Students' Union, UCalgary

SU @UCalgary
  • admin
  • No Comments

STUDENTS’ UNION 2023 BY-ELECTION RESULTS ANNOUNCED
STUDENTS’ UNION 2023 BY-ELECTION RESULTS ANNOUNCED 150 150 admin

Five new members elected to join the 81st Students’ Legislative Council 

CALGARY, AB – Results of the University of Calgary Students’ Union (UCSU) By-Election were announced at the end of the day on Friday. There was a total of five seats available across four different faculties, with Engineering, Nursing and Veterinary Medicine each electing one representative and Arts electing two.  

Looking first at the multiple positions open within the Faculty of Arts, students elected Naomie Bakana and Tanner Neigel out of the six candidates who ran in the by-election. Naomie and Tanner captured 21.2% and 24.8% of the vote, respectively.

In the Schulich School of Engineering race, Seniru Ruwanpura has been elected out of the four candidates who ran. Seniru was elected with 65% of the vote. There were two candidates running to represent the faculty of Nursing. Colton Channon was elected with 50.4% of the vote. Finally, in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine election, students confirmed sole candidate Nancy Ngo to the elected position. Ngo was previously filling the position as an appointed representative, over the spring and summer. She received a Yes vote of 100%. “I would like to congratulate and welcome our new faculty representatives to the Students’ Legislative Council. It is always a good thing for students when they have the most representation possible, so we are thrilled to welcome five new elected officials. I look forward to working with all of them for the remainder of this legislative year,” said Shaziah Jinnah Morsette, SU President.

It is also worth mentioning that in September, SLC received a resignation from one of the current Faculty of Arts Representatives. As the By-Election process was already underway by the time of their resignation, their seat was ineligible for candidates to run for. This final, vacant position will be filled by appointment in the coming weeks.

This year’s By-Election saw 1,115 students vote. As this was a By-Election, votes were limited to students currently enrolled in the applicable faculties which had races. By-Election results become official on October 23.

-30- 

Media Contact: 
Nathan Ross, Manager of Communications and Government Relations 
403-835-1836 // nathan.ross@ucalgary.ca 

2023 By-Election Faculty Representatives (left to right): Seniru Ruwanpura (Schulich), Naomie Bakana (Arts), Tanner Neigel (Arts)

  • admin
  • No Comments

President’s Message: Three ways to make your voice heard this week
President’s Message: Three ways to make your voice heard this week 150 150 admin

Hello UCalgary,

Two important events are happening on campus this week: UCalgary’s Student Community Discussion, and the SU By-Election. Both of these events are excellent ways to get involved and be heard. Oct. 11 is also the final day to complete the student housing survey (link below).

UCalgary’s Student Community Discussion: Oct. 11 

UCalgary is hosting a Student Community Discussion on Oct. 11 from 1:30 – 2:30 in MacEwan Ballroom, and they want to hear what students have to say about affordability and all aspects of the student experience. Register to attend in person, or participate online.

This community discussion is part of a larger tuition consultation process leading up to a Board of Governors’ vote in December. UCalgary has released proposed tuition and fee increases for 2024-25, and is seeking student input through this event, a survey, and in several meetings with your SU representatives. We encourage you to review the proposed increases and complete the survey.

SU By-Election Voting Days: Oct. 11 – 13 

Are you, or do you know someone in the Faculty of Arts, Engineering, Nursing, or Veterinary Medicine? If you are in one of these faculties, now is your chance to elect your faculty representatives. The SU By-Election voting days begin Wednesday at 9 a.m. and remain open  until 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13. Voting is easy – log in through your my.ucalgary.ca student centre and follow the link.

Have your say in the future of on-campus housing: Oct. 11 

Residence Services wants to understand students needs with UCalgary’s housing options (both on- and off-campus). They are running a survey for all students currently attending UCalgary.

The deadline to submit your responses is Oct. 11, 2023.

