Vote Krystal Tomlinson for Guild President

The election of officers for the Guild of Students of the University of the West Indies, Mona is once again upon us. As usual, students have a wide cross section of candidates to choose from and are being courted by said candidates in hopes of securing votes. Having thoroughly assessed the candidates, I wish to publicly endorse Miss Krystal A. Tomlinson for the post of President for the academic year 2012 – 2013.

While I’m sure the other candidates in their own right are qualified for the post, Krystal is the best choice of the three contenders. I’ve worked very closely with Krystal over the last three (3) years and I have first hand knowledge of her unwavering dedication and commitment to the advancement of student rights on the Mona Campus. Krystal currently serves as Vice President of Services and Special Projects on The Guild of Students and Vice President of The Debating and Public Speaking Society. She is a world class debater, with many accolades to her name. She has been Top Debater in the Caribbean & Latin America for two years, she has won the World Public Speaking Championships, successfully putting the UWI, Mona on the map internationally. Her accomplishments have earned the respect of students of renowned Universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Monash, Princeton and Yale – to name a few.

As Vice President of the Guild of Students, Krystal has spearheaded campaigns such as “Lights Out”, aimed at lowering the electricity costs on Halls, and consequently Hall fees. She doubled the financial allocation through the needy students fund from $15000 to $30000, started a regional think tank dubbed “The Chamber of Thought”. The stated aim of this project is to give a regional perspective on socio-economic issues that affect us, sharing strategies and solutions; giving UWI students a formal place on the policy-making front. Krystal has marched on parliament demanding answers for the cut in subsidies for tertiary students. She has lobbied for students to regain control of the electoral process on campus i.e. removing the financial requirement for candidates, nominators and voters. Krystal believes the participation of students is central to the effective governing of The Guild of Students. No stranger to the media and advocacy, Krystal is nationally celebrated as a keen and sharp thinker – as was proven during her appearances on All Angles during the 2011 election campaign. She co-hosts the current affairs discussion program Issues On Fire, a platform she uses to advocate tirelessly on behalf of UWI students, indeed young people across Jamaica.

So now the question is, what does she intend to do if elected to the Office of President?

Krystal’s campaign is premised on three fundamental areas : Access (To The Guild by Students), Awareness (Students Should Always Be In The Know) and Empowerment (UWI Students Should Wield Power Locally and Regionally). All three areas are geared towards placing power in the hands of the students at Mona, where it belongs. Krystal believes Guild councillors exist to represent your interests, not their own.

(1) Access.

- Ensure that all Executive members and Faculty reps have at least 2 contact hours weekly.

- Host monthly Faculty Meetings leading up to General Council Meetings.

- Include the Faculties in the assessment of Councillors to ensure a higher level of accountability.

- Provide a tab for the Western Jamaica Campus on our Guild website

(2) Awareness.

 - Provide a monthly video update on the activities of the Guild Council.

- Upload the Retreat Presentations for each Councillor and a break down of their financial allocations.

- Provide information on all issues of advocacy being pursued by the Guild Council.

(3) Empowerment.

 - Renew confidence in the Guild as a machine for advocacy.

- Lobby the Government for the removal of the landing tax on CARICOM students.

- Lobby for legislation that allows for student internship in government ministries.

- Improved treatment of youth living with disabilities (particularly in educational institutions)

- Host monthly public forums with all stakeholders in tertiary education (Prime Minister, Ministers of Education, Youth, Finance, Industry and Agriculture, Principal, Registrar etc.)

On March 30th, your choice is clear. There is only one candidate with the local, regional and international appeal for the job. There is only one candidate that can effectively advocate on your behalf. There is only one candidate tried, tested, committed and proven : Krystal A. Tomlinson. Reject the hype, reject the favouritism, reject the “fren ting”. Return The Guild of Students to it’s former glory – VOTE KRYSTAL TOMLINSON for PRESIDENT.

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