March 1, 2021

U THE UBYSSEY

MARCH 1, 2021 | VOLUME CII | ISSUE X INTELLECTUAL FEATHERWEIGHTS SINCE 1918

A POST-PANDEMIC

FUTURE WITH THE AMS the AMS elections issue

2 | Editors' note | MARCH 1, 2021

U

THE UBYSSEY VOLUME CII | ISSUE X

EDITORIAL

BUSINESS

Coordinating Editor Pawan Minhas coordinating@ubyssey.ca

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Editors’ note W

e didn’t think we’d be covering an AMS election virtually when we started our jobs last year.

As the news editors, we’ve spent countless hours sitting at our laptops on Zoom meetings to hear what your student government and the university’s top administrators have to say. So when we say that this election matters, we mean it.

The transition online saw helter-skelter decisions from UBC administrators and the AMS as they dealt with something none of us could have fathomed. But now that we’re here, we have the chance to plan our way out of it — and your student government is at the heart of the effort.

It’s tough to pay attention with the constant bombardment of pandemic news, we know. That’s why we tried our best to lay out everything you need to know about the candidates and the issues this year in the pages ahead.

Our team worked diligently to interview, fact-check and scrutinize the candidates running for these positions. The result: thorough profiles of every candidate in every race and an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of each.

We want to thank our elections team for working so hard this elections season, even without the free food usually offered at in-person debates. Thank you to Tina Yong, Jackson Dagger, Safa Ghaffar, Elif Kayali, Nathan Bawaan, Lalaine Alindogan, Owen Gibbs, Matt Asuncion, Sam Smart, Paloma Green, Myla White and Alan Phuong for caring about this as much as we do.

Student government is a fickle thing. But now, you have the chance to shape it.

Vote.

CHARLOTTE ALDEN AND ANDREW HA NEWS EDITORS

Website: ubyssey.ca Twitter: @ubyssey Instagram: @ubyssey

STAFF Sarah Zhao, Charul Maheshka, Paloma Green, Safa Ghaffar, Mahin-E-Alam, Tianne Jensen-DesJardins, Maya Rodrigo-Abdi, Danisa Rambing, Sydney Cristall, Silvana Martinez, Sophia Russo, Joey He, Hannah D’Souza, Vik Sangar, Jackson Dagger, Winnie Ha, Tina Yong, Shanai Tanwar, Owen Gibbs, Maheep Chawla, Kaila Johnson, Nathan Bawaan, Elif Kayali, Hannah Dam, Iman Janmohamed, Peyton Murphy, Lalaine Alindogan, Melissa Li, Ella Lewis-Vaas, Tony Jiang, Polina Petlitsyna, Alan Phuong, Kathryn Helmore, Eashan Halbe, Edith Coates

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We would like to acknowledge that this paper and the land on which we study and work is the traditional, occupied, unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy ə̓ m (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and səl i̓ lwətaɁɬ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

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! e t Vo WORDS BY: Tina Yong, Jackson Dagger, Safa Ghaffar, Elif Kayali, Nathan Bawaan, Lalaine Alindogan, Owen Gibbs, Myla White, Alan Phuong, Anupriya Dasgupta, Isabella Falsetti, Charlotte Alden and Andrew Ha. With files from Sam Smart, Paloma Green and Matthew Asuncion.

With Ubyssey file photos, edits by Jasmine Foong and Lua Presidio.

THE UBYSSEY’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS CANDIDATES Sasha Gajic Tanya Raja Danilo Angulo-Molina

Brittany Runeckles Kalith Nanayakkara

MARCH 1, 2021 | candidate profiles | 3

CANDIDATE PROFILES t n e d i Pres

COLE EVANS

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MS President Cole Evans is running uncontested for re-election to see the society’s COVID-19 response through.

Evans, a fourth-year political science major, bore both successes and controversy during his term.

Now, he’s running on a platform of support for the COVID-19 recovery, an AMS governance review and creating an AMS equity unit.

“My passion really lies with AMS,” said Evans. “… That’s why I’m running for re-election, because I really want the AMS to succeed. I really want it to be an organization that students trust to be working for them.”

“This is not a victory lap by any means. There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done.”

Consultation is underway for the AMS’s equity plan, a project Evans picked up from his predecessor. In addition to seeing it finalized and planning its implementation, he wants to grow the AMS’s single equity position to a dedicated equity office.

As administrators plan for the possibility of in-person instruction this fall, Evans promised to champion student safety as Canada’s vaccine rollout hits roadblocks. He’s campaigning for an AMS COVID-19 recovery strategic plan, on-campus immunization clinics and a campus-wide rapid testing program.

However, the AMS came under fire under Evans’s administration last fall after AMS Events photos showed attendees flouting COVID-19 guidelines.

While an AMS Events organizational review is underway, Evans pledged to regain control over AMS Events by aligning its goals with the executive and having a manager report regularly to Council.

However, the committee reviewing AMS Events management will meet for the first time in March, months after it was created.

This year, students criticized Evans for driving attendance at the October AMS annual general meeting with cash prizes and the narrow approval of controversial bylaw changes that have failed for years. Evans has defended his record, pointing to other student societies who awarded prizes as an honest means of engaging students.

Calling the AMS “bureaucratic” and “inefficient,” Evans is campaigning for an AMS governance review.

However, accountability questions arose with his support for a new committee to investigate executive discipline on an ad hoc basis.

Evans faced a failed censure vote in April 2020 for missing a report deadline. Deeming the vote overkill for the offence, Evans recommended with Council support that the Governance Committee explore alternatives for exec discipline.

The result was the Ethics & Accountability Committee — which began VP External Kalith Nanayakkara’s conflict of interest review in mid-January, two months after the issue was referred to the committee.

When asked how creating a new committee in the mire of AMS governance wasn’t a move to avoid executive accountability, he said he wished the committee moved faster.

“Whatever decisions I’ve made in the last year as president or the last two years of being an AMS executive, whether they’ve been the right decisions, whether I’ve made some mistakes — at the end of the day, they’re decisions that are always made trying to help students the best I can.”

VP l a n r exte

SAAD SHOAIB

S

aad Shoaib, a third-year arts student, is running uncontested for AMS VP external on a platform of student affordability and AMS transparency.

Shoaib has served as the AMS associate VP external for the past year under current VP External Kalith Nanayakkara whose office lobbied for student affordability amid COVID-19, student interests during a provincial election and pandemic U-Pass exemptions and subsidies.

With federal student loan interest currently suspended through 2022 due to the pandemic, Shoaib intends to work with other Canadian undergraduate associations through Undergraduates of Canadian Research-Intensive Universities (UCRU) to lobby for a permanent suspension.

“During my time as the associate VP, we lobbied the federal government through UCRU to eliminate interest until 2022. And this established a clear policy precedent: students are going to be an essential part of Canada’s economic recovery from this pandemic, and they need to be well supported,” Shoaib said.

Continuing on the theme of student affordability, Shoaib intends to lobby for a provincial cap on tuition increases, saying that while UBC has its own policies restricting tuition increases, “this needs to be solidified on a provincial level.”

On housing, he promised to lobby the province to invest $450 million in student housing to reduce student financial hardship. Shoaib said he would support ongoing work at the AMS to pursue an AMS-owned housing co-op as another solution to student housing woes.

“It’s essential that students are offered more affordable housing,” Shoaib said.

Over the past year, the VP external office has also had some controversies. In September, Shoaib was pictured with Nanayakkara and other AMS staff gathering in their Nest offices without masks in violation of AMS COVID-19 policies.

During debates, the candidate distanced himself from ThePlug, the reason for Nanayakkara’s conflict of interest review. Shoaib said he only did data analytics for the group and left in January.

Shoaib also stressed the importance of advocacy with the University Neighbourhood Association (UNA), saying he’d be “loud during the meetings [with UNA representatives].” In the past year, the UNA moved to remove the AMS’s voting rights on its board.

Shoiab pledged to make the office of the VP external more transparent.

“I mean, real transparency, where students are being informed on the happenings of the AMS and its external affairs office — this is something that the AMS has failed to do over the past few years,” he said. “And I hope to change that if I’m elected.”