SU Quality Money and Sustainability Fund Deadlines 

Just one more reminder – have you heard of SU Quality Money? This program funds projects and programming that improve campus life. In the past, we’ve funded brilliant ideas like club scholarships, the SU Pride Scholarship, study space renovations, and free period products in Mac Hall. This year, we have combined the deadline with the SU Sustainability Fund. If you’ve got a big idea, apply for a one of these grants and make it a reality. The deadline is November 24. Need some inspiration? Check out the hundreds of projects we’ve funded already.

I’ll be back with another email later this week. In the meantime, the best way to stay up to date is to follow the SU on TikTok and Instagram at @SUUofC.

Your Students’ Union President,
Shaziah Jinnah Morsette

Follow us!Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

  • admin
  • No Comments

President’s Message: Food Security Awareness Month, SU Q Centre Open House, and SU By-Election Candidates
President’s Message: Food Security Awareness Month, SU Q Centre Open House, and SU By-Election Candidates 150 150 admin

Hello UCalgary,

We have lots going on in October so this will be the first of a few messages this month. For now, here is a quick round-up of upcoming events and important deadlines:

FOOD SECURITY AWARENESS MONTH: FALL FOOD DRIVE AND SU SUPER STACK

October is Food Security Awareness Month at the SU, and there are lots of ways to participate.

  • Fall Food Drive: You can make a donation in person or a monetary donation on our GoFundMe page
  • SU Super Stack: meet us on Wednesday, Oct. 4 in the Mac Hall North Courtyard with boxed food and hygiene products to stack our shelves for the winter.
  • Food for Thought: an interactive presentation Wednesday, Oct. 25 in That Empty Space that will offer tips and tricks for navigating grocery shopping and basic food safety tips that every student should know. RSVP at https://forgle/PLX9gFB6LV7pANGTA

SU Q CENTRE OPEN HOUSE: OCT. 5

Join us on Thursday, Oct. 5 from 12 – 3 p.m. for our SU Q Centre Open House. Drop in for a tour, snacks and to learn about our programs!

ADVOCACY UPDATES

September was a really busy month for your elected officials. After successfully lobbying City Council to adopt affordable housing recommendations, we are focused on campus next:

encouraging UCalgary admin to consider student feedback as they prepare their proposal for the next round of tuition and fee increases. We have specific asks with respect to tuition increases, international students’ tuition and value, and mandatory non-instructional fees (MNIFs). You can read about our advocacy efforts on our blog.

HAVE YOUR SAY IN THE FUTURE OF ON-CAMPUS HOUSING

Residence Services wants to understand students needs with UCalgary’s housing options (both on- and off-campus). They are running a survey for all students currently attending UCalgary.

The deadline to submit your responses is Oct. 11, 2023.

SU BY-ELECTION: ARTS, SCHULICH, NURSING, AND VET MED

If you are in one of these four faculties, this is your chance to elect your faculty representatives. Nominations are in, and voting days are next week: Oct. 11 – 13. Get to know your candidates here.

CALLING ALL FUTURE TAX EXPERTS

The Volunteer Tax Program is looking to build its 2023 team. We provide volunteers with CRA training, experience in tax preparation, and lots of new friends. Learn more and apply here.

TEACHING EXCELLENCE AWARDS

It’s time to start thinking about your excellent teachers this semester. Do you have a prof or TA that goes above and beyond in your class? You should nominate them for a Teaching Excellence Award! It’s super easy: just complete the short online form. All nominations for fall classes need to be in by October 20.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AN ENGLISH TUTOR TO HELP WITH YOUR CONVERSATION, READING, AND WRITING SKILLS?

The SU Students for Literacy program is offering free one-on-one tutoring for students and community members who would like to improve their English skills. Applications to be set up with a tutor are open now! To apply, email sfl@ucalgary.ca or visit Volunteer Services (Mac Hall – east end) to pick up an application form.

PET THERAPY

Last but never least, our friends from PALS will be back in That Empty Space on Wednesday, Oct. 11 from 12 – 1:30 p.m. (lower level Mac Hall). Come and say hi!

I’ll be back with another email soon – there is always lots to share. In the meantime, the best way to stay up to date is to follow the SU on TikTok and Instagram at @SUUofC.

