March 4, 2024 — AMS Elections 2024

ELECTIONS 2024

THE UBYSSEY AMS ELECTIONS ISSUE 2024 A February 27 story, in The Ubyssey’s magazine, about SEI surveys misidentified the 2022 Employment Equity Interim Report as the 2022 Employment Equity Report. The Ubyssey regrets this error. CORRECTION

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LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We wish to acknowledge that we work, learn and operate the paper upon the occupied, traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the xʷməθkʷəy əm (Musqueam), Sḵwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and səli lwətaɁɬ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh).

LEGAL

ANYA A AMEEN, ISABELLA FALSETTI & ISA S. YOU

Editors’ Note

We know that voting can feel tedious and pointless. But, regardless of whatever feelings you may hold towards the AMS or UBC as a whole, the students you elect to fill these roles do a lot of important work — advocating for more funding for food security, ensuring you have access to health and dental insurance, working to stop tuition increases and deciding on academic misconduct policy — to name a few.

That’s all to say, the AMS, Senate and Board of Governors do have a tangible influence on our daily lives as students.

As we worked on The Ubyssey’s elections coverage, we had one thing in mind: ensuring each voter can make clear and informed decisions.

The team has written 29 profiles, live tweeted 16 hours of candidate debates and spent countless more hours behind the scenes to make this issue possible. We’ve broken down each position, each candidate and shared our own opinions.

Everyone has a vote, so make sure to use yours this year.

— Aisha Chaudhry & Renée Rochefort News Editors

Contributors

Anya A Ameen, Jocelyn Baker, Nathan Bawaan, Corwin Davidson, Tova Gaster, Stella Griffin, Iman Janmohamed, Lauren Kasowski, Isabella Ma, Elena Massing, Elita Menezes, Anabella McElroy, Christina Park, Harry Sadleir, Ishaan Sahai, Trinity Sala, Sidney Shaw, Fiona Sjaus, Jaromir Sulja, Emilija Vītols Harrison, Zoe Wagner, Bernice Wong, Jason Wong, Jerry Wong, Isa S. You, Micah Sébastien Zhang

Candidates

for

the Ubyssey Publications Society Board of Directors

Mokham Malik

I am running for the board because I am a firm believer in student news. I hope to bring a fresh perspective and commitment to student voices to the board, having worked at all levels of government fighting for youth. Learn more about me on Instagram @Mohkam_Malik

Ferdinand Rother

I’m running to ensure The Ubyssey’s financial health and advocate for fiscal responsibility. My aim is to foster a stronger community through partnerships, career panels and journalism workshops, while championing investigative journalism and navigating the challenges of Bill C-18 and social media engagement.

Ethan Lui

I’m running for this position because I want to support The Ubyssey’s valued position in our community. As the speaker of council for the AUS, a student researcher and a member of advisory groups on campus, I’m confident that my experience working with students and policy will lead to my success.

Ian Caguiat

Being an AMS executive this year has shown me the important contribution of The Ubyssey to students, and I hope to be a part of it next year by being on the Board! I’ve always been passionate about journalism and communications, and I have valuable experience in strategic planning, governance and student engagement to contribute.

Emma Martin-Rousselle

I’m running because I care about student journalism! I understand the key role of The Ubyssey in keeping UBC informed, and want to support this on the BOD. With my leadership experience as AUS President, plus as a former Ubyssey contributor, I feel well-prepared to take this position on.

Julia Do

I’m Julia (she/her), and I’m running to become your Ubyssey Board of Directors to represent diverse student voices. I resonate with and will uphold the paper’s values of journalistic ethics and reporting integrity. My platform, vision and prior experiences will help amplify student voices and push for greater transparency at UBC.

Some blurbs have been condensed for clarity. Find full versions on ubyssey.ca

AMS Elections 2024 What are you voting for? President

How to find our take

The AMS president is the face of the organization. This means they often meet with the AMS’s constituencies (think the AUS and SUS), UBC administrators, resource groups and other stakeholders in AMS policy-making. They are also responsible for strategic direction, which means they have some choice in which AMS VPs they collaborate with the most. That might mean a focus on advocacy, finances or student experience. They need to hold their own against UBC as well as student critics, and while they might not have direct control over everything, what happens in the AMS is under their watch. Ben Du has been interim AMS president since Esmé Decker/Remy the Rat took a leave of absence in November, 2023. All AMS executives are paid around $43,000/year with $6,800 in benefits.

