What are the most important issues for the VP UA next year?

Things like the discussion [on] free speech, the discussion on how students need a safe space to express dissent, continue the discussion on equity and how the university doesn’t really have a solid concrete equity policy right now. I want to implement the SSMU vision of equity. Our university’s efforts on equity aren’t as solid as SSMU’s, and equity should be something relevant to all facets of our university life. 

I want to work especially with professional faculties and understanding their unique needs in terms of academia. They have professional needs that need to be understood. 

There’s been a lot of polarization on campus this year. How will you address this?

The VP UA is arguably very instrumental in making sure that this wedge that has been driven through our campus disappears, because the UA is the person to represent students at university governance levels. We’re so busy with condemning people, but we tend to forget that we all want the same thing. We all want a quality education, we want accessible education. And what is accessibility? It’s not just financial, it’s also making sure that things like equity and social sustainability are being implemented. 

What did you like about the VP UA’s performance year, and what would you do differently next year?

When we’re talking about students being victims of violence, and when our living and learning spaces are being threatened, I think the UA and Emily’s team, her various collaborators, have done their best to put forward these pressing issues. 

[Next year] I want to bring [academics] back to the VP UA’s role. I want to present a stronger commitment to maintaining our learning and learning space and keep this university committed to making sure that we come out of here with meaningful degrees.

If you could high five anyone in history, who would it be?

It would be Aung San Suu Kyi.