Shaziah,
Your Students’ Union President

Follow us!
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

  • admin
  • No Comments

Advocacy Blog: Affordable Housing and Tuition Consultation
Advocacy Blog: Affordable Housing and Tuition Consultation 150 150 admin

Housing Affordability

The SU advocacy team has been advocating to city council about the importance of supporting and implementing the housing affordability recommendations, which were brought to committee on September 14th. The SU advocacy team spoke with city councillors leading up to the vote about the impact that skyrocketing rental prices and extremely low vacancy rates have had on students, urging councillors to pass all the recommendations.

Students made their voices heard loud and clear at City Hall on September 14th, joining hundreds of others rallying for housing affordability. The energized group heard messages of support from Mayor Gondek, Councilor Wallcott, and many inspiring individuals sharing the impact that the housing crisis is having on folks in Calgary during the rally.

VP External, Mateusz Salmassi, and passionate students Isabella Rodriguez Pinedo, Michael Storozhakov, and Siraaj Shah spoke at the public hearing expressing that the strategy is essential for students and Calgarians alike. On September 16th the strategy was successfully passed in full with additional amendments which prioritize student housing and landlord licensing.

What exactly does this mean? Passing the ‘Home is Here’ housing strategy means many positive things for students and increased access to affordable and safe living accommodations. This includes 25 million dollars invested into post-secondary student housing, exploring landlord licensing, 3,000 new non-market homes and an additional 1,000 market homes per year, incentives for secondary suites, zoning changes, and many more positive strategies to address the housing crisis. Passing the strategy is an exciting step towards a more affordable future for all Calgarians. The SU advocacy team will continue to engage with councillors and all levels of government to ensure that these recommendations are effectively implemented.

The SU would like to extend a huge thank you to every person who helped to make the passing of the strategy possible. From students who wrote to their city councillor, helped volunteer, showed up at the rally, or spoke at the public hearing, we couldn’t have done it without you, thank you.

Tuition and Fee Consultation

This month marks the start of the tuition and fee consultation process with the university as they prepare their proposal for the next round of tuition and fee increases. Preliminary proposals for tuition and fee increases were made by the university sharing a 2% proposed increase to domestic tuition, a 10% proposed increase to international tuition, and a 2% increase to all mandatory fees.

As part of the consultation process elected officials and students were provided a chance to respond to the preliminary proposal during SLC on Tuesday, September 26th. The meeting is the first of many meetings which will serve as a chance for both students and SU elected officials to urge admin to take student feedback into consideration. SU president, Shaziah Jinnah Morsette, and VP External, Mateusz Salmassi presented to admin during the September 26th meeting specifically sharing the SU’s expectations and asks regarding the proposal.

So, what are our asks? The SU calls for administration to align international tuition increases with domestic tuition increases. All students are facing significant affordability challenges and disproportionately penalizing international students is something the SU will not stand behind! Additionally, the SU urges administration to increase investment in international student services to better support international students. The SU also calls for a freeze on all fees until there is increased transparency about where money is going and the quality of services that they promise to provide has increased. Students should get good quality services in return for their fees, and this is currently not the case.

Consultations will continue throughout the coming weeks. On October 11th, the university will hold a Student Community Discussion in MacEwan Ballroom. On October 31st, administration will attend a second SLC meeting. Student engagement is essential to make sure that the future proposal reflects what students want.

A Win for Haskayne Student Representatives

The SU is also extremely proud to announce that faculty representatives have secured a voting seat on the Haskayne Faculty Council. Student representatives have not had a vote on the council since 2015 and have worked extremely hard to make sure that students have been afforded a seat at the table.

  • admin
  • No Comments

President’s Message: Rally for affordable housing, clubs week, and some important surveys
President’s Message: Rally for affordable housing, clubs week, and some important surveys 150 150 admin

Hello UCalgary,

There’s already a lot happening this fall, and we are only in the second week. Here is a quick list of upcoming events and ways you can help make sure student voices are being heard:

Rally for housing affordability this Thursday: see you on the bus!

