If you could work with any of the commissions, which would it be and what would you want to work on with them?

Of all the commissions at VUSAC, I would like to work with the Academic and Sustainability commissions.

I have always been very passionate about academics and passionate about improving the academic experience for others. I was in charge of managing and running the peer tutoring initiative at my high school and have even spoken at a charity fundraiser events about the benefits of empowering young people. At the academic commission, I would work with my peers to not only help organize the workshops and events that the Academic Commission currently arranges but to try and create a network where students can interact and seek out opportunities working with not only other students but professors and researchers and professionals in various subject fields that come and organize the workshops. In essence, work with the academic commission to not only as an organization that can reinforce and enhance a student's skills or knowledge, but create a network that presents them with opportunities and connections.

From a young age, I was always raised to be environmentally conscious and was made aware of the severity and ever-impending nature of the climate crisis facing society today.

For this reason, I view the sustainability commission, and all organizations fighting to ensure the safety, maintenance, and prosperity of our planet, as vital. I would help organize and improve existing initiatives and propose new ideas for the commission, from larger events (such as organizing bus trips to protests in more remote areas, creating branches of international environmental activists groups) to smaller programs (such as poster/media campaigns, trying to instill a better waste management system on campus, or organizing events with guest speakers to educate about various climate issues).

Hi, Shane. Thank you for this question.

The prospect of working with our commissions is so exciting! I would choose the following commissions:

1. Commuter Commission:

Enhancing Commuter Resources: Work closely with the Commuter Commission to identify and expand resources that make commuting to Vic more convenient and comfortable. This could involve improving access to lockers for commuter students, creating dedicated study spaces, or ensuring access to reliable public transportation information.

Mentorship and Peer Support: Establish a mentorship program where experienced commuter students can offer guidance and support to new commuters. This program can help newcomers navigate the challenges of commuting, such as managing their time effectively and balancing academic and personal life.

Transportation Discounts: Negotiate with local transportation providers to secure discounts or subsidies for commuter students. This would help alleviate the financial burden of daily commuting and encourage the use of sustainable transportation options.

2. Scarlet and Gold Commission:

Inclusive Social Programming: Partner with the Scarlet and Gold Commission to ensure that we create a diverse social calendar that celebrates the different backgrounds and interests of the student body.

Sustainability Integration: Promote sustainability in event planning and execution. Encourage the use of eco-friendly materials, waste reduction strategies, and sustainable transportation options for students attending events.

Feedback and Improvement: Establish a feedback mechanism to collect input from students about the quality and inclusivity of social events and ensure that we use this feedback to continuously improve and adapt the social portfolio to meet the evolving needs and preferences of the students.

By working with these two commissions, I would aim to enhance the overall student experience at Victoria University by ensuring that commuter students feel supported and that all students have access to a rich and inclusive social culture.

Hey Shane!

After years of committee and board experience, I am so so excited to have the opportunity to hopefully work on a few more committees and commissions. I would have to say that of all the commissions, I am most excited to have the chance to work with the Mental Wellness and Sustainability commissions.

As a student with a diagnosed mental illness, I personally know what it's like to experience being in a school that doesn't provide any mental wellness support. It was because of the initiatives that I saw at Vic that I specifically chose Victoria College. I hope that I will be able to bring my own personal experiences to this commission and be able to help them flourish. When it comes to mental wellness support, the most important thing is ensuring that the information about it is as accessible as possible for students to see. Whether that be frequent social media posts, holding events, posters, or even mentioning it at other VUSAC events. These are a few ways we could increase access to information on Mental Wellness services.

As for the sustainability commission, I have long been obsessed with politics to the point that folks are surprised when they hear that I am not in PoliSci. What originally got me involved in politics was the horrid state of my own province's healthcare. But one other key issue to me was the ever-present threat of a climate disaster...

I attended the worldwide youth protests organized by Fridays for Future in 2019 and it was such an empowering experience. You may notice that the very first policy I posted was my mini climate plan for my VUSAC run.

I recently had the opportunity to meet with Mike Schreiner, Leader of the GPO, and I spoke with him about what VUSAC can do to help out. Alongside the advice he gave me, I finalized my mini climate plan, and in order to implement that, I will need the help of the Sustainability Commission.