4 | candidate profiles | MARCH 1, 2021

CANDIDATE PROFILES c i m e d a c VP ASHIVANI MEHTA

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hird-year biology student Shivani Mehta is running for VP academic and university affairs (VPAUA) on a platform centred around a safe return to campus, open education and accessibility of learning resources and Work Learn opportunities for students.

She’s running against Eshana Bhangu, cochair of the UBC Vancouver Student Senate Caucus.

Mehta became involved in student advocacy after seeing the barriers students face when it comes to voicing their wants and needs.

“So many students like myself were being disadvantaged because the right problems were not being addressed, or they were not being addressed urgently enough,” she said.

With experience working as the associate VP academic affairs this past year, Mehta wants to focus on developing “attainable, realistic and long-term goals.”

Mehta referred to her time as associate VP academic affairs as a “big learning experience,” since both she and the current VPAUA Georgia Yee had no experience in the AMS prior to their roles in the executive.

Although the pair had “different leadership styles sometimes,” Mehta said she didn’t really disagree with anything Yee did.

Mehta also worked alongside Yee in advocating for the discontinuation of UBC’s contract with Proctorio. She disagreed with the university’s decision to extend the contract and said there’s more work to be done before considering other alternatives.

“There’s so many safety guidelines and ethics frameworks that need to be in place before we start progressing down a line of alternative invigilation software,” Mehta said.

Mehta’s also passionate about advocating for open educational and accessible resources. She said that textbook prices have “skyrocketed” over the past years, so her loftiest goal is starting a used bookstore in the Nest where students could donate their textbooks.

“Another student could then use those resources for their courses without having to go through the bookstore and then repurchase materials at a higher price,” Mehta said.

When asked about the recent updates to UBC’s sexual misconduct policy SC17, Mehta mentioned the difference between a policy change and what it means to “actually change students’ lives and move towards a consent culture.”

“I’m hoping that, with [the revisions to] this policy, we’ll be able to work with our partners and student services ... and approach this communication project in a more collaborative way,” Mehta said.

For the upcoming year, Mehta is expecting most of the same challenges around student engagement as this past year.

“I can anticipate we’ll need to explore new avenues of connecting with students,” Mehta said.

If elected, Mehta wants to build on her work from this past year.

“I really hope to approach this role with an authentic leadership style. And I hope that everything that I’ve been able to work on this past year with Georgia, I’m able to continue and complete those projects this year,” Mehta said.

ESHANA BHANGU

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fter a year of serving on the UBC Vancouver Senate, second-year student and Student Senate Caucus co-chair Eshana Bhangu is running for VP academic and university affairs (VPAUA) on a platform focusing on affordability, the safe return to campus and rethinking remote invigilation.

She’s in a two-way race with Shivani Mehta, the AMS associate VP of academic affairs.

“I really don’t want to be limited to just academic governance advocacy anymore.

I want to advocate for students for every area that they can think of, when it comes to affordability, mental health, sexual violence, climate justice,” Bhangu said.

“When I [saw] that advocacy hasn’t been done to the level it can be ... I felt really motivated to take on this position myself.”

Bhangu is planning on using her experience as vice chair of the Senate Budget Committee in advocating for affordability.

“I will one hundred per cent oppose all tuition increases, especially in a pandemic.

I think they’re extremely unwarranted and only cause more stress on students,” Bhangu said.

Reflecting on the work that current VPAUA Georgia Yee did, Bhangu praised Yee for her work advocating against a clause in the student housing contract that could have left students homeless if there was a COVID-19 outbreak. But she questioned whether Yee did enough to advocate against the athletics and recreation fee.

“I’ve received a lot of emails asking about

[the fee] and every time I had to type up a response apologizing. I used to feel so helpless because as a senator, there wasn’t anything I could do,” she said.

When talking about a potential return to campus, Bhangu said she wants to make sure whatever the university decides, the decision is communicated to students very clearly and early on.

“We need to keep in mind international students so that they don’t end up trying to make last-minute travel arrangements and living arrangements which will cause even more financial stress,” Bhangu said.

“It is super important to keep students with disabilities and immunocompromised students [in mind] ... also students with family members who are immunocompromised and might be more at risk.”

On Proctorio, Bhangu said she would advocate to remove the use of algorithmic remote invigilation software entirely. At the first Senate debate, Bhangu criticized the AMS for not sending a timely submission to the Senate on remote invigilation.

“If we find a replacement, I think it needs to be for very specific courses, and that those courses are made public, so that students know what they’re getting into much [earlier].”

When it comes to UBC’s sexual misconduct policy SC17, which past VPAUAs focused heavily on, Bhangu agreed with the recommendations made by the Sexual Assault Support Centre (SASC).

“As VPAUA I will do everything to support the implementation and keep SASC at the forefront of this process,” she said.

MARCH 1, 2021 | candidate profiles | 5

VP FINANCE MARY GAN

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ourth-year biology student Mary Gan is running for VP finance on a platform of mental health affordability, support for club treasurers and increased student awareness about AMS funds and fees.

As past VP finance of the UBC Science Undergraduate Society and treasurer of AMS club nwPlus, in addition to being the current AMS associate vice-president (AVP) finance, Gan said she is familiar with “the inner workings of AMS finance.”

Gan’s platform is based on the AMS’s financial struggles. For example, she aims to create a mental health subsidy by using the AMS’s $2 million surplus in health and dental fees.

“I’ve heard a lot from the general public on how the AMS Health and Dental plan has some parts lacking in mental health support,” said Gan. To make mental health support cheaper, Gan wants to implement a mental health support provider network with Studentcare.

Within the network, mental health providers around the UBC campus would offer discounted services to students.

“I understand that [mental health services are] getting increasingly expensive for students. Especially during a pandemic, a lot of us might be feeling isolated so we might need that extra boost of financial support,” said Gan. Most importantly, Gan is running for VP finance during the financially unpredictable environment caused by COVID-19. At present, the AMS faces a $720,000 deficit due to pandemic-related losses in business revenue.

But Gan strategized that a “significant chunk” of the deficit will disappear if, in addition to current reductions in internal expenditures, she focuses on improving food quality and diversity in the Nest.

“With more students potentially coming back to campus after being vaccinated, a lot of students will definitely come to the Nest … With improving the food at the Nest, food outlets will be able to get more business since word does travel among students,” Gan said.

About club finances, one of the VP finance position’s responsibilities, Gan said that treasurers don’t receive as much training as they should. Specifically, Gan is planning a Canvas learning hub where treasurers can learn how to budget, fill out AMS forms and understand procedure.

“I identified a lot of need for a centralized space for treasurers to receive financial training … Right now, everything’s kind of all over the place so it’s quite hard from what I’ve seen for treasurers to complete their duties.”

Gan wants to increase the AMS’s financial transparency, saying that when she entered the AMS as AVP finance, she was “very confused by the budgets and reports.”

To do so, Gan is planning to create infographics about AMS fees, which will be distributed through emails to the UBC student body. Presumably, creating awareness of AMS finances will lead to increased usage of AMS funds, which are often underspent.

“I really want to make sure that students are able to clearly understand how the AMS is spending their money,” added Gan.

VP ADMIn LAUREN BENSON

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econd-year arts student Lauren Benson is running for AMS VP Administration, vowing to increase communication between the AMS and students and establish a COVID-19 recovery benefit for clubs.

As the first person to have held the role of digital media coordinator at the AMS, Benson said that she has fully immersed herself in the society’s operations and witnessed what goes on behind the scenes of many of its initiatives. “[My] platform was made through talking to students and hearing the issues they are caring about firsthand,” Benson said. “This isn’t just a platform of things that I’ve come up [with] that I want to see, but these are things we all want to see.”

Benson praised her predecessor, Sylvester Mensah Jr, on his work with CampusBase, calling it a “great idea and great resource.”

However, she took issue with the limited impact the platform had as well as the lack of open communication from the AMS around the service’s privacy issues.

Communication is a tenet of Benson’s platform. She said that she has observed a lot of negative feedback about the AMS from students while working as a digital media coordinator and said that many were uninformed about the programs and services the AMS could offer them.

“I was saddened when I saw the disconnect between students and the AMS, and in my position I knew I wanted to do more.”