Everyone knows someone who has struggled to find an affordable place to live this year. City councillors are voting on a Housing and Affordability Taskforce recommendation package that would make it easier to build more affordable housing for students and all Calgarians.

Let’s show city councillors that voting in favour of affordable housing is the right thing to do.

We have a bus to take rally attendees to City Hall. To join us on the bus, please meet us no later than 11:15 a.m. at the education bus loop located just off the intersection of University Drive and 24 Avenue NW (Google Maps link for visualization). Please note that space on the busses will be limited, so if you would like to come down and cannot meet us at that time, the C-Train runs directly from University Station directly to City Hall, and we will be joining the rally there at noon!

Join us at City Hall on Thursday, Sept. 14 at 12 p.m  – sign up now.

Give your feedback on course feedback (deadline Sept. 12)

The way in which students give feedback on their courses is changing – now is your chance to help design a better survey. Your VP Academic, Sandra Amin, is part of a committee to create surveys that are more intentional and inclusive. Give us your feedback at this link by Sept. 12.

Advocacy Survey

We are running an advocacy survey right now to learn how students feel about tuition and fees, employment, food insecurity, housing, and more. Your responses will guide our efforts on these issues. Please take a few minutes to fill out the SU Summer Advocacy Survey by Friday, Sept. 22.

SU By-Election nominations

Are you a leader in the campus community? Would you like to be? Consider running in the upcoming SU By-Election. We have five vacant Faculty Rep positions: Arts (2), Schulich School of Engineering (1), Nursing (1), and Veterinary Medicine (1). Nomination days are coming up Sept. 25 – 27. All the info you need is here on our website.

Apply to join an SU Committee (deadline Sept. 19 at 4:30 p.m.)

Looking for other ways to get involved on campus? We have student-at-large positions available on many different committees. See the whole list here.

Clubs Week is Sept. 18 – 22

Clubs Week is back in Mac Hall! Check out hundreds of different clubs, explore your interests, and make some new friends. You can preview the whole Clubs list here, or just drop by Mac Hall North and South Courtyards all next week.

Pet Therapy

The puppies are back, too. Join us on Wednesday, Sept. 20 from 12 – 1:30 p.m. in That Empty Space (lower level Mac Hall), and enjoy a visit with our friends from PALS.

Are you an undergraduate researcher?

Have you spent some time in the lab and made a unique discovery? Will your critical analysis lead to positive social change? Share your accomplishments at the Undergraduate Research Symposium for the chance to win a scholarship. Abstracts are due Sept. 29 at 4:00 p.m. For more information or to submit an abstract, visit our website.

81st Executive Annual Plan 23-34

Last but not least, SLC voted last week to approve our Executive Annual Plan for 2023-24. You can find the annual plan and last year’s Report to the Community on our website.

Shaziah,
Your Students’ Union President

Follow us!
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

  • admin
  • No Comments

President’s Message: More things to know in September
President’s Message: More things to know in September 150 150 admin

Hello UCalgary,

I hope you had a chance to check out Monday’s email that featured a list of welcome back events (the first event is Friday: Dinos Kickoff Tailgate at McMahon Stadium). This email is going to focus on what your SU has been up to, as well as some of the other things you should know for September.

Advocacy update

We’ve been busy all summer working on issues that impact students:

  • speaking to media and raising awareness about the student housing crisis;
  • working with the SU Wellness Centre to get students access to walk-ins this fall; and
  • working with university admin to make sure students would have real term breaks without assignments due.

There is so much more, and if you want a full recap of our summer, check out our advocacy blog.

Speaking of advocacy, we are running a survey right now to learn as much as we can about your priorities and make sure we are putting our efforts in the right places. Please take a few minutes to fill out the SU Summer Advocacy Survey by Friday, Sept. 22.

Run in the SU By-Election

Maybe you want to join us! Have you ever thought about being a faculty rep? We are having a By-Election to fill vacancies in Arts (2), Schulich School of Engineering (1), Nursing (1), and Veterinary Medicine (1). All the details are available here.

Choose your locker

Need a locker? My first year locker was in Professional Faculties on the way to the bus loop, and it turned out to be the perfect place to keep my winter boots. Reserve locker through your my.ucalgary.ca student centre.