*More information on my climate plan can be found on my social media.*

I also just want to say, I really appreciate the overabundance of AMAZING ideas posted by the other wonderful candidates. To any of them who see this, you guys are doing great! I wish we could all make it onto the board!!

If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask me about it!

Take care,

Logan

Good morning!

Having been raised in a country where environmental concerns aren’t prioritized, my parents teaching me about sustainability, recycling, carbon footprints and many more things played a vital role in my passion for the subject. I later went on to join ECO-Schools meetings at my high school, and advocate for recycling bins and informative seminars during my academic year as a student leader. This was just a long winded explanation as to why I would love to work with the sustainability commission. I’ve been following their instagram for a while now and love what they’ve been doing to educate and rally our community for such an important cause. Working with them on promoting protests, securing funds to make posters and reach even more people, organizing events such as giveaways and informative seminars to spread their message is a big goal for me.

Hi, Having a background education in psychological first aid and being trained as a Canadian Red Cross Youth Facilitator, I am eager to work with the Mental Wellness Commission at Victoria College with first-hand experience on the front line. Having worked with real-life cases, including private counseling sessions regarding depression and anxiety issues and critical interventions such as panic attacks, I am professionally equipped to aid students in emergency and non-emergency situations. As mentioned in one of my policies as a first-year councillor, I would like to introduce Vic students to Canadian national standard experimental learning activities, host workshops about healthy relationships, and spread mental health awareness. Despite our community's encouragement to seek help, I know better than anyone that these support systems are often hard to access. Using my training and knowledge from experience, I will bridge between the students and their mental health, providing Vic with the necessary support we need. Again, through collaborative efforts, utilizing my trained proficiency in organizing workshops and seminars, I will further encourage students to better engage with their mental wellness and well-being. Thank you, Albert Deok-Hyun Ahn.

Hi there,

If given the opportunity to work with any VUSAC commission, I'd love to work with the Arts & Culture Commission. While each commission offers many great opportunities, I would like to work with this commission because I believe there is power in connecting with others through different mediums such as artwork, film, and music. Building connections and communities is arguably one of the most important aspects of our lives and creating community through various forms of art can impact everyone involved! Whether your interests are in photography, acapella, or dance, the Arts & Culture Commission has many options for everyone to participate in, which is why I'd love to work with them.

Thank you,

Justin Liou

Hey Shane!

I have always been passionate about the well-being of the planet and have worked towards finding alternative ways to power our every-day lives in ways that don't harm earth. Recently at Vic, we have finally agreed to divest fossil fuels and find strategies to reduce our carbon footprint. Thus, I would join the sustainability commision and help them work towards making Victoria a more sustainable college.

Also, I really enjoy planning events for others to connect with each other so I want to join the scarlet and gold commission so I can help plan more VUSAC and Vic events to start working towards creating closer connections between Vic students.

Hi!

Over the past few years, I have become increasingly passionate about mental health, particularly in the context of education. The University of Toronto is unfortunately known to have students that struggle with their mental health even more so than other universities, which makes this commission particularly important. I would therefore love the opportunity to work with the Mental Wellness Commission, contributing to mental and physical wellness initiatives, such as Wellness Bingo, Let's Move March, and by helping connect students with lesser-known resources that already exist!

Hello!

As someone who was involved in and around everything to do with academics at my previous schools, I'm excited to be potentially able to help out the Academic Commission, if elected.

As Vickies, our main priority for being here is for education whilst developing a sense of community and comradeship. The Academic Commission plays a key role in this, helping students improve themselves and providing aid to those experiencing problems with their classes. As well as working to provide one of the biggest benefits of all: alumni and professional connections for after graduation.

I want to help strengthen the connection between students and the Academic Commission for course assistance and help organize its networking events to benefit my fellow students.

I personally wish I could've done more during my middle and high school days to help my classmates succeed, though now presents the perfect opportunity to see that done.

Hi! I would like to work with the Mental Wellness Commission, as I've mentioned before on what I want to achieve as I councillor, I would like to work with this commission to implement regular therapy dog visits!

Additionally, I would like to work with the Mental Wellness Commission to increase activities/events during exam season so students can find a space and information to de-stress and recharge.

It is important that VUSAC and its commission focus on student well-being because it is critical to every Vickie's success at UofT!