Quick facts about your newly elected student union representatives
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Name: Jack Fisher
Position: President
Favourite on-campus eatery: Definitively the Brass Taps.
Late-night snack: Melted cheese on triscuits.
Netflix most-recents: There Will Be Blood, followed by American Vandal.
First act as CSA executive: The first thing I plan to do is touch base with the rest of the executive and staff at the CSA. I want to see if we can get everyone on the same page. A team that can communicate well is a team that’ll get stuff done!
Student government is important in two ways. On the one hand, it provides an outlet for student advocacy that lends legitimacy to the student voice and allows collaboration between university administration and the student body towards a joint future, while maintaining the importance of student input. Secondly, the student government here at Guelph provides services for students that they can’t get elsewhere. Anything from free legal advice to coffee in the Bullring to cheap printing, the CSA has a menagerie of cool services.
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Name: Aidan Paskinov
Position: VP student experience
Favourite on-campus eatery: Brass Taps, any place that has deep fried pickles and mozzarella sticks gets my vote.
Late-night snack: Pizza, preferably from Olive Tree or Papa John’s (best places in Guelph).
Netflix most-recents: Jessica Jones, Season 2, or New Girl, I go back and forth.
First act as CSA executive: Establish a good working relationship with the other executive [members]. If we want to accomplish any of our goals for next year then we will need to work together as a team.
Student government is important for two reasons. The first being its advocacy work; all student governments in some form or another speak with administration and do so on behalf of students. They’re essentially a mouthpiece that helps to amplify and concentrate the student voice. The second reason is student government provides things for students that the university or administration does not. Things like events or services; essentially general tools that help alleviate some of the stress of being a student and make their time at university a bit easier.
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Name: Kayla Weiler
Position: VP external
Favourite on-campus eatery: The Bullring! Awesome food, good prices, cool staff, lovely tunes playing all the time, and the ’Ring doesn’t sell bottled water!
Late-night snack: Multi Grain Cheerios with cold 2% milk.
Netflix most-recents: Halt and Catch Fire, a show about the computer revolution during the 1980s. Dramatic, entertaining, and a good soundtrack.
First act as CSA executive: Attend the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario Skills Development Symposium with the other execs. It’s fun, we learn about other student unions’ work, and it’s free!
Student government is important because: The CSA, as the undergrad student union, is more than just services and helping students save money. It’s students working full-time for other students. With the CSA’s resources, I’ve been able to work on campaigns with other students such as TapIn! or Fight the Fees, and do this kind of activist work that I was doing in the past, but on a larger scale. Other undergrads should also care about the CSA because we are all equal members and we can shape the student union together to be better for students, all while building the student movement.
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Name: Natalie Clarke
Position: VP academic
Favourite on-campus eatery: The Bullring! The mac and cheese is my go-to feel-good meal!
Late-night snack: Garlic bread or sour candy… but not together!
Netflix most-recents: RuPaul’s Drag Race and Arrested Development.
First act as CSA executive: I plan to work on bringing in an ombudsperson and establishing a 24-hour study space on campus.
Student government is important because it allows for students on campus to be involved, voice their concerns, and fight for their rights!
Photo by Michael Cimesa