Benson believes that the solution to this disconnect is to streamline communication through increasing the accessibility of AMS content, boosting social media engagement and creating spaces where execs can talk to students.

“The AMS communication line is broken right now, in my opinion,” Benson said.

She acknowledged that this task would be a big challenge, but one that she is nonetheless excited to tackle.

Benson said that in light of COVID-19, she plans to combat any challenges she may face by being adaptable and having multiple backup plans — but didn’t provide specifics.

A key initiative Benson is advocating for is a new clubs recovery benefit, which she said would provide online resources for student leaders, provide COVID-19 supplies like disposable masks and hand sanitizer if events are to be held in person and increase awareness of the existing video conferencing grant launched by the previous administration.

“There are so many platforms that clubs are learning how to navigate and worrying about the funds for that should be the least of their problems right now.”

When asked about how she would enforce mask wearing in the Nest, Benson said she would both approach it from an educational standpoint and continue check-ins with security to ensure compliance. “[We will put out] frequent COVID-19 updates and really clear-cut information so students have a good understanding of this is what’s expected if you are in this building and that this is something we follow to keep everyone safe,” Benson said.

design by Maya Rodrigo-Abdi

6 | candidate profiles | MARCH 1, 2021

CANDIDATE PROFILES e t a Sen EMMANUEL CANTILLER

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hird-year political science student Emmanuel Cantiller is running to be a senator-at-large in the hopes of making life easier for students amid the pandemic.

“I want to help and create long-lasting policies that will affect students not just now, but for future students to come,” said Cantiller.

On accessibility, he’s advocating for students to have universal access to open educational resources (OERs), online recorded lectures and online office hours. Cantiller believes that this will make life easier for students so that no one has to pay more than is necessary for their education.

“I know there’s a lot being done in the push for OERs and I want to continue that push, just so students can have affordability and accessibility and don’t have to worry about any additional costs on top of the tuition that they already pay.”

However, he said that improvement of OERs, particularly online recorded lectures, will be his greatest challenge if elected, given the necessity of professors to adapt to a new system of teaching.

His ideas for a post-COVID-19 transition include transcript notations denoting online classes, later withdrawal deadlines and a more compassionate midterm hardship policy.

Cantiller has never sat on the Senate but has experience with the Arts Undergraduate Society and the Political Science Student Association. In debate, he struggled to answer a question on a suggestion around the Indigenous Strategic Plan — which candidate Dante Agosti-Moro said would require amending the University Act. Cantiller said he developed a strong ability for student outreach and consultation through these positions which he hopes to bring to the Senate and get more students engaged.

“I love reaching out to students to hear their opinions on what’s going on and in terms of student government. I’ve always tried my best to simplify information about what’s going on,” he said.

The desire to continue former Arts Senator Charlotte Gilby’s work is what motivated him to run.

Cantiller mentioned that a number of his friends are struggling with their mental health during the pandemic and he wants change for the sake of all students. He feels that current student senators failed to mitigate the added exam hardship of extending winter break and that they should have done more for students.

He hopes to create change by sitting on the Teaching and Learning Committee and the Academic Policy Committee.

“There’s a lot of issues with how the Senate is and how people understand it,” he said. “I would just try my absolute hardest to be a source of communication, consultation, access and information about the Senate.”

SHIVANI MEHTA

T

hird-year biology student Shivani Mehta is running for a senator-at-large seat on a platform of transparency, accessibility and open educational resources.

Mehta said that her current role as the AMS associate VP of academic affairs sets her apart. In her role, she worked alongside Georgia Yee, VP academic and university affairs. Still, she felt that she was unable to push her policy agenda.

“That’s what really motivated me to run for Senate,” she said. “I realized that there are so many changes that could make huge differences to students and it’s only a matter of being able to communicate them to the people in charge.”

Student consultation is a senator’s most important responsibility, according to Mehta. If elected, she hopes to bring more student voices to the table by posting Senate information on social media and simplifying the Senate website.

“I’m hoping that as student leaders, we can make all the information that the Senate has available more welcoming for students.”

On the pandemic, Mehta supported the Senate’s decision to extend winter break last term, but thinks that more can be done to address the price of textbooks during online learning.

“A lot of textbooks that are available online now have these assessments built into them with course codes. So, [the bookstore] is increasing the prices of these learning materials, and [professors] are mandating students to purchase them because now it’s part of their grades.”

She proposed that the Senate establish an open educational working group within the Teaching and Learning Committee.

This would be based on the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology’s (CTLT) open education working group where Mehta currently serves.

With Canada’s vaccine rollout underway, Mehta acknowledged that the transition to in-person classes will be an important topic next year’s senators will need to discuss.

Mehta plans to consult with Jump Start, public health offices and the CTLT so that any decision does not leave out groups like international students who may struggle to receive a vaccine in their home country.

She hopes that at the least, labs and orientation activities can go offline in the near future.

“I know that for mental health challenges and just student well-being, it is important for us to start thinking about how we can introduce that in-person aspect again.”

MARCH 1, 2021 | candidate profiles | 7

DANTE AGOSTIMORO

GEORGIA YEE

T

hird-year commerce student Dante Agosti-Moro is running for senator-at-large on a platform of championing systemic change, reforming appeals processes and improving support for student learning.

Agosti-Moro said experience sets his platform apart from the opposition — he’s been on Senate for two years and is co-chair of the Student Senate Caucus.

“I have the knowledge and understanding to make my platform points become a reality,” Agosti-Moro said. “These positions have allowed me to foster connections and gain the institutional knowledge needed to … continue my work in the Senate.”

In his two years of experience, Agosti-Moro has narrowed down his priorities to what he believes the Senate really needs.

“The Senate, for a body that’s made up of mostly elected persons, is deeply untransparent,” Agosti-Moro said. “The vast majority of the work is done in its committees, which are not open to the public.”

Agosti-Moro believes that term limits are necessary to get fresh perspectives in the Senate, for both students and faculty.

However, Agosti-Moro noted that systemic change can be an obstacle as much of it can be done during the triennial review periods.

“Any large-scale change that’s not a simple change of the role is going to be lofty. It’s going to need dedicated students to back it up.”

In the first debate, AgostiMoro pressed new candidates on specifics and demanded accountability from incumbents.

Hoping to continue his work on the appeals committees, Agosti-Moro called the process where the Senate hears appeals on academic decisions or discipline for academic or nonacademic misconduct “deeply flawed and unfair to students,” especially for international students or those whose first language may not be English. He believes these procedures tend to favour the university.

In discussing challenges facing this position, Agosti-Moro says that there’s clear evidence of unequal treatment for faculty and students in the Senate, stating that “students need to work twice as hard to be heard.”

“We come with the same knowledge, experience and expertise,” he said. “We are not students who happen to be senators, we are senators who happen to be students with the same rights and voices as every other member of the Senate.”

C

COLE EVANS

C

ole Evans is running for re-election as one of five senators-at-large, on a platform of a more equitable and accessible Senate, modernized learning practices and student-focused capital development.

The fourth-year political science student, current senator-at-large and AMS president listed nine key areas of his platform, including intentions to seek re-appointment as chair of the Senate Academic Building Needs Committee.

Evans hopes to coordinate an external review for building accessibility at UBC. He also aims to support the efforts of the Student Senate Caucus to establish a standing committee for academic diversity and inclusion.

For Evans, his tangible goals and past experience set him apart from the opposition.

“This is a platform that is really doable in a year,” he said. “No other candidates in the field can say that they’re seeking reappointment to chair of a Senate committee.”

Evans wants to ensure the Senate is prioritizing modern learning practices, such as accessible educational resources and technological solutions to support student learning on campus — whether that be through experiential learning in the classroom to making sure that invigilation software is ethical.

People don’t always listen to what the Student Senate Caucus has to say, Evans said.

“I think that sometimes student senators are very often sort of just disregarded as like, ‘Oh, those are just students and students complain, they’re always going to have radical opinions,” Evans said. “I think we need to work on ways we can show that we’re just as serious as other senators.”

Evans hopes to increase the presence of student senators in Senate leadership positions.

