Meet the KSA byelection candidates

The Kwantlen Student Association holds a byelection in the fall if there are more than eight vacant positions on the 26 seat council. The students elected are responsible for making decisions and advocating for students’ needs at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. There are four campus representative positions, five constituency rep positions, and 14 faculty rep positions, and 16 candidates running in this year’s byelection. 

Online polls will open Oct. 26 at 10:00 am and close on Oct. 27 at 9:00 pm. 

Editor’s note: quotes have been edited for length and clarity. 

Diljot Narula | Business Representative 

Why are you running for this position? 

I’ve been a part of the business faculty as a student for a while now and I would like to bring some changes in the faculty itself, so that’s why I’m running for this position. 

Why should students vote for you? 

I was an international student in 2017 and graduated from KPU in 2020 with a diploma. Now, I’m a returning student doing a Bachelor of Information Technology. I’m a business student again and now a domestic student, so I’m bringing the best of both worlds. 

I feel like I bring a lot of things to the table. I have a lot of practical experience by working in the actual work field. I bring a lot of strategic operations, planning, and I’m a goal-oriented person. I recently got a job at KPU as a peer advisor too, so I’m working with central advising now for domestic students. 

What would you like to change about the Kwantlen Student Association? 

COVID has ended, but I feel like our university is still in the COVID phase. I saw the KSA was pretty active back when I was a student, but now the KSA activity has gone down really bad. 

If I’m elected, I want to bring KSA activity back and start some events for students because I feel like our university has no events anymore. I also want to bring the registration times down more appropriately. If I can get some of the waitlists down and open new courses for business students, that would be helpful for them.

Once I get into a position, I would really like to bring transparency to what the KSA has. 

If elected, how will you remain accountable to your constituency? 

I would always be available for the students. A lot of days I’m on the campus and I’m a peer advisor there, so I’m there almost Monday to Friday. Students can always reach me by email and my business line on my advising phone number. I want to be there for students and be as transparent as I can.

Gurjot Singh | Business Representative 

Why are you running for this position? 

I’m studying in the business field, I’m doing computer information systems. I want to be a role model and I want to help my fellow classmates. 

Why should students vote for you? 

Academically, I have my GPA around 3.5, which is great because last summer I took five courses and now I’m taking four. I keep my studies ahead for anything, and I also prefer practical skills over theoretical. 

Some students are shy to ask a question in class and some are shy to do something else. So I want to help them by being their representative. Another reason is some students feel depressed and that some peer students make fun of them and all, so I want to stand with them. Although we come from different backgrounds, we come from different countries, but here at KPU we are all the same. 

What would you like to change about the Kwantlen Student Association? 

The KSA right now is good for students, so I don’t want to change anything, they’re doing pretty well. The KSA is also busy because they have to handle all of the university body so they are doing the best at their level. I just want to help my fellow mates. 

I would like to add a few things. I would like for them to organize a few seminars where they will guide newcomers, new students who will be in the school of business about how to survive in and live in Canada. I would also like to add a meeting for housing accommodation for the students who come to do business. If they have made friends, they will split the rent and it will be good for them. 

If elected, how will you remain accountable to your constituency? 

From Monday to Friday, I am always at the university. I am a man of my word. If not, if they have a little bit of doubt, students can reach out to me at any time. They can come directly to me and I can give them assurance. Or if I can’t, I will apologize and I will tell them within a week they will get what I promised. 

Navpreet Singh | Civic Plaza Campus Representative 

Why are you running for this position? 

I’ve been told that the past couple of years the seat has remained vacant, and I was compelled by some of my friends saying that I should run for it. I think this way, I can help more people. 

I already have my own YouTube channel where I help people. I produce videos which are specifically related to immigration stuff. Usually students find it difficult to understand what is happening. People are getting help and that’s good for me. 

Why should students vote for you? 

I would not say vote for me or vote for that person, I’m saying check the background of that person and what that person does. I believe that I have helped a lot of people, and I’m going to help you when I get elected. I’m going to help you in any way possible. 

What would you like to change about the Kwantlen Student Association? 

There are some things, specifically if I talk about the Civic Plaza. I have seen that most of the KSA posters or upcoming events are not posted here. The first thing I would like to do is make students aware that these kinds of events are upcoming and you should go for it. 

Also, my friend told me that there is no shuttle service between Surrey campus and the Civic Plaza. If there are students who want that kind of service, then definitely I would ask for that because it’s the students who want it. 