Health and Dental Plan – make your changes by Sept. 22.

Finally, if you don’t have alternate health and dental coverage, the SU’s got you covered. The deadline to opt-out, add family, or re-enroll is Sept. 22 and you can do so by clicking here. (Note that family must be added yearly). If you’ve already opted out, you’re set – you only have to opt out once during your university career.

I’ll be back with another update soon. In the meantime, the best way to stay up to date is to follow the SU on Instagram or TikTok at @SUUofC.

Shaziah,
Your Students’ Union President

Follow us!
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

  • admin
  • No Comments

Advocacy Blog: Updates From Summer 2023
Advocacy Blog: Updates From Summer 2023 150 150 admin

The SU executives have been busy over the summer, transitioning into their roles, working to have student issues heard in the media, and preparing for the fall semester. Cultivating strong relationships at all levels of government has been a key priority for the elected SU executives. Over the summer SU executives have had the opportunity to meet with the UCP Minister of Advanced Education, Minister of Immigration and Multiculturalism, and many elected NDP MLAs. Read all about what we accomplished this summer, as well as what we are still working on!

Affordable housing solutions cannot wait

For the second consecutive year, UCalgary on-campus residences are completely full, leaving many students scrambling for alternatives. Vacancy rates in Calgary are the lowest in nearly a decade, and prices have increased rapidly. Many students are struggling to find affordable housing near the university and are being forced to live far from campus, often in areas poorly served by transit.

The SU is here to help fight back. To provide assistance immediately, we put a call to action out for all Calgarians with a spare room or rental to consider renting to a student and posting it on the SU’s housing partner’s website at www.places4students.com. Calgarians showed up for students and played a key role in helping many students find a safe place to live. Anyone with a place to rent can continue to post listings on the SU’s housing partner’s website at www.places4students.com. The immense support from Calgarians coming together to support students when they need it most has been heartwarming, but the need to support folks being impacted by the housing crisis doesn’t stop there.

Looking at the bigger picture, the SU is advocating to the city council the importance of supporting and implementing the housing affordability recommendations, which will be brought to committee on September 14th. The recommendations are essential for students and Calgarians alike, to address the housing challenges that folks are currently facing. The SU advocacy team will be speaking to city councillors before this meeting to express the need to pass all 33 housing recommendations and the significant impact that the housing crisis is having on students. Join the SU at City Hall on September 14th to stand in support of the housing recommendations!

Taking a big STEP forward

Did you have trouble finding a summer job between the school years? You weren’t alone. This summer, youth unemployment was double the provincial average, pushing many students further into debt and unable to make ends meet. With increased tuition and cost of living, many students need full-time work in the summer to support themselves and afford tuition.

The Summer Temporary Employment Program (STEP) helped students find meaningful work over the summer, but that program was cancelled in 2019 and has not been replaced since. This summer, we met with multiple government officials expressing the importance of reimplementing a temporary jobs program that supports students and helps connect them to employers. This work will continue throughout the year in hopes of providing students with more options to gain temporary employment opportunities next summer.

Making progress here on campus

A big win that is just in time for the fall semester is that your term breaks will now be actual breaks. The university has recognized that term break is a time for students to prioritize their mental health and well-being, free of academic assessments. Even though the 2018-19 calendar recognized that term breaks were critical aspects of student well-being and mental health, we heard from many of you that it didn’t feel like a break with so many assignments still due in your courses. Our SU President Shaziah Jinnah Morsette started the fight to make sure that student mental health was made a priority during her term as VP Academic last year and has seen that fight through this year. We are overjoyed to have the university commit to respecting students’ need for time to rest and take care of their well-being ahead of this fall semester. Relevant policy changes to ensure that their statement can be enforced will be worked on by the University this governance year. Term breaks this academic year will be held during the fall and winter semesters from November 12-18th and February 18 –24th, respectively. Read the full statement from the University on the Term Break Resources website here for more details.