Navigating out of the pandemic is going to be a challenge, Evans said. He is supportive of a hybrid learning system for the fall semester with some in-person classes and some online courses. “Hybrid learning is a whole new ball game,” he said.

“But at the end of the day, the most important part of all of this is to make sure that we are putting student safety as a top priority and that we’re following the advice of provincial health authorities.”

urrent AMS VP Academic and University Affairs (VPAUA) Georgia Yee is bidding for a seat on the UBC Vancouver Senate on a platform of affordability, creating an equitable future, improving access to online and hybrid learning and climate action.

Yee emphasized that equity, diversity and inclusion underlie her platform priorities. She also acknowledged the role the pandemic had in upending the university’s “normal.”

“I think it’s really clear that this pandemic and all the systemic injustices that we’re facing currently — it has upended our lives in many, many ways,” Yee said. “So how do we not just go back to normal, but how do we create a plan forward?”

Yee highlighted her ability to engage with traditionally underserved communities and wants to re-think forms of engagement — such as consultation processes — to better serve those communities. She said her work as VPAUA and on the development of the AMS’s Equity Plan would benefit her in consultation around Senate issues.

On affordability, Yee said she wants to create a digital learning materials policy which would curtail the impact of web platforms like Pearson Education — which students often must pay for as part of their coursework.

Yee wants to see the Senate be more transparent through the establishment of a studentfacing communication strategy.

“The lack of transparency as well as the governance process that does not lend itself to timely effective decisions — it is very much mired in bureaucracy,” Yee said. “So one of the biggest challenges is the governance of the Senate and how ineffective it can be.”

Yee said she would seek to make more Senate debates and discussions open to the public.

Committee meetings aren’t open to the public, and their minutes often aren’t posted in a timely manner.

Acknowledging the work of the current and past senators-at-large, Yee praised the collaborative nature of campus politics and said she was looking to build off of their work and expand it further.

“I am primarily motivated by the ability to empower students and improve accessibility in the university experience and building [an] accountable community,” she said.

8 | candidate profiles | MARCH 1, 2021

ANISHA SANDHU

W

hile it’s her first year running for a position as a student senatorat-large, Anisha Sandhu is no stranger to the UBC Vancouver Senate.

Sandhu, a fourth-year food, nutrition and health major, currently represents the students of the faculty of land and food systems (LFS) as their student senator.

With a platform of transparency, clarity, equity and teamwork, Sandhu aims to use her experience to increase the level of transparency between students and the governing body.

She said when she started as the LFS student senator, the processes of the Senate were confusing to her. “[I want to bring] the clarity on how this governance operates … [in] a more simplified way for students to know how their voices can be heard at that level.”

One of her biggest goals if elected as a senator-atlarge would be to elevate this transparency to a greater scale, whether through social media or a new website.

Although she was unable to identify a specific initiative that the Senate is working on that she felt UBC students should know more about in her interview with The Ubyssey, in a follow-up email Sandhu highlighted the Senate’s recently approved recommendation to the Board of Governors that the university provide funding to hire at least 10 to 15 Black academics.

Given the current virtual environment, Sandhu said building chemistry with other student senators will be one of the biggest challenges in the upcoming year.

“There’s no doubt there’s some power dynamics within the Senate. I think we’ve seen that,” said Sandhu. She explained that finding a way to be on the same page as other student senators in the virtual world would be imperative for continuing to advocate for students and to “keep all senators honest.”

However, Sandhu holds that what sets her apart from other candidates is her willingness to support them in achieving their loftiest goals too.

“I am really excited and hope to stick around another year in the Senate because I do think my actions speak that I am there for students and I will do what I can for students,” she said.

MATHEW HO

F

ifth-year political science and master of management student Mathew Ho is vying for a seat on UBC’s Vancouver Senate with a platform of increasing hybrid and online learning opportunities, improving course outline transparency on the student service centre and reviewing experiential learning opportunities like co-op.

This is Ho’s second bid for Senate after a failed campaign in 2019. Having served in both the Arts Undergraduate Society and the AMS, Ho said this experience would prepare him for the Senate.

Ho said specifically that the issue of course outline transparency on the student service centre (SSC) set his platform apart from those of his competitors.

“The main thing about course outline transparency on SSC being an issue is when you look at different courses, there haven’t been a lot of guidelines on what information ought to be available for students on the SSC.” Another issue Ho said was unique to his platform was a proposed review of programs with affiliate universities, such as the Hong Kong University–Sauder dual degree program — which was approved last year amid concerns over student human rights, academic freedom and student costs.

With the pandemic, many universities have transitioned to hybrid or entirely online instruction. Ho said expanding hybrid and online learning could level out the playing field for students across socioeconomic backgrounds.

“I don’t think [online instruction] is just an accommodation for the times we’re in right now. In fact, I see the COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst for more hybrid learning and online learning change.”

Ho also wants to incentivize faculties to offer more experiential learning opportunities. However, he flagged experiential learning opportunities like co-op as needing review, saying some co-op programs have too few employers available to students.

Like other Senate candidates, Ho identified transparency and structural issues within the Senate as a point of improvement. He mentioned student senators having short terms compared to faculty Senate members and the unavailability of Senate meeting materials as issues.

“When I tried looking for agendas and minutes, the most recent documents are still from months ago,” Ho said.

On what motivated him to pursue a Senate seat, Ho said his experiences have shaped his perspective.

“I think it stems from the observations that I’ve made, experiences that I’ve had, and how I could use these to contribute towards change for the better — for everyone else.”

DAMIR KORNIIASHIK

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hird-year economics student Damir Korniiashik is running to be a student representative on UBC Vancouver’s Senate on a platform of boosting UBC’s academic standing and a wide array of student interests: tuition cuts, Indigenous inclusion and broad social goals.

His loftiest goal is for UBC to be the top university in Canada for the 2021/22 school year.

“It’s not just boost UBC to number one and then leave it. It’s to build something that will put UBC in number one place and have it stay there,” he said.

Asked about what he saw as the largest challenge for the Senate this year, he spoke about the impact of COVID-19.

He said most of the response so far has been “making sure that things don’t fall apart,” while he would look to plan for the upcoming year.

Korniiashik differentiated his platform from other candidates’, saying he has not been an AMS executive. He said his outsider position as an international student will allow him to bring unconventional perspectives.

“I have some other perspectives that they might not have — I’m going to be shaped based on the students’ opinions and their needs.”

But in debates, the candidate said a few times that he was unfamiliar with what the moderator was asking.

Korniiashik said he will bring his experiences in high school Model United Nations and the AMS eHub to the Senate.

Korniiashik highlighted UBC’s 2018 strategic plan as a policy he appreciated, mentioning that the plan had a lot of overlap with his goals as senator.

He drew attention to the environmental proposals in the strategic plan, but disliked what he said was the plan’s goals to “expand, strengthen and coordinate climate research at UBC.” He said that he would explore the commercialization of sustainable and environmental research for the university’s financial benefit.

However, strategy nine of the plan does state that “UBC will enhance existing pathways, including those that facilitate entrepreneurship and commercialization.”

Acknowledging his personal goals, Korniiashik said this position would benefit him in his pursuit of a career in politics. He was also motivated by his desire to see stronger representation for students in general, but more specifically, increased representation for the most underrepresented students.

“My biggest goal is to make sure that students feel that they actually had something to do with the changes happening on the university campus for academics.”

ANISHA SANDHU

MARCH 1, 2021 | candidate profiles | 9

JULIA BURNHAM

J

MATHEW HO

DAMIR KORNIIASHIK

ulia Burnham is running for a third term as one of UBC’s student senators-at-large. The master’s student hopes her experience in the Senate will make her an asset for the 2021/22 academic year.

This time around, she’s running on a platform of creating of a standing committee on academic diversity and inclusion, safely reopening campus and increasing Senate transparency.

“I am excited to continue serving students and to be using my skill sets to help students through quite a difficult year,” said Burnham.

Burnham chaired the Senate ad hoc committee on academic diversity and inclusion this year and wrote a report recommending a permanent committee be established. The report is currently under review and Burnham hopes to see it through before leaving office.

“I really need to get it to the finish line, because we’ve had a long history of these things losing momentum,” said Burnham. “I need to keep the pressure on.”

