One Love, One University

Some describe the style of Amilcar Sanatan as Presidential, here he talks with Desiree Seebaran about tolerance, politics and being a Doubles specialist.

By Desiree Seebaran

He won by 125 votes in the March election.

“It was close,” he said, tumbling his trademark dreadlocks with his hand. He was often pigeonholed as ‘the dashiki man’ during the campaign. It was the first time he’d run for office.

For good reason, new UWI St Augustine Campus Student Guild President Amilcar Sanatan is not a fan of the “drama” surrounding Guild elections.

“There was a lot of negative stereotyping, which was the hardest. We all have certain competencies, but anyone can be President and we are all Guild members,” the 21-year-old explained. “We hope that everybody can feel a sense of being part of the Guild.”

Still, standing out for your differences can be a good thing. One campaign video shows Sanatan talking earnestly about servant leadership. The psychology major said that Rastafarianism and feminism are his personal political ideologies. And this has led to a radical approach to the management of the Guild. The Council has voted to have a male and female deputy on every single standing committee and Sanatan wants to see more non-nationals and women on the council. Maybe the combined effect of his African/ Marxist first name and Hindu surname have something to do with it, but Sanatan declared a passion for truth: in life and in Guild administration.

“As councilors, we can’t just talk about if the glass is half full; we also have a commitment to talk about if it’s half empty and even if the water brown!”

He went on to add that he doesn’t believe in the idea of self-serving partisan politics but, “I believe in all freedoms. You have the right to choose and have your opinions; but young people should attach themselves not to party politics but to the politics of contribution.”

“That’s why we’re using new technologies. We’ve invested in a Guild Blackberry PIN that can send broadcasts out; that should be launched in September. We’re on Twitter, Facebook, we use the digital signage provided by Marketing and Communications. So it’s a hyper-sensitive, hyper-visual approach to getting people out; and I believe the mobilisation has started. We saw a recognisable increase in the election turn out; it should be more, but that was a sign.”

Meanwhile, “our Guild”, as Sanatan puts it, is working on other student issues. The Council’s policy is to work with the University administration and one of its first goals is to help improve the efficiency and regularity of the shuttle service as a crime prevention tactic. The Council is also allocating money to the Life and Labour Support, an initiative to assist pregnant students in need, with tangible and intangible support.

“We provide some help during the pregnancy as well as liaising with some administrative bodies to see if they can get extra time during exams and things like that,” the President said. “Women are the largest demographic on campus so we have to ensure that they occupy a special place.” He acknowledged that one term in office cannot fix all the problems that need solving, and that he is no one’s savior: “For those that believe one came already and is coming again, I won’t be the guy,” he joked. But he still believes that men and women will one day be treated as equals; that our society can be less violent; and that despite our differences, we can have understanding among us.

“Tolerance means that you can sit down in the same room with somebody and not like them, even make decisions against them. What understanding does is journey through the obstacles to engage each other as human beings.”

One of his personal goals as Guild President is to encourage all UWI Campus students to cultivate a regional outlook and look towards an identity as Caribbean people. Once students can define themselves, they can be more effective citizens of the world. “When we go abroad,” Sanatan affirmed, “we must think that we are equally relevant.”

A self-proclaimed music lover, nerd, sports fan and vegetarian – “I’ve done curry tofu and mushrooms, and I’m a doubles specialist” ; he also has a deep love of poetry and his passion for the art is evident in spoken-word offerings on and off campus. He was part of the U.WE Speak open mic’ and helped found UWE TV. He’s not a partier but: “In Orientation I have added two more segments: a Reggae Night as well as a Rave night. I think all the girls like Junior Gong, regardless of race and class,” he grinned. His parents, both staff members at UWI, and his brothers Fidel and Marcus are also very important to him. They’re part of the reason that he won’t be running for office again. Ever.

“I have a life,” he said, smiling. “The Guild is my wife for now and I’m trying to stay committed. But I have to prove to myself and to the students that it was never about power; it was about being in a position to help.”