CANDIDATE BIOS:
 

President
Rorie Mcleod Arnould

My name is Rorie, and I am running for UWSA President. I believe that there is a new way forward for our students' union. After serving this year as your Vice-President Advocate, I understand that many students feel disconnected from our work. That needs to change. We need a union that is always striving to ensure that our services suit your needs and that we speak strongly on your behalf. We need union that effectively pursues ambitious projects. Let's use the next year to build on our success and think critically and ambitiously about our future. If elected, I intend to do just that.

 

Vice President Advocate
Peyton Veitch

Hi! My name’s Peyton and I’m a third year politics and history student currently serving on the UWSA board. Over the past few months, I’ve met with elected representatives, helped lead a campaign calling for more affordable education, and even found time to write about student activism in the Uniter. I’m running for VP Advocate because I believe I possess the skills and experience to articulate your priorities to government and the university administration. Whether it’s improving academic appeals, fighting for lower tuition fees or ensuring effective representation for students living in residence, I hope you’ll give me the chance to work tirelessly on your behalf.

 

Vice President Internal
Lee Chitty

After having served this past year as the LGBT* Director on the UWSA board, I have become a passionate advocate in the student movement. I’m seeking reelection to move into the position of Vice President Internal. I’ll be graduating in June with a BA in International Development, but I know my work here is not yet done. If elected I plan to maintain a balanced budget, while improving the quality of services students at the University of Winnipeg can access. I cannot wait to build on the successes of this past year; I look forward to seeing you all through 2014-2015.

Vice President Student Services 
Allison Reimer

My name is Allison Reimer, and I'm a fourth year Women and Gender Studies student.  I have two years of experience in coordinating the Womyn's Centre on campus and one year of experience co-coordinating the UWSA Food Bank.  Over the past two years I have focused on building a strong community within the Womyn's Centre and with other student groups on campus.  I have a passion for creating events that promote grassroots activism, learning, community building and fun. I am running for the VP Student Services because I believe in my ability to connect with students, and I am confident that I have the skills and experience necessary to improve and build on the services that the UWSA provides. 

Accessibility Director
Chris Johnson
No Biography Submitted.

Arts Director 
Adam Christianson (Also running for UWSA Senate)

I‘m running for reelection as Arts Director and to continue as Senator. This year I worked to restructure the UWSA to be more inclusive as well as more efficient. I focused on bringing opportunities to Arts students and worked with CFS to remove barriers to Post Secondary Education.  Unfortunately, one year is hardly enough time to learn the workings of the UWSA and Senate, not to mention make it more accountable to students and to work towards a less expensive, higher quality university experience. Electing me to UWSA/senate would bring one more year of knowledge that otherwise might be lost.

Athletic and Recreation Director
Andrea Angioli and Rachel Dunsmore

Straight up: We would love to be re-elected for the Athletic and Recreation Directorship. We are in the midst of trying to affiliate with the Workers Rights Consortium and becoming a sweatshop free campus. We want to continue moving forward with this. In 2013, over 1,100 garment workers died in a factory collapse in Bangladesh and another 112 died in a factory fire with no emergency exits. We want to ensure we are not active, contributing members to this sort of oppression that occurs every day by sourcing our university apparel from businesses that treat people in a dignified and ethical manner.


CFS Liaison
Jesse Blackman

No Biography Submitted.


Community Liaison Director
Michael Barkman

Serving as your Community Liaison Director this past year has been an incredible experience! I gained valuable knowledge of the UWSA, introduced the Good Food Box program and advocated for student interests in the community. If re-elected, I hope to increase the use of food programming and ensure students have secure access to inexpensive and nutritious groceries on campus. I also want to continue my work in ensuring the UWSA’s services stay relevant and useful for all students. If re-elected, I will continue to be dedicated and passionate as Director. I am excited for another year of student activism!

Nicholas Taylor and Lucas Pingitore

It is our stance that an institution, which promotes higher learning and seeks to provide a deeper understanding of global and social structures to its students, has a responsibility to work towards the improvement of the community in which it operates. We hope to accomplish this by mobilizing students and providing opportunities for community outreach, thus strengthening the ties between our University and the diverse community that surrounds it. As students of both political science/economics and education, we feel that our areas of study will be important assets in the performance of our role as Community Liaison Co-Directors, if elected. 

Director of Student Living 
Brenden Gali

Hi. My name is Brenden Gali, I am a second year film student, and in this upcoming General Election, I will be running for position of Director of Student Living. Although I don't live in residency, I do have a passion to represent these students and voice any concerns they might have. It is in my best interest to create a wholesome and comfortable environment for all student life in both on and off residency. I am looking forward to the upcoming year for this school, for myself, and for all students a part of the University.

Education Director
Matt Taylor

Hey There, I am currently in the Integrated Education Program at our university. As current Education Director since the last by-election, I hope to keep my position on the Board of Directors. I have continued to see our university community grow and change each year and have began to help the UWSA progress with it. My experience here has felt like just the start, with so much more to contribute and learn from the organization. As Education Director I would continue work to engage the population, and improve our experience on campus as the student body evolves.

