Ahmed Tahir runs for the first time in HSF’s 2015-2016 elections as a presidential candidate. (Source: humberlife.com)
By Mario Belan
Humber Students’ Federation has posted the list of presidential candidates running in the 2015-2016 elections.
There are fresh faces that haven’t run and some who have HSF experience, but what we know is: Ahmed Tahir, Shawn Manahan, Patrick Millerd and Ayesha Pierre are running for the same spot. (On Monday Humber News profiled Millerd and Pierre. This article profiles Tahir and Manahan).
Tahir, 23, in the General Arts and Science program, is heading into this presidential run with council experience under his belt.
“This is now the third year as directly being involved in HSF and I was involved before that as a club executive so really my journey started as a club exec starting a club on campus,” he told Humber News.
“It’s opened my eyes up to a lot of things and got me inspired and I hope to inspire people doing the same thing and being a leader on campus.”
Tahir said he applied for the promotion assistant job, got it and held the job for two years before running for Vice President of Student Life, which he also won.
The journey has been great, he said.
“It’s opened my eyes up to a lot of things and got me inspired and I hope to inspire people doing the same thing and being a leader on campus.”
To lead the students and to get the votes Tahir has three things he would like to accomplish for the Humber students; sleeping lounges, fall reading week and lowering student fees.
“That’s something I think will really help students, even if it is not to go sleep it’s just to go relax, it’s really loud in so many places in the school and you see students sleeping in the most random places,” he said about the lounges.
Tahir also said that students really want a fall reading and he wants to make it happen.
“If we keep on making excuses of why this can’t happen or why we can’t do it — I know it’s possible, I know we can do it, and I know students want to do it,” he said.
Tahir wants students to be able to vote and not have to be forced.
“There is also the aspect of a fun playful approachable side that students can feel like they can approach you with problems they have or they can approach you with anything,” he said.
Just like Tahir, Shawn Manahan has experience as well heading into this campaign.
Shawn Manahan will also run for the fourth time in HSF’s 2015-2016 elections as a presidential candidate. (Source: humberlife.com)
Manahan, 26, in the Business Administration program, has run for the presidency four times.
He won by default when former president, Tim Brilhante, was disqualified last winter. Students eventually voted against the move that made Manahan president, and current HSF president Tom Walton won the by-election in September.
Manahan is hoping that all the hard work he has been doing for three years will build into something good.
“I’m definitely going all out. I polished up some campaign posters, I’m taking a different approach with material and just – a lot of initiatives that I’ve been doing throughout the three years I’ve been here,” he said.
He said he is more dedicated this year and dedicated to helping the Humber population. His platform includes lowering student fees, more communication with students and tending to the students needs — mostly fixing the parking lot.
His goals include helping international students with bursaries.
“I’m definitely going all out I polished up some campaign posters, I’m taking a different approach.”
It’s not just that “tuition is three times more, but they also have to pay for flights over , you have to find their first and last rent for house, food, it comes down to everything,” he said.
Manahan said, that this year he’s taking this campaign very seriously and he is going out and getting more involved with the students, learning what they want done.
The most common demands for domestic students are parking and study space and more computer labs, he said.
Voting period runs March 9-13.