The Strand: Why did you decide to run for the position of Commuter Commissioner?
I’ve tried to find the right words to explain why I decided to run for commuter commissioner, but it boiled down to wanting to improve commuter life on campus and being an advocate for commuters considering incoming changes. We make up ~70 percent of the student population at Vic. I feel that commuters need someone who is going to fight for more commuter inclusivity and recognition on campus. It isn’t fair that hardly any changes will be made to residence life, especially since living in residence is a luxury that not everyone can afford. For Vic to maintain our vibrant and unique community, we need to be able to include all students, which is something that I hope to achieve as commissioner.
Why are you specifically a good fit for this position?
This past year, I was a part of VOCA, which is the commuter commission on VUSAC. You may know us as the people who run free pancakes on Wednesdays. We work to represent commuter students and to bridge the gap between commuter and residence students. Through my role as an events director, I was able to see the effort that is put into planning commuter events, and the issues that need to be considered when planning those events. I was a part of the Highball and Student Projects committees—both of which really focused on accessibility for all students. My experience this past year has given me a lot of insight into how, if elected, I would manage my role, approach the topic of event funding, and continue to use student feedback to better the Vic community!
How do you plan to involve commuter students more into campus life?
Check out my Facebook for more details (@commutingpancakes). But my platform is essentially four pillars: Advocacy, Community Building, Communication and Transparency. I want to collaborate with different groups on campus to create a more welcoming and tight-knit community at Vic. I strongly encourage everyone to apply for a position on VOCA, or to get involved at Vic in any capacity. I want to start encouraging commuter participation from the roots: making sure that commuters are aware from the beginning of the opportunities available by presenting these resources during commuter orientation and orientation week. I want to regularly update the VOCA Facebook and (hopefully) incoming website with already available resources. I would also like to have an anonymous feedback line where commuters can submit their criticisms and ideas.
Regarding the current portfolio, what is one thing that you would keep from this year and one thing that you would change?
I am very keen on the current commissioner’s initiative of starting a UofT-wide Commuter Appreciation week. Moving forward, I think that collaborating with commuter representatives from other colleges will really help us tackle current problems by reducing spending, gaining a wider reach, and forming a more cohesive, long-term relationship across campus. Hearing about commuter life from other colleges is really important to me because we can reflect on what we are doing right or wrong and further steps we could take to improve commuter life for Vic students.
Next year I would like to introduce a centralized website that is made in collaboration with the commuter dons, as well as contributions from other VUSAC commissions and the Dean’s Office to provide commuter students with a one-stop hub for all of their commuting needs. Not all students are on Facebook, I think this is an important resource to have to make sure that all our events are accessible, starting from advertising so that as many people as possible can show up and engage in community building!
What do you think is an important issue facing commuter students and what would you like to do to address that, and what is VOCA’s role in terms of addressing that?
I think the biggest issue right now that many commuters are facing are the OSAP changes and Student Choice Initiative. While I am not equipped to speak about OSAP (I am from Saskatchewan), I do know that financial burdens are a barrier for many students. As Commissioner, I would work to better understand OSAP and how the changes are impacting Vic commuters, initiate discussions with the Vic administration on how they are mobilizing to protect commuter students, and work with the Co-Chair and the rest of the VOCA team to provide safe spaces where students can freely discuss their concerns that they would like to see us advocating for.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length