Environmental Ethics Director
Talula Schlegel and Sarah Thorainson

As Environmental Ethics co-directors our goal is to commit our time and resources into promoting student reflection and action on environmental issues starting on a university level and extending into our community. On an individual level we are both members of the forestry students association and are pursuing degrees in the same field. We are passionate about the environment; we feel this will reflect strongly in our actions on the board if elected to this position. We feel we are approachable and connected to the students, offering networking opportunities and would be honored to represent student voices in the discipline of environmental ethics, sharing values and concerns of students in all fields of study. So please come to us with any questions during this next election cycle, we’d love to have a chat!


Graduate Students Director 
Nana Ama Addae and Kaitlyn Duthie-Kanikkatt

Hello! We are Kaitlyn and Nana Ama, and are running for re-election as Graduate Student Co-directors. Since coming in at the by-election last year, we've started working on creating a stronger sense of community among graduate students, and would be really excited about continuing that work in 2014-2015. We've established strong ties with the Graduate Studies Committee, have several professional development workshops geared towards grad students in the works for 2014, and held our first (of hopefully many) grad student 'coffee breaks'.


International Students Director 

Beatrice Carazo del Hoyo

Hello, I am Beatriz Carazo del Hoyo, a first year Bioanthropology student from Spain running for International Students director. My main focus, if I get elected, is going to be to get the events planned by the ISS to be more publically known, and make sure that all international student’s concerns are voiced at the UWSA. As an international student myself, I love the program here and all the different nationalities represented in the University and would love to get involved in improving the program and helping it grow.

LGBT Director
Mathieu Paille

I’m a second-year student of Indigenous Studies and Linguistics. During my time at U of W, I’ve helped kick Enbridge off campus, pass a referendum to ban sweatshop goods, coordinate an Ojibwe language-learning group, and organise students living in residence to fight for a better meal plan. If elected, I’ll focus my time as LGBT* Director on democratic reform of the UWSA to increase bottom-up decision-making, on Indigenising curriculum, and on politicising the UWSA to make it more relevant to students. I play classical violin, am terrible at speaking eight languages, and identify with anarcho-syndicalism.

Part-Time/Mature Students Director
Wei Li and Hazim Ismail (Ismail not pictured)

We’re thrilled to be Co-directors of Part-Time and Mature Learning. Life as a mature and part-time student is quite different than one of a full-time young adult student and we’re very keen on ensuring that if you are a mature or part-time student, your voice is heard and your concerns are resolved. We hope to work together with the rest of the student body to better integrate mature and part-time students with the rest of the fold. Feel free to share your suggestions and any questions you may have. Whatever makes you feel at ease in the University of Winnipeg!

Science Director
Keegan Scott and Jason Au

Our names are Keegan Scott and Jason Au. We are currently in our third year of study here at the University of Winnipeg, majoring in biochemistry. We would like to finish with a four year Bachelors of Science from the department of biochemistry. After completing undergraduate study I intend to pursue further education in the area of dentistry and Jason intends to become a sport medicine physician.

In terms of re-running for the position of science co- directors, we hope to run on a simple platform. We would like to enhance the communication and involvement between the UWSA and science students at the U of W. As your current science co-directors, we hope that we are given the opportunity to continue to represent the best interests of all students.

Status of Women Director
Emily Epp & Kelby Loeppky

Hi everyone! We are very excited to be running for Status of Women Co-Directors!! As human rights students we have a passion for equality for everyone! We both have a strong interest in women's issues, and took part in the Women, Peace and Security Week in New York, giving us unique experiences working toward gender equality. Having worked together in the past as Global College Student Advisory Co-Chairs, we have experience connecting with community and university groups, and hope to facilitate more partnerships with various groups on campus to advance the status of women. We would love to get the opportunity to be the voice for women within our university!

Rebecca Froese

Hello U of W students! I am a fourth year Environmental Sciences student, with one year left in my program. In my time at the university, I have enjoyed being involved in campus life and student groups – I’d like to continue that involvement by sitting on the UWSA Board of Directors as the Status of Women Director. My priority in this position would be to step beyond my personal experience in order to hear and represent the diverse interests of women on campus. My passion for women’s issues intersects with my passion for the environment and community – these influences are what encouraged me to run for the directorship, and would inform my actions in this position.

REFERENDUM QUESTION:

Would you support mandating the University of Winnipeg to disclose any allegation of academic or non-academic misconduct to the UWSA Vice-President Advocate, in order to: 
• Provide the VPA opportunity to proactively reach out to students and offer support;
• Allow students the reasonable opportunity to access representation before disciplinary committees;
• Allow the UWSA to develop a record of disciplinary action taken against students to identify precedent and protect students against arbitrary findings of guilt.