTMSU Vice-President of Campus Life, Lois Ogunnubi, expressed her joy at the popularity of campus events that fostered more student connections, saying, “For the first time in six years, the first Pub Night of the year sold out,” said Ogunnubi.
Many subsequent pub nights were also sold out, while other student activities, such as the Casino Night, Culture Fest and Winter Reading Week Montreal Trip, all attracted many students. It contributed to a more tight-knit and active campus community.
UTMSU Vice-President of Equity, Miatah McCallum, also expressed her delight in seeing improved campus connections and events that promoted respect and appreciation between UTM’s diverse student groups.
McCallum shared examples of initiatives, including the launch of the Committee for Indigenous Justice & Collaboration and the gathering of all black clubs in Black History Month.
On the other hand, UTMSU Vice-President of University Affairs, Manaal Fatima, recounted improved support for students’ political advocacy, such as forming the Palestine Committee and hosting meetings to promote conversation and awareness.
Moreover, UTMSU Vice-President External, Rajas Dhamija, discussed changes in transportation connections that were crucial to improving students’ convenience and access to other areas of Mississauga.
“Previously, the 110 bus did not run on the weekends,” said Dhamija. Securing weekend services for the 110 bus, which connects students to Mississauga’s City Centre and Square One, significantly reduced stress from students’ commuting experience.
Other bus routes, such as bus 48, which connect students from Meadowvale and Erin Mills to South Common, have also been added to improve UTM’s transport connection.
Challenges behind the scene
When asked about the executive team’s biggest challenge, UTMSU President Andrew Park candidly stated, “Dealing with the provincial government.” He continued, “And that’s not something that only [the UTMSU] is facing. I’m sure that most student unions across Ontario are experiencing the same thing.”
Fatima added that the team’s challenge also stemmed from students’ lack of understanding of policy changes, specifically towards Bill-33. This led to a lack of student response in the UTMSU’s advocacy efforts.
“It’s not that students don’t care,” said Fatima. “They do care, but they don’t know what’s actually going on.”
Students usually have a basic understanding of policy changes that bring more immediate and apparent impacts, such as adjustments to the Ontario Student Assistant Program (OSAP) and the tuition freeze lift.
However, since Bill-33 involved a complex legislative document, students experienced more challenges in understanding its impact.
To ensure that students were able to fully comprehend the impact of Bill-33, the executive team needed to dedicate extra effort and consideration to communicate with students. Ultimately, the team hoped to empower students with knowledge and understanding to join the UTMSU’s advocacy efforts.
Despite the many challenges that they have faced, the executive team expressed gratitude for the students’ support.
“Something that surprised me is the amount of student support,” Park shared. Students who cared for initiatives and expressed their thankfulness towards the team motivated the executives to move forward.
Ogunnubi also expressed her appreciation for the small vicinity of UTM, sharing that being able to see familiar faces around campus brings much warmth. McCallum echoed this sentiment, especially extending her appreciation to volunteers who supported many events and their efforts to assist other students.
UTMSU needs your voice
On the other hand, UTMSU shared that they were surprised to find that many students don’t know about the resources that the union offers, or the space for students to voice out.
Park encourages students to vocalize their questions or concerns, emphasizing that the UTMSU is here for students.
“It never hurts to ask, just reach out to us,” said Park. “Take one of our Pub Nights, for example. The artist we featured began with a student emailing us, saying, ‘Hey, I’m interested in this artist.’”
This simple interaction ended up contributing to a sold-out Pub Night where participants immensely enjoyed themselves.
UTMSU emphasized that they are happy to accommodate a range of concerns, from supporting the formation of a new club to combating provincial bill changes that threaten students’ education access.
Fatima emphasized that students’ voices are UTMSU’s building blocks. Individual voices are fundamental to the executive team’s decisions and actions. “[UTMSU] is formed by students to serve students,” she said.
Ogunnubi agreed, highlighting the importance of students’ unity and collective efforts. “Students have to realize that they need to come together,” she said. “The six of us [on the executive team] wouldn’t really be able to do much,” adding that with UTM’s 16,000 students, meaningful change can happen when the entire student body comes together and speaks up.
McCallum elaborated. “Advocate for yourself. It is good practice to speak up.” She explained that practising advocacy is not limited to helping students receive more accommodations. Being able to articulate one’s concerns or ideas is also crucial to students’ other areas in life, such as facilitating good communication in the workplace.
Dhamija agreed, adding that even small initiatives such as filling out surveys can not only improve students’ own experiences, but also contribute to the well-being of the campus community.
“For example, so few people filled out the transportation surveys. We would really benefit from hearing more students’ opinions and feedback,” said Dhamija.
For the next body of executives
When asked about their words of encouragement for the next team of executives, Park answered, “Enjoy the present. The year passes by really quickly.”
McCallum emphasized the importance of self-care amidst many responsibilities. ‘Take care of yourselves and take breaks,” she said. “Don’t just go home and work more. Spend time with your friends, the team, or even your family. Otherwise, it’s going to come down on you at the end of the year.”
Dhamija agreed with both, suggesting that being present and taking care of oneself is crucial to ensure one is in a good state to contribute to UTM in the long run.
On the other hand, Ogunnubi shared a grounded mindset to carry. “Don’t focus too much on numbers,” she said. “Even if there’s only a small number of participants, focus on giving them the best experience.”
A complex journey condensed into a word
When asked to summarise their experience in one word, Fatima shared, “lasting.” She explained that this word captures that while the current executives’ terms are coming to an end and students might not remember them as individuals, the team’s efforts will leave a lasting impact on UTM.
Park answered “gratitude.” He expressed his thankfulness for his team members and the experiences that UTM provided. Park also shouted out to UTMSU Vice-President Internal, Rui (Owen) Zhang, who was unable to attend the interview.
On the other hand, Ogunnubi shared two words to express her sentiment towards UTM’s future—hopeful and hypertrophy. She explained that hypertrophy describes the buildup of muscles in strength training, which involves the micro-tears of muscles through lifting heavy weights. Ultimately, the muscles repair themselves and grow stronger.
Ogunnubi used this as an analogy to illustrate the UTM community as requiring consistent effort and growth, while emphasizing that she is hopeful and excited for UTM’s future.