VP external VP finance

The VP external is the AMS’s advocate at all levels of government, often alongside representatives from other student unions and federations. Government works at a slower pace than student politics, so it can be hard to measure a single VP external’s progress. Achievements over the years have included the U-Pass, progress on the Skytrain to UBC and increased BC student aid. Joshua Kim has been this year’s interim VP external since September, 2023 after Tina Tong took a leave of absence.

The VP finance is the AMS’s treasurer, working on its annual budget and quarterly financial reports. A major project in the VP finance office over the past two years has been improving the slow pace of reimbursement for clubs spending. This year’s VP Finance Abhi Mishra also ran financial literacy events. The VP finance works closely with the AMS’s managing director, a full-time, permanent staff member who’s an adult-adult and responsible for the AMS businesses.

VP academic and university affairs

The VP academic and university affairs (VP AUA) lobbies UBC for student priorities. They have more access than any student, besides the AMS president, to UBC administrators, with a focus on improving student experience and affordability. This year, VP AUA Kamil Kanji successfully lobbied for more funding from UBC for the AMS Food Bank and mental health benefits. The VP AUA often also runs for Senate to have a direct vote on academic policies.

VP

administration

The VP admin is responsible for AMS clubs and the facilities in the Nest. This means they have a big team of student staff managing everything from sustainability events to club room bookings. The VP admin runs the annual Clubs Fair, so you have them to thank for the swarm of students on Main Mall during the first week of the year. In the Nest, the VP admin might be deciding where to put new microwaves or whether to buy a new electric piano. This year’s VP admin is Ian Caguiat.

Board of Governors

The Board of Governors (BoG) is UBC’s highest governing body. It’s responsible for major financial decisions, like allocating money for new buildings or approving tuition increases. The Board approved three big land development plans this year, which student politicians have criticized for a lack of student housing. There are 3 students on the board — 2 from UBC Vancouver and one from UBC Okanagan — alongside 18 other governors who are a mix of faculty, staff and provincial government appointees. This year’s UBCV student governors are Eshana Bhangu and Kareem Hassib. Board members are unpaid.

Senate

The Senate is UBC’s academic governing body. It establishes new programs, picks the dates on the academic calendar and establishes policies like punishment for academic misconduct. There are 18 student senators — 5 elected by the entire student body and 13 elected by students from each individual faculty. They make up an informal voting bloc called the Student Senate Caucus, which was led this year by Kamil Kanji and Kareem Hassib. Student senators are unpaid.

We’ve spoken to all the candidates, attended all 16 debates and broken down the referendum question. In this issue, we’ve included The Ubyssey’s election team’s take on each candidate to help you understand their strengths and weaknesses. Our takes can be found in the dark blue circle. Our analyses won’t tell you who to vote for, but are a tool to help you make informed decisions that align with what you want for your student representatives and student union.

CANDIDATE PROFILES

Alexandra Smith is running to be president on a platform of transparency and bettering the student experience.

When asked about her top three priorities, the third-year interdisciplinary studies student gave two — increase community engagement and reduce student hardship — as she feels “it’s easier to have a shorter message that’s deliverable to students.”

Smith is running as an outsider to student politics, but said that she does not consider her position “something that’s detrimental,” noting her experience working with students the past two years through her job as a resident advisor, which she said gives her a “unique perspective.”

Smith highlighted her experience as a resident advisor and teaching governance procedure throughout her campaign. She wants to bring more transparency to the AMS and seems intent on improving the tenor of discussions between the AMS and students-at-large. While her platform has some interesting initiatives like pushing for more needs-based student aid, there may be an oversized focus on residents and some goals outside the president’s role.

She also said she believes her predecessors made large promises without “considering the baby steps to get them there.”

In comparison, Smith said her campaign will be focused on “on narrowing the scope to the student body” and alleviat-

ing issues within her range by connecting students to pre-existing services and resources.

Smith said she was “unaware of a lot of the conflicts that have occurred between the AMS and its resource groups.”

But she believes this “blank slate is helpful, because I’m