What position are you running for, and what are the responsibilities of this position?
I am running for Vice President Student Organizations, which is one of VUSAC’s four executive positions. This position is responsible for overseeing the club ratification process, being the liason between VUSAC and their clubs and levies, supporting clubs and assisting/advising levies, and ensuring that clubs and levies are meeting VUSAC’s standards.
Can you summarize the key points of your platform?
My platform is based on ideas that I want to bring to the position in addition to the responsibilities that already exist.
First of all, I hope to improve club and levy participation by setting up a VUSAC Club and Levy News and Event Board in the Goldring Student Centre. This would be a large, visible wall space featuring a list of VUSAC’s clubs and levies and a space for each organization to post news and updates. In addition to this, there will be a large calendar where clubs and levies will be able to post small ads for their events. I will be responsible for updating the board on a weekly basis, removing posters for things that have already passed and ensuring it is only being used by VUSAC’s clubs and levies. This system is intended to be a simple, casual, and organized way for students to find out what’s going on at Vic in a glance, and will hopefully prevent club and levy advertisements from being lost in the sea of posters that are constantly covering Vic.
Secondly, I hope to hold multiple club creation and management information sessions each semester, where I, and any club heads who would like to help out, will answer any questions about club management and help to explain all of the steps students can take to start their own club at Vic. I’m hoping this will encourage students, especially those who haven’t even considered starting a club in the past, to turn their interests and ideas into fully realized Vic clubs.
Lastly, I hope to compile a record of VUSAC’s clubs and levies and their activities, summarizing Vic life every year from as far back as I can go. I basically want to create one document outlining the history of Vic student life that’s available for current students to read and for them to learn about the work that the Vic community has done in the past.
Why do you want to run for this position, and what makes you best suited to fill this position?
I want to run for VPSO because I am passionate about Vic student life and I know just how important clubs and levies can be to students as they make their way through university. They are a place to explore passions or random interests and share them with others. They can provide a much-needed break from studies and are a great place to make friends and feel welcome at Vic. I want to be able to support these groups to give back to the community that has done so much for me, and help other students gain the same joys that I have.
I believe that I am well-suited for this role because of my experience as both a councillor on VUSAC and the Vice President of Vic Werewolf Club. Through these positions, I’ve been able to form a good idea about how the relationship between VUSAC and student organizations functions from both sides and want to bring this perspective into the position. On top of this, I’m passionate about this work and I know I will put my all into this position.
What goals do you hope to accomplish if you are elected to this position?
If elected, I hope to fulfill the projects and promises outlined in my platform, as well as hope to reach out to clubs and levies for feedback about how they think the VPSO role (and VUSAC as a whole) should fit into their organization. I hope that, by the end of my term, I will have served Vic’s clubs and levies well, and that my projects and ideas will be successful and outlive my time on VUSAC. Hopefully, what I do will help the Vic community flourish even more than it already does and improve the quality of and participation in student life at Vic.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Despite the position being uncontested, I am committed to campaigning and showing the Vic community why they should vote yes on the ballot! I’m happy to answer any questions or clarifications about my platform through my email [email protected]!
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Voting is from March 14 to March 17 at voting.utoronto.ca
