Food for Thought town hall hosts hundreds
Hundreds of students were treated to a free lunch, courtesy of SAMU, at midday on Wednesday during the student association’s Food for Thought town hall in the Lookout.
The only price tag for Banh Mi sandwiches and Panago pizza was the time it took for attendees to chat with student representatives about the services and supports their SAMU membership fees pay for.
“Honestly, I didn’t realize how much stuff they did. I was quite surprised, but just the amount of tables and different things,” said Luke Husky, a fourth-year commerce student.
“Honestly, I didn’t realize how much stuff they did. I was quite surprised, but just the amount of tables and different things, “
Luke Husky, a fourth-year commerce student.
Students needed to visit at least three of the tables to secure their meal, and each one had information about SAMU services like Peer Support, Safe Walk, and the Pantry.
“Even if I’ve never used the services, I think that it’s clear that the people here are passionate about what they do,” says second-year history student Thomas Chenard. “I hope that students take some time of the day and just see what they’ve got going on.”
Gabriel Ambutong, president of SAMU, says it was one of the busiest town halls hosted in 2023/2024 and that student interest has been rising steadily since returning to in-person instruction.
“There’s a lot of momentum. It’s an uphill trajectory. I think that our advocacy is going to be significantly stronger from here on out,” he says.
However, it’s still a bittersweet moment. While more students are interested in SAMU, much of the feedback has been about affordability and mental health concerns, Ambutong says.
“There’s a lot of momentum. It’s an uphill trajectory. I think that our advocacy is going to be significantly stronger from here on out,”
Gabriel Ambutong, president of SAMU
“We’re willing to take that in and make sure it translates into advocacy towards the institution and different levels of government.”
If you’ve got more than just feedback to dish out, executive committee nominations are open, and the election is just around the corner. Stay tuned in March for the Griff’s coverage of Executive Committee Elections for 2024.
Photo credits to Liam Newbigging
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