If re-elected, next year would be Burnham’s student government swan song. She is currently the eldest student senator-at-large in the Senate and is entering her final year in her grad program.

Two of her colleagues, Max Holmes and Chris Hakim, are not running for re-election, so there are guaranteed spots for new senators this year.

Burnham hopes that she can be a mentor to her less-experienced counterparts.

“I need to be mentoring the next generation of emerging student leaders,” she said. “To have the support of more experienced student leaders is so key to sustaining the incredible progress that student senators have had over the past few years in particular.”

Burnham has served on the AMS as VP academic and university affairs and has been involved with the Graduate Student Society.

However, some of Burnham’s goals for the next year will be difficult.

She considers her loftiest goal to be governance reform, particularly concerning Senate transparency and culture.

The slow speed of Senate affairs inhibits change and the one-year terms of student senators is short.

Combined with a culture for student senators that Burnham described as “devaluing,” student initiatives often fall by the wayside.

“It’s very reasonable in a governance body like the Senate to grow frustrated and tired,” she said.

“Somehow, I have not hit that wall yet.”

ESHANA BHANGU

JULIA BURNHAM

I

ncumbent Eshana Bhangu is running for a second term in the Senate on a platform of equity, accessibility and transparency.

The second-year arts student and co-chair of the Student Senate Caucus hopes to continue pushing for policies that help international students and minorities, for greater use of open educational resources and for better Senate transparency.

One of her priorities is to call for an equity audit of institutional racism at UBC. The audit is one of the student caucus’s recommendations from its goal-setting document, Senate 2023, which Bhangu helped author.

“I want to push for a review that would essentially look at all the policies that fall under the Senate with an equity and accessibility lens so that we can make more steps towards becoming an actively anti-racist institution,” she said.

Bhangu was the only newcomer elected as senator-at-large last year.

She previously ran on a platform that promised to help international students transition to the Canadian education system. The senator was unable to implement her policies with the move to online learning, but she’s proposing alternatives for next year.

One plan will look to build on the services already in place at UBC’s Centre for Writing and Scholarly Communication by training the program’s tutors to better support international students.

She also believes that any decision surrounding the return to in-person classes should be announced in a timely manner to help these students.

“When we’re going back in person, financial duress is something a lot of international students might fear if the university doesn’t communicate to them in time when you’re trying to make last-minute travel arrangements.”

On open education, Bhangu wants to reduce textbook costs and restrict the use of remote invigilation software like Proctorio, both of which she said have raised concerns over equity and accessibility.

To accommodate students who are immunocompromised or unable to return to campus, Bhangu proposed a hybrid model of in-person and online classes.

Senate transparency is another concern for Bhangu. Currently, only general Senate meetings are open to the public. If re-elected, she would push for committee meetings to be made public.

Bhangu also wants term limits for faculty senators.

“It’s really hard to get fresh perspectives … which also contributes to somewhat problematic of a culture at times where student leaders are facing an uphill battle whenever we try to advocate,” she said.

“If I’m not advocating for [students], then there’s no point in me being here.”

ESHANA BHANGU

10 | candidate profiles | MARCH 1, 2021

S E L I F O R P

f o s d CA r r o a n bo ver o g E T A D I D N

DANTE AGOSTI-MORO

GEORGIA YEE

DAMIR KORNIIASHIK

MAX HOLMES

design by Mahin-E-Alam

AREZOO ALEMZADEH MEHRIZI

MARCH 1, 2021 | candidate profiles | 11

Damir Korniiashik

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ewcomer to student politics Damir Korniiashik wants to bring his business know-how to UBC’s top governance body.

Korniiashik, a third-year political science major and economics minor, is running for student Board of Governors (BoG) representative. His platform is based on boosting UBC in Canadian university rankings, minimizing tuition increases and improving equity and inclusion measures.

Working in politics is one of Korniiashik’s personal goals.

“I love politics, [I have] since Grade 10. And I knew I would love to be a politician,” he said.

Korniiashik participated in Model United Nations in high school and he’s currently a marketing team lead for the AMS eHub. As an international student, he said he knows how tuition increases can hurt. That’s why he’s promising to do an international student cost study. He didn’t provide more details on this study during an interview.

There are only three student reps on the BoG, which means the student bloc isn’t likely enough to stop annual tuition increases on its own.

Korniiashik proposed that UBC explore alternative revenue streams by monetizing campus entrepreneurship clubs and improving UBCrun businesses.

“There are a number of incubators, accelerators and similar entrepreneurial organizations that help students reach their entrepreneurial goals,” he said. “So having those students and investing in them ... will allow them to operate their business or their venture from the university.”

However, Korniiashik couldn’t name something that he thought this year’s BoG student reps did well. When asked what they could have done better, he said they let campus businesses fall through the cracks during the pandemic.

BoG has no control over the nonUBC businesses on campus that Korniiashik was referring to.

He also couldn’t name what BoG committee he would most like to sit on.

In debates, the candidate mentioned on occasion that he was unfamiliar with the questions.

Korniiashik was unaware of the Climate Emergency Task Force report, which contains major recommendations that will shape UBC’s climate response going forward.

The recommendations came to BoG in February — the result of BoG action after UBC declared a climate emergency in December 2019.

“Environment and sustainability is one of the things that I also love, and I would love to combine that in my political career,” he said. “I’m reading several books. I’m involved in it. And I would love to see those recommendations.”

As UBC inches toward more in-person instruction for the fall, Korniiashik said he would advocate for more hybrid classes across faculties.

On his goal of catapulting UBC to the top spot in Canadian university rankings, he acknowledged that it would be his toughest goal because it requires addressing many factors beyond academics.

Running concurrently for the Senate, Korniiashik said he would only commit to one if elected to both, but didn’t mention which. In debate, he said he took this statement back.

Georgia Yee

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urrent AMS VP Academic Georgia Yee is leaving the student society in a bid for a seat on the UBC Board of Governors.

The fourth-year biology student’s platform centres equity across prongs of affordability, online learning, climate action and support for students writ large.

Yee broke into student government in spring 2020 after winning the special election for AMS VP academic. Before joining the AMS, she was president of the Place Vanier Residence Association.

Yee is taking an intersectional approach to the issues, with diversity underscoring many of her campaign promises.

“Our commitments to equity, diversity, inclusion should not be positioned against affordability,” she said. “It needs to be one of the key motivating factors for how we improve our approach to affordability at UBC.” But her platform this year is expansive, as it was in her campaign for the AMS, raising the question of whether she can tackle it all.

Yee said that she’d prioritize what matters most to students.

“Especially what students are facing right now, in the midst of the pandemic, in the midst of an affordability and mental health crisis as well — it’s definitely been an exercise in triaging all of these different actionables.”

This past year at the AMS, Yee led the society’s anti-Proctorio lobby and spoke out against gaps in student housing contracts.

However, her equity promises took a back seat. While Yee launched an anti-racism campaign, her plans for equity training for students haven’t come to AMS Council.

She also advocated for compassionate academic accommodations, but grading changes and deadline extensions were largely the work of the Senate, which Yee isn’t a part of.

To make university more affordable, Yee said she’d review a gamut of student costs, including tuition, textbooks, housing and ancillary fees if elected to the Board.

She supported the incumbent BoG student representatives’ demands for a student affordability plan and asked for a cohort-based tuition model in the AMS’s budget submission to UBC so students can better plan for their degree.

On the other hand, she criticized the reps for poor student communication, particularly around proposed tuition increases and UBC’s $230 athletics and recreation fee that students were forced to pay in the second term, despite many living far from campus rec facilities.

“A lot of the responses, they get lost in different Reddit threads,” she said. “And I think just having a onestop shop, for example of ‘These are common, frequently asked questions about the university,’ that it’s really important.”

When asked about the UBC Climate Emergency Task Force report that will guide the university’s future climate action, Yee supported the recommendation to create more chances for students to learn about the climate. Above all else, she said, UBC has to keep climate justice front of mind.

“It can no longer be just about the numbers of emissions reductions,” said Yee. “It needs to be about climate justice.”

