KSA By-Election: CAMPUS REPRESENTATIVES
The Kwantlen Student Association is holding a by-election to fill several unoccupied positions on Council. Polls will be open from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm on Oct. 17 and 18. Here are the candidates running to represent the KPU campuses.
KSA By-Election: CAMPUS REPRESENTATIVES
Bilan Hassan, Anthropology student
Running for: Langley Campus Representative
Why are you running for this position?
There’s a lot of issues that I think students are facing. Primarily, the thing that I hear the most about Kwantlen, and [that] I personally experience, is the lack of sociability, so I kind of want to change that. I have ideas that I want to throw out there to hopefully increase sociability here on campus.
Why should people vote for you?
Students should vote for me because hopefully they’d like to see change. You always hear, ‘Oh, we’re going to do something,’ but nothing ever gets done. I’ll make sure that whatever I can possibly do to get things done, I’ll do. Basically, I’m reliable.
What experience would you bring to the position?
I’m kind of a little bit older here so hopefully my age will come with wisdom.
What would you like to change about student politics if you are elected?
One thing that I would like to change is the cafeteria food, of course. They offer vegetarian food, but I’m muslim myself so they don’t offer halal food. There’s not much kosher food for jewish students. So I’d definitely change that and hopefully start decreasing the cafeteria prices.
Another thing is graduates should get rewarded for graduating so I want to hopefully throw like a dinner and dance for them.
Damanpreet Garcha, Marketing student
Running for: Richmond Campus Representative
Why are you running for this position?
This is actually my second time running. I ran about two years ago. I think it was the 2015 term I ran for but unfortunately I did not win. I’ve always been involved in student life—right off the bat I started in 2014 and the first thing I did was start volunteering with the START program. I do really believe in student life and participating in it does improve and help you in your future and with your personal growth as an individual. I’ve seen the positive impact it has for me, so I want to help other people do that for them.
Why should people vote for you?
I am definitely a frequent volunteer in the KPU community. I really believe in community and collaboration, so with my campaign—if I do get elected—what I really want to do is create events that make people feel that they’re in a community, because I speak to students and they always speak about how things were in high school where you knew everyone, you knew where to go to participate, and you felt like you were part of a family. That was really important for me, and I want to be able to put on events like that and I want to do it by collaborating with students and seeing what they have to say because I got all of this information by just asking people. If we actually speak to the students and see what they want, they actually have a lot of good ideas, and I think we should do that rather than coming up with ideas myself. Asking them and helping them achieve that seems like a better idea.
What experience would you bring to the position?
For me, I think my main thing is that I’m in marketing. I love event planning, so I think with my experience in event planning that I do know the work that goes into planning these events, so I don’t think I’m just talking the talk. If you look at my experience, I can walk the walk as well. And I’m passionate. I’ve done three years’ worth of volunteering and I think my work speaks for itself.
What would you like to change about student politics if you are elected?
I think the Surrey campus does a good job of creating student life [and] culture but the Richmond campus is kind of lacking just because it’s smaller, and I feel like maybe most of our human capital and resources are [in Surrey]. I think if there was someone who was willing to take the time to do all of the events [in Richmond], it could improve a lot. That’s my initiative. It’s not adding something new, but taking what we have here and bringing it over there.
Landon Charney, Social Science student
Running for: Richmond Campus Representative
Why are you running for this position?
I grew up in Richmond and I understand it quite well. My first two years were spent on the Richmond campus in my schooling—none of the other campuses until I joined [KSA] Council, but I grew up in Richmond and I remember when they were building Kwantlen, when I was yay high.
Why should people vote for you?
I will make sure that … I will only pass the motions that will help out the campus here in Richmond. And I’d like to know more of what’s going on in Richmond. I will advocate on behalf of Council and the Council’s relationship with faculty. Stuff like that.
What experience would you bring to the position?
I would say my leadership experience, because I have been taught to be a good leader when I was in the Cadets program for seven years. I still remember that and I feel old now, and my position with the KSA also gave me leadership skills. I was actually thinking that maybe one year I would run for a VP position. Not quite sure yet.
What would you like to change about student politics if you are elected?
I would say something more to do with our bylaws and regulations. I would love to get those changed and unfortunately we cannot because we don’t have 200 students to come out to our AGMs. Unfortunately for me, it’s kind of sad because there are some bylaws and regulations I would like to change with the KSA that could actually help our representation better and help the students better.
KSA By-Election: FACULTY REPRESENTATIVES
KSA By-Election: CONSTITUENCY REPRESENTATIVES