Tuition prices remain a major issue for students, and it is important to have your voice heard. The SU is working with the university to finalize a tuition and fee consultation guide. This is especially important to ensure that student consultation is consistent and meaningful throughout discussions regarding tuition and fee increases. The SU continues to advocate on behalf of students in these discussions and determining how best to foster ongoing communications between the university, the student body, and the Students’ Union.

In 2020 the university paused the use of Academic Regulation relating to Supporting Documentation and Statutory Declaration (M.1), announcing plans this past June to reinstate this policy. The SU fought heavily for the university to pause the reinstatement of the regulation before having thorough student consultation because this policy does not work for students, but the university moved forward with reinstating the policy anyway. However, because of continued advocacy, the SU has received a commitment from the university to work together on a holistic review of regulations around absences due to illness for assessments.

Demand at the SU Campus Food Bank keeps increasing as student costs skyrocket. The SU Campus Food Bank has been actively supporting the campus community for over 30 years and worked tirelessly over the summer to continue to support folks. To expand the SU Food Bank capacity, the SU hired a third food bank coordinator to help support outreach and awareness efforts, food literacy education, and food hamper preparations. To donate or access resources from the SU Campus Food Bank visit here.

If that wasn’t enough for you, we also have two meaningful wins to benefit students coming back to school! First is that walk-ins at the wellness centre are back for students. The SU has been working with the SU Wellness Centre to bring walk-in appointments back to better support students. Second, club funding has also been streamlined, meaning it’s now easier for clubs to access funds for events and activities. Learn more about Clubs here.

SU executives extending advocacy efforts

Finally, the executives have extended their advocacy efforts at municipal and federal levels through collaboration with other post-secondaries. Vice President External Mateusz Salmassi was elected the Director of Advocacy for the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations. Through this role, he elevates the advocacy work the SU does by collaborating with other student associations across Canada to fight for student needs federally. The hot button issues this summer have been housing and student affordability, as mentioned earlier in our blog.

SU President Shaziah Jinnah Morsette was elected as chair of the Calgary Student Alliance (CSA) at the beginning of her term, representing 120,000 postsecondary students on municipal issues in Calgary. This role allows her to amplify the voices of postsecondary students in Calgary, by collaborating towards common goals and bringing attention to the challenges students in Calgary are currently facing. Significant efforts from Shaziah and the CSA have been focused on housing and the upcoming city committee meeting on September 14th. The work that she has undertaken to strengthen the relationships among postsecondary institutions in Calgary has been vital to further the SU’s advocacy reach.

  • Gene Baines
  • No Comments

President’s Message: Welcome Events!
President’s Message: Welcome Events! 150 150 Gene Baines

Hello and welcome back, UCalgary students!

If I haven’t had the chance to meet you yet, my name is Shaziah Jinnah Morsette and I am your Students’ Union President. You’ll get an email like this from me a few times each month to let you know what the SU is up to, but this one is all about fun events.

September is packed with events where you can meet new friends, learn about the SU’s services, and pick up some fun swag. Join us at:

Dinos’ Kickoff Tailgate Party – Sept. 1 at McMahon Stadium

The Dinos are playing UAlberta Golden Bears on Friday, Sept. 1 at McMahon Stadium. We’ve teamed up with the Dinos and UCalgary Alumni to host the Kickoff Tailgate Party starting at 3:30 p.m. on the east side of McMahon Stadium. Join us for a free barbecue, games and prizes, a petting zoo, live music, and Dunk-a-Dino in support of the SU Campus Food Bank.

Welcome Fair in Mac Hall – Sept. 5 and 6

Next week, join us in the Mac Hall courtyards for a Welcome Fair on Sept. 5 and 6 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is a great place to stop by and learn about volunteer opportunities, clubs, concerts, and other SU programs. Pick up some swag and enter to win some prizes, too.

Trivia Nights are back at The Den, starting Sept. 12

Have you heard of the Den, yet? Best place to get wings or nuggets on campus, and they’ve got Trivia Nights planned all semester. (The first one is The Office on Sept. 12!)

Clubs Week in Mac Hall – Sept. 18 – 22

One of the best ways to make new friends and enrich your student experience is to join a club. Hundreds of clubs will be there, and the best advice I can give you is to join at least one.