Arezoo Alemzadeh Mehrizi

A

rezoo Alemzadeh Mehrizi is hoping to translate her experience advocating for students in the Graduate Student Society and Senate to the Board of Governors.

Mehrizi is running for one of two UBC Vancouver student seats on the Board of Governors (BoG) on a platform of graduate student support, professional development support and stopping tuition increases.

The fifth-year PhD candidate researching endometrial cancer was the VP students of the Graduate Student Society (GSS) from 2017 to 2018, where she said she was able to boost both participation in GSS events and revenue while spending less.

She’s also a graduate and postdoctoral studies student senator.

Mehrizi spoke at length about graduate student support. She said she’d advocate for a package to help students affected by COVID-19– related research curtailment, a package for child care and financial assistance for both graduate and undergraduate students.

She said she’d also push for more scholarships for international students.

“It’s very important that we recognize the international talents ... and it’s very important for Canada itself. It’s very important that we keep [international students] and we help them, because if we do, they’re going to give back to society,” said Mehrizi.

Specifically, Mehrizi said she’d fight for more scholarships for doctoral students, and would fight for a tuition waiver for PhD students in general. She wants to put money toward climate action and the Indigenous Strategic Plan as well.

On professional development, Mehrizi spoke of knowing many students who are graduating and not being able to find jobs. She said she’d push for more investment in co-op and Work Learn programs.

Reflecting on the work of current BoG student reps Jeanie Malone and Max Holmes, Mehrizi said the two have done a good job in pushing for graduate student support but could have done more to prevent tuition increases last year.

She said the university should rework its finances so it doesn’t have to rely on tuition increases for revenue. In debates, she often came back to this point when discussing tuition and enrolment.

She said what sets her apart from other candidates is her track record.

“I have a record of successful advocacy — not just advocacy, successful advocacy.”

She cited her work as vice-chair of the Senate Teaching and Learning committee as an example of her strong advocacy and personality as a student leader. The committee recently passed a motion to restrict the use of Proctorio and remote invigilation software, to be sent to the full Senate in March.

“We looked at all the [student] concerns [about Proctorio], we’ve come up with a solution and that motion has been passed,” she said.

“My leadership — that throughout the years has been helping me to successfully advocate and make things happen — is when the university gives you a lot of reasons your request cannot be done, you always come up with [a] solution.”

Dante Agosti-Moro

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ith two years of Senate experience under his belt, third-year commerce student Dante Agosti-Moro is gunning for a seat on the Board of Governors on a platform of affordability, climate action and anti-racism.

Agosti-Moro has sat on the UBC Vancouver Senate for the last two years as a commerce senator and he’s also running for one of five senator-at-large seats. He called running for Board the “next logical step” in his advocacy at the university.

“I would argue that there’s no other body at UBC whose decisions impact students more on a daily basis than the Board … and I think that’s really why the Board was where I wanted to take the next step,” he said.

He advocated for a “comprehensive affordability plan,” criticizing the financial burden that tuition increases have on students — like all the other candidates. He also stressed the need for more transparency of how faculties use money from the increases.

“The university must take steps to not only ensure that, number one, the increase is necessary, but number two, it is accompanied by methods to assist students who need help [financially].”

On climate action, Agosti-Moro said the university’s plan of full divestment by 2030 is too far in the future.

“This is an ethical issue. We are supporting companies who choose to make profit from a nonrenewable resource that is quite literally destroying our earth and we shouldn’t be a party to that,” he said, while acknowledging the financial complications of divestment.

Resourcing for the implementation of the Climate Emergency Task Force’s recommendations is also a priority for him, specifically the recommendations related to climate justice.

Agosti-Moro said he’ll push to fund the implementation of both the Inclusion Action Plan and the Indigenous Strategic Plan, both endorsed by the Board in the last year. He also advocated for the Board to set “tangible targets” for the number of BIPOC faculty the university is hiring, along with more awards for Black international students.

Agosti-Moro praised the current student Board representatives for their commitment to voicing student concerns in meetings even if it means challenging administrators, but had concerns that the representatives weren’t as accessible to students as he thinks they should be.

He said that he believes his platform points are all very achievable, but recognized the money troubles ahead due to the university’s deficit and due to the virtual meetings for the foreseeable future — preventing in-person advocacy and conversation.

“I think for the Board in general, with the COVID-19 pandemic and the financial impacts of that on the university, the allocation of funding is going to become even more challenging than it already was and many of my platform points … are funding based,” he said. “[But] by having a cohesive student voice … you’re able to show that these are the priorities that students need now, in this year, in this time of hardship, and this is how we would like to get it done.”

Max Holmes

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ax Holmes is running for a third term on the Board of Governors on a platform of affordability, improved campus infrastructure and anti-racism initiatives.

“There’s a lot of unfinished work,” the fifth-year arts student said.

Holmes said he’ll continue to push for a student affordability plan, as he has in the past. He defined a student affordability plan as one that looks beyond financial aid and explores affordability in student housing, employment programs and more.

“The thing that I’ve made clear going into this April [Board] cycle, if I’m re-elected, [is] if there isn’t a commitment to the student affordability plan, [I’m] not just going to be voting against unjustified tuition increases — I’m not prepared to vote for the UBC budget,” he said.

Holmes said if re-elected he would put his name forward to be chair of the Property Committee, where he currently serves as vicechair.

He plans to push for an increase to the Housing Action Plan target of rental housing on campus to 40 per cent, an expansion of childcare facilities and community amenities along with continued advocacy for SkyTrain to UBC. Holmes also highlighted his commitment to anti-racism and the need for a “justice-focused university.”

In mid-2020. former Board chair Michael Korenberg resigned after community backlash to his Twitter activity — he had liked tweets criticizing Black Lives Matter protests happening in June.

Holmes recognized that in his time as a student leader, he could have done more to advocate for anti-racism initiatives on campus.

“Before these incidents, I was a proponent of the Inclusion Action Plan and other things. But I think it is important to recognize that a lot of those didn’t go far enough,” he said.

“What we’ve seen from the Black Lives Matter movement over the summer is that there were a lot of people in leadership positions that weren’t doing enough. And I recognize [that] over my time that I’ve been in student leadership, there is more that I could have done.”

He said this is why his platform this year is centred around social justice and anti-racism. He committed to advocating for the implementation and funding of recommendations that come out of the soon-to-be-finalized antiracism task force, as well as funding further anti-racism initiatives.

In the first debate, audience members and candidates challenged Holmes on running again, saying he might be taking up space in student governance.

In an interview, Holmes said he’s running for reelection in part for continuity reasons — current UBC Vancouver student representative Jeanie Malone and UBC Okanagan student representative Jassim Naqvi are not running again this year.

“For everything that The Ubyssey and the community gets to see about the issues at the Board, there are just as many difficult conversations that happened in closed,” he said.

“I have that continuity to know what those conversations are, to continue pushing on those issues.”

12 | analysis | MARCH 1, 2021

ir e h t d e r ve We co t we a h w ’s e r He . s n g i a p m a es. c t a d i d n a c the t u o b a k n i th We’ve been reporting on the candidates for weeks — interviewing, fact-checking and analyzing their debate performances. After putting in the work to get to know them and what they’re promising to do for you, we’re here to give our endorsements.

These aren’t your typical endorsements though. We know that you’re smart enough to make decisions for yourself — we’re all university students, after all. That’s why instead of endorsing any candidates outright, we’ve laid out their strengths and weaknesses and the issues they care about most.

VP Admin President COLE EVANS Cole Evans is running uncontested for re-election after a term that saw its fair share of controversy, from the AMS Events scandal to CampusBase privacy breaches. But after dodging his shortcomings throughout the year, he’s taken a conciliatory approach this campaign period. Still, his platform is far from innovative. Evans leads a pack of four uncontested candidates this year — all currently employed by the AMS — raising concerns that his leadership has failed to engage students enough to participate. His platform focuses on continuing work on some old goals after a year of COVID-19, perhaps revealing a complacency that comes with having no competition.