If elected, how will you remain accountable to your constituency? 

I’m not going to make any kind of false promises, I’ll do my best. If students have any kind of problem, I will make a public forum so that every student is being told what they need to hear. 

For example, if any student comes to me with any kind of problem, I will try to provide the best solution possible and that is the way I would be accountable. I would make something to make sure that everybody will know that their representative is raising the voices for the students. 

Henry Chang | Richmond Campus Representative

Why are you running for this position? 

I’m only in my first year and in my first semester, but I already feel some differences between high school and university. I feel like there’s more of a disconnect, like people are just doing things more by themselves. 

But I feel like there are some things that we could work towards to just be more of a community. I also noticed that there’s some complaints about things in the Richmond campus, so that’s why I’m interested in it. 

Why should students vote for you? 

My goal is to help those students of the Richmond campus. I’m not going to be acting out of my own personal bias. I think the first thing I would do is create a Google forum and see if I can get as many survey answers as possible from KPU students. From there, diagnose what things we could work on, what things are most important to least important, and go from there. 

What would you like to change about the Kwantlen Student Association? 

While I was working for the nominations, two students from the Wilson School of Design told me that the KSA website wasn’t very clear — it could be updated. The nomination process wasn’t very clear to me, even though I read the 25-page document. So, that was one of things I noticed that I can help them with. 

I could also help clarify the information on their website and make it more open and easier for everybody to read. For example, the bike lockers I applied for, it took a little bit of digging through the website to find. 

If elected, how will you remain accountable to your constituency? 

The way that I hold myself accountable is the first thing is to get those initiatives rolling. From there, I try to document everything to make sure that everything is easily accessible for people. And then trying to speak to Richmond campus students so they actually know who I am and what I do.  

Abdullah Randhawa | Surrey Campus Representative 

Why are you running for this position? 

I was noticing people who had already submitted their nomination packages on the day of opening were coming up to us like, “Hello, just vote for us,” and all that stuff. I was like, “Why should we vote for you? What are you going to do for us in the future?” You’re not giving us any point and you’re just coming for your name, that’s not a thing. 

That’s the thing that made my decision. I was like, “If they’re not going to represent us, I think we should go for it by ourselves.” 

Why should students vote for you? 

I’ve been in Canada for six months. I thought my life would be better in Canada, but it’s been worse in the university life. I haven’t enjoyed the university life yet because there’s no events over here. I know there was COVID, but now the restrictions have been lifted. Now is the time that you should arrange events, so people can get to know each other, have mixed culture, and all this stuff. I just wanted to concentrate more on the social and the university life. 

What would you like to change about the Kwantlen Student Association? 

I don’t know a lot about the KSA, it’s my second semester. I haven’t been over there so much. If I’m elected, I will try to change whatever needs to be and I would like to change it in a positive way, so it could be friendly to the students over here. 

If elected, how will you remain accountable to your constituency? 

If I’m elected, I will try my best to fulfill my promises, and if I’m unable I’ll resign from my position immediately. I’m not over here to sit over there and just say sorry that I couldn’t do it and please vote for me again. 

In my country, you should be a man of your word. You shouldn’t be like other people, just promising fake things and all this stuff. 

Jaspreet Shokar | Surrey Campus Representative

Why are you running for this position? 

I’ve been at KPU for a year and a half, and so many new students have come up to me that wanted help. I have helped so many people and that’s why I want to run, to help people. I just want to make this campus a safe place for everyone. For everyone to join here, relax, and not be stressed about it. 

Why should students vote for you? 

I’m the right candidate because your voice is my responsibility. People have come up to me with any problems and I have given them solutions. I have links, I have resources. I know to tell them where to go. I have my whole team ready to help the students. 

What would you like to change about the Kwantlen Student Association? 

Everything is perfect about the KSA, I just want to fill the vacant position so that it can be a working machine again. I want to give them a hand so that they can work easily and better. 

If elected, how will you remain accountable to your constituency? 

Whatever the issue will be, I will be an open space, I promise you will be heard. 

Candidates who did not respond to interview requests by press time:

Arts Rep.

Eearndeep Singh Kandola 

Divya Sachdeva

Business Rep.

Dilnoor Kaur

Science and Horticulture Rep.

Guntas Kochar

Students of Colour Rep.

Karan Maushel

Queer Students Rep.

Destiny Lang

Women’s Rep.

Rupinder Hundal

Civic Plaza Rep.

Asad Huasain

Surrey Campus Rep.

Amitoj Singh