Live Music in Mac Hall

Mac Hall Concerts has a huge list of shows this fall, including Erin Nam, Cooper Alan, and The Beaches. Get on the mailing list or follow us @macewanhall so that you always know who’s coming to town.

I’ll be back later this week with another quick list of “things you need to know”. In the meantime, the best way to stay up to date is to follow the SU on Instagram or TikTok at @SUUofC.

Shaziah
Students’ Union President

  • admin
  • No Comments

Arlington Antonio Santiago – Biography
Arlington Antonio Santiago – Biography 150 150 admin

Vice President Operations & Finance

Arlington is originally from Barranquilla, Colombia. After being displaced at age three, he became a political refugee and entered Canada via Montreal as a protected person at the age of five. He moved again to northeast Calgary a few years later. Growing up, Arlington loved making others laugh. He also enjoyed anime, playing street fútbol, and baking bread at his parents’ family business.

In 2021, as a first-time volunteer with the Falconridge-Castleridge Community Association, Arlington was elected Secretary and joined the Board of Directors. The association accessed a grant to install solar panels that reduced the operating cost down to zero, enhancing the quality of services offered by the community centre. Later that year, Arlington also volunteered as a project manager to build a fit park dedicated to an underfunded and underdeveloped part of the city.

Arlington’s journey so far has taught him to be proud of overcoming setbacks, and what it means to make important improvements to structures of power in his local community. He is passionate about breaking down barriers to entry when it comes to post-secondary education such as the cost of education, access to affordable housing and proper economic development conditions for students. He will be the first but certainly not the last member of his nuclear family to attend university and graduate with more than just a degree.

Arlington is in the Faculty of Arts, with majors in Political Science, Law and Society, and Sociology. Over his time as an undergraduate, he has been studying the possibility of an anticipatory post-work society.

Arlington loves to work out and go for long walks around the Bow River with his dog, a CattleJack named Astro-Juice (AJ for short). He aims to hike five times this summer and go for at least one winter hike. Arlington is big fan of Manchester City Fútbol, and can be also found at the library reading manga, geo-political economy and watching a wide variety of documentaries.

  • admin
  • No Comments

Ermia Rezaei-Afsah – Biography
Ermia Rezaei-Afsah – Biography 150 150 admin

PRESIDENT

Ermia Rezaei-Afsah grew up in Tehran, Iran, and moved to Calgary when he was 10 years old. As a kid he loved trivia and geography, and was interested in world history and politics even as young as seven years old.

After serving last year as an SU Faculty of Arts Representative on the 80th SLC, Ermia was elected to VP Student Life. His passion for equity and accessibility is informed by his experience as an immigrant to Canada and by his experience as a student trying to navigate the university system to access resources. His practice in the latter turned him into an advocate to help others navigate the system as well. These experiences are what inspired him to run for VP Student Life.

He has previously worked at a farmer’s market and landscaping. He has been a part of clubs such as the History Students’ Association, Food Justice Now, Philosophia, and Students for Direct Action.

Ermia is majoring in History and Anthropology, with a minor in Latin American Studies. He is most interested in Middle Eastern and Latin American history and their intersections. His favourite subjects are culinary history and the history of food.

His interest in cooking stems from an interest in both learning about other cultures and carrying on his own. Ermia likes to learn recipes through learning about the context and politics behind the dish. Food is a great way to connect, and he loves to host and create space for people. His interest food in naturally led him to gardening, and includes different growing techniques, light woodworking, growing things on a budget, growing culturally important produce in very different climates, and more.

Ermia loves to cook complex and unique food and grows as many ingredients as he can. He knows how to ferment foods and make his own yogurt, cheese, fermented pickles, sauces, kombucha, among other things. He even knows how make vinegar from scratch. He also loves preserving produce by making jams, vinegar pickles, and Cheong-style preserves (Cheongs are Korean syrups made with zero-heat). His four food obsessions are tea, yogurt, olive oil, and vinegar. He’s also obsessed with pasta.

Start Typing