LAUREN BENSON Communication is Lauren Benson’s forte as the first ever digital media coordinator for the AMS. She acknowledged several problems with AMS operations, indicating a self-awareness that would be critical to resolving student dissatisfaction with the AMS. Benson also demonstrated strong institutional knowledge and confidence during the debates, signifying that she would be a savvy and competent VP admin. However, her platform didn’t propose any drastic reforms regarding the issues she cited, such as lack of Indigenous coordination in sustainability. Like Joe Biden, she promises to be progressive but will likely maintain the status quo.

VP External VP Academic ESHANA BHANGU Eshana Bhangu, current student senator-at-large, is passionate when it comes to advocating for students. As the only candidate without prior AMS experience in the VPAUA race, Bhangu has a good track record with her work in the Student Senate Caucus. Her platform, ranging from affordability to a safe return to campus, shows her passion as well as ambition.

Her platform is specific and action oriented but a fact check showed she got some numbers wrong. Additionally, given the extensive VPAUA portfolio, her campaign promises might be hard to deliver on in just a year.

SHIVANI MEHTA Shivani Mehta, the current AMS associate VP academic affairs, already has quite a lot of experience with the VPAUA portfolio.

Mehta wants to keep student well-being at the centre of every conversation and build on her work from this past year. Her platform focuses on a wide range of goals, from open educational resources and Work Learn opportunities to a safe return to campus. While Mehta’s debate performances and interview showed she understands the challenges awaiting the VPAUA in the upcoming year and the limitations of competing priorities, her goals might be too ambitious to complete in one year.

SAAD SHOAIB As the current associate VP external, Saad Shoaib brings a wealth of experience to the position. His commitment to expanding the AMS’s relationship with lobbying group Undergraduates of Canadian Research-Intensive Universities shows an understanding of the reality of lobbying for students at the federal level. His commitments to transparency and engagement were welcome, but nothing candidates haven’t promised before. His current position as an AMS insider raises concern over how meaningfully he could change the society. His lone candidacy also brings into question how effectively the VP external office encouraged others to run. Shoaib is the candidate for voters who want an establishment candidate that will be effective, but not groundbreaking.

VP Finance MARY GAN Mary Gan has a valuable understanding of AMS finances as the current associate VP finance. By planning to grant the popular wish for a mental health subsidy, Gan shows promise that she’ll listen to student opinion. While her goals to make a Canvas learning hub for treasurers and increase knowledge of AMS funds show an awareness of how indigestible AMS finances may be for students, her communication ideas are run of the mill and things candidates have promised in the past.

Regardless, with her experience, Gan is likely one of the few individuals who can assume the position in such financially uncertain times.

MARCH 1, 2021 | analysis | 13

senate

GEORGIA YEE

DANTE AGOSTI-MORO Dante Agosti-Moro clearly has the knowledge, experience and fiery passion to be an effective student advocate. He’s eager to loudly voice his opinions on Senate issues, such as setting term limits for students and faculty to let in fresh perspectives and reforming appeals committees. This passion, however, came across with his relentless pursuit of other candidates when they stumbled during debates.

While this raises the question of whether he’ll burn bridges, he knows his stuff and can work toward his goals through efficient communication and dedication, making Agosti-Moro a promising candidate.

EMMANUEL CANTILLER Emmanuel Cantiller has demonstrated that, while passionate about helping students, he may be in over his head in a heated Senate race. His platform centres academic accessibility policies such as making exam hardship rules more lenient and offering “universal online office hours” following the pandemic.

However, his ideas sometimes lack substance and he had trouble responding to challenges to his platform during the debates. He seems to genuinely care about helping students, but may be hard-pressed navigating the inner politics of the Senate if elected.

MATHEW HO Mathew Ho is marking his second run for a Senate seat after a failed bid two years ago.

With experience working on AMS Council, his debate performance has significantly improved. Ho often shaped the course of conversation in debate. He didn’t wade into the fray, but it was clear he’d done his research.

His platform mentions transparency, and his goals of making course outlines available on the SSC and expanding co-op are feasible — but his expansion of online learning might speak to priorities that aren’t at the front of students’ minds.

ESHANA BHANGU Incumbent Eshana Bhangu has the passion for student advocacy and the experience necessary for a student senator-at-large. As one of the co-authors of the Student Senate Caucus’s triennium goal-setting document — Senate 2023 — she’s demonstrated her dedication to the governing body. Her platform is extensive, including limiting the use of remote invigilation software, calling for an equity audit of the Senate and requiring climate justice to be included in all new curriculum proposals. It may not be feasible to accomplish all these goals within her year-long term, but Bhangu, also running for VPAUA, will certainly work hard to if reelected.

DAMIR KORNIIASHIK As a newcomer to student politics, Damir Korniiashik has differentiated himself as an outsider that would bring in unconventional perspectives. However, his outsider status showed in his lack of specificity in the debates.

Notably, many of the odd claims he made raised concern about how much research he had done on the Senate. His main platform point was making UBC the number-one ranked university in Canada, but Korniiashik remained fuzzy on the details on how this would happen. His motivations for running may be more career based. If elected, it’s unclear if Korniiashik would enact much change.

SHIVANI MEHTA Shivani Mehta may be a first-time candidate, but she has experience in student government that could easily carry over to the Senate. In a crowded field, she set herself apart with her debate performance and unique interest in expanding exam accommodations to students in different time zones. As associate VP academic affairs, Mehta has worked alongside faculty members, which could be an asset on the faculty-heavy Senate. She performed well in the debates compared to other newcomer candidates, and acknowledged her knowledge gaps from not being on the body. Mehta’s passion would serve her well in the Senate.

Georgia Yee currently serves as the AMS VPAUA, experience that should allow her to transition smoothly to Senate. Her platform places a big focus on equity, diversity and inclusion, which seems to come from a place of genuine passion. Yee was not the most dynamic candidate in debates, but her ideas on equity shone through. Goals of Indigenizing and decolonizing the curriculum and increasing climate literacy opportunities were also on her agenda. However, Yee acknowledged the reality of COVID-19 as an impediment to her ambitious platform. If elected, she would likely succeed in strongly advocating for equity.

JULIA BURNHAM Julia Burnham is the definition of an establishment candidate — and that may be her greatest strength. Thanks to her years of experience, she understands the issues and bureaucracy of Senate well and is a qualified candidate to bridge the divide between faculty and student senators. Her knowledge came through in debates. All of her answers had substance, unlike some of her competitors.

She has a proven track record with success on equity issues and will advocate for a standing committee on academic inclusion and diversity. She’s also committed to mentorship of newer senators, something that could be valuable in a year with many open spots for new voices.

COLE EVANS Cole Evans is an incumbent who knows what he wants. He’s running for both the Senate and AMS president for a second year in a row.

As a chair of a committee — one of only three students with that role — it isn’t clear what he accomplished in Senate this past year as much of it happened behind closed doors. From platform points to debates, his vagueness is difficult to oppose, and so far his student advocacy lacks the substance needed to reveal effectiveness. However, with a year of Senate knowledge under his belt, Evans would hit the ground running and be a practical choice.

ANISHA SANDHU While almost every candidate under the sun runs with a pillar of transparency in their platform, Anisha Sandhu is one of the few who has already taken steps to achieve this during her year as the land and food systems student senator. During the debate she raised some engaging ideas on academic concessions and equity, but lagged in setting herself apart from other candidates. Even so, Sandhu might be the candidate that strikes the balance between a fresh perspective on Senate culture and prior experience in student politics. Overall, she seems to have her finger on the pulse of the student body.

14 | analysis | MARCH 1, 2021

Board of Governors DANTE AGOSTI-MORO Dante Agosti-Moro is hoping to make the leap from Senate to BoG, and he’s done his homework. A two-term commerce senator, Agosti-Moro kept pace with candidates in debates that have had more high-stakes roles in university governance. He has financial know-how and seems to understand the balance between UBC’s financial interests and what students want. In debates, he seemed less passionate about BoG than he was about Senate — but that may be due to his being a newcomer to BoG. He would likely succeed if elected.

DAMIR KORNIIASHIK Damir Korniiashik stands out from the crowd, but not for his political savvy. As a newcomer to student politics, Korniiashik struggled to show how he would represent student interests on BoG. In debates, he fell back on his platform points of catapulting UBC to the top spot in university rankings and expanding UBC’s business operations, potentially to mask a policy knowledge gap. He was energetic about those points, however, showing a focused passion for a few topics. While he proposed increasing Indigenous enrolment, his numbers approach shed little light on how he would meaningfully consult Indigenous students. Korniiashik, if elected, could struggle to be the representative students need.

AREZOO ALEMZADEH MEHRIZI Arezoo Alemzadeh Mehrizi may be the replacement Jeanie Malone some students are looking for. Malone, a multiyear student rep on BoG, focused much of her advocacy on graduate student support. Mehrizi, hailing from the GSS, promises to do just that. She’s a bit of an unfamiliar face to undergraduates, but wants to fight fiercely against tuition increases and for climate action. While she might be a bit naive on the finances of the university — like many BoG candidates — Mehrizi is a great candidate for anyone wanting the Board to do more for graduate and international students.

GEORGIA YEE Georgia Yee has become an unexpected champion for students after breaking into the AMS in a special election victory last year. Her passion for equity and transparency with students as evidenced by her online presence show that she’s genuine in her bid to represent students at the Board of Governors — she’s a true loudspeaker for students.

As with last year though, her platform is broad enough to raise questions of how she’d get things done, and we aren’t sure how her student focus would fit in with the corporate quagmire that is BoG. Her ideas are there, but whether she’d effect change is another question.

MAX HOLMES The only incumbent in the race, Max Holmes is the most knowledgeable candidate running for BoG. He’s vying for a third term on the Board, centring affordability and equity in his platform. In debates, candidates called him out for running for a third year while he preached equity and diversity in student government. He maintains that students would benefit from continuity, as four-year student representative on Board Jeanie Malone is leaving. He’s likely right that his institutional knowledge would be a benefit to student advocacy on BoG. He’ll be effective, but he likely won’t change the status quo.

MARCH 1, 2021 | news + op-ed | 15

IT’S A NO-REFERENDUM AMS GENERAL ELECTION FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A DECADE

by Isabella Falsetti

F

or the first time since 2009, neither the student body nor AMS Council has submitted any referenda to appear on the AMS general election ballot.

The deadline for students to submit referenda to the VP academic and university affairs (VPAUA) passed on February 19, though there was some initial confusion about the date.

During the Council meeting on February 11, a question arose asking why the referendum deadline was February 22, the original deadline set by the VPAUA office. VPAUA Georgia Yee stated this was the same date as last year, but AMS President Cole Evans said this would be too late.

AMS Archivist Sheldon Goldfarb specified that according to AMS code, the deadline must be ten days before voting opens on March 1 — which would be February 19.

“The referendum process is very strange,” Chief Electoral Officer Isabelle Ava-Pointon said. Under AMS bylaws and code, referendum petitions must be submitted to the VPAUA. Once approved, referenda go to the Elections Committee.

While the VPAUA is responsible for collecting petitions, they are not responsible for advertising referenda.

“I think we need to clarify where that responsibility

lies a bit more ... to make sure that moving forward, we don’t run into any more mix-ups,” said Evans. He said he didn’t believe the date change had a significant impact on the lack of referenda.

“From what we had been hearing, there were no groups that were exceptionally close to nearing the 1,000-signature threshold,” he wrote in a follow-up email.

Ava-Pointon said that going forward the Elections Committee is working to undertake the role of advertising instead. “It makes more sense for us to run it from start to finish,” she said.

So, why are there no referenda on this year’s ballot?

For one, the U-Pass is often used as a barometer for the submission of other referenda. After the first U-Pass referendum in 2003, Goldfarb said the AMS learned that students would turn out to vote for discounted transit.

“If we’re looking for turnout for other referendums, maybe we should schedule them at the same time as a U-Pass referendum, because the U-Pass can get 20,000 students voting.”

This reasoning was used in 2009, the last general election with neither AMS nor student referenda. The VP finance at the time wanted to wait to hold a fee referendum until the next U-Pass referendum in 2011.

However, the fee referendum was eventually held in

2010 during the next general election.

In normal years, the U-Pass and general election season are key determinants in holding referenda.

However, this past year has been anything but normal due to the pandemic.

“A lot of folks are just completely burnt out and are just trying to make it through the year so student government isn’t at the top of everyone’s mind,” AvaPointon said.

Evans also cited uncertainty about voter turnout in this year’s online election as a reason for no AMSinitiated referenda. If voter turnout is the same or less than last year’s in-person election, it would be difficult for a referendum to meet quorum. “[Referenda] usually have a substantial impact on students, especially if they’re fee related, so we put a lot of thought into whether we want to run referenda or not,” Evans said. “Even though referenda aren’t being run this year, it's not necessarily a bad thing.”

Referenda aside, Ava-Pointon encouraged students to vote in the election this month and let their voices be heard.

“It’s a weird year, but this is one small thing we have control over in a wild situation where we don’t have control over a lot of things.”

OP-ED: WE GIVE A DAMN ABOUT AMS ELECTIONS, AND YOU SHOULD TOO.

by Charlotte Alden and Andrew Ha

W

e know you don’t like the AMS. In fact, in the AMS’s own 2020 Academic Experience Survey, only half of students rated the AMS as “good” or “excellent.”

This year, we can imagine how students might care even less. If you’re not living on campus, in Vancouver or even in Canada, if your mind is occupied with the burdens of the last year, the AMS might not even cross your mind.

But this year, more than most, you should give a damn.

Students have dealt with innumerable losses this year — our jobs, our campus experiences, our mental health. The UBC community will need to build back on a scale like never before.

We’ll all be figuring out how to go back to school safely, how to cope with the financial losses from the last year and how to reorient our mindset to a world without a pandemic.

This year, you’re voting for UBC’s path out of this mess.

The AMS — while it might not seem like it — plays a big role in that transition. The executives of the student society have direct contact with the big decision makers that will affect you, from university admin up to lawmakers on Parliament Hill.

Student politicians hold sway over some of the hot button topics students face. Not to mention, you fork over hundreds of dollars to them in fees annually.

This year, AMS execs will deal with issues many students care about. They’ll see discussions over the future of remote invigilation privacy until the UBC– Proctorio contract’s likely end. The AMS and the federal student lobby could make sure that undergrads aren’t left out of future recovery benefits. The Board of Governors representatives will get a seat at the table to set UBC’s budget as tuition fees climb ever higher.

All of these positions are important. Trust us, we’ve covered every single one of their meetings.

Read our coverage. Get informed. If there’s one thing we think we can do, it’s AMS elections cover-

age. We’re shaping up and have covered each candidate thoroughly, whether incumbent or newcomer, strengths and flaws alike.

It’s our full-time job to inform you, but it’s up to you to care.

Despite the challenges of life online, it’s made it easier to stay engaged in the election. It only takes a few moments from your day to vote.

We’ve been doing our best to hold the AMS accountable, from the VP external’s conflict of interest investigation to privacy issues with CampusBase to the lack of COVID-19 protocols at AMS events, but The Ubyssey can only do so much.

That’s why you need to vote — to tell your student government that yes, you’re watching.

Charlotte Alden and Andrew Ha are The Ubyssey’s news editors. ­­Voting for AMS elections opens on March 1 and runs until March 5.

16 | games | MARCH 1, 2021

elections Bingo You get a friend request from a candidate

Candidate answers a Candidate doesn’t “Transparency” understand the different question than they were portfolio asked

You don’t know who to vote for despite most races being uncontested

Candidate is You have to look displaying UBC paraphernalia up what AMS through a strategic stands for angle in their room

Candidate says their previous club exec experience makes them good at the job

Candidate obviously reads their answer off their screen

U

Candidate gives vague response to a deeply specific question You forget to vote after being peer pressured by your friend

Candidate drops out last minute

Candidate speaks for 30 seconds with their mic off

Vote!

Someone says “holistic approach”

Moderator repeats himself three times

Candidate assumes they will be elected by default

Candidate asks moderator to repeat the question

You are Candidate or reminded of the their friends slide current time of into your DMs to the year by your entice you to vote Facebook timeline

Platform website never goes up

Candidate throws last year under the bus

You wish there was a joke candidate

Candidate mentions a possible conflict of interest

“Mmm that’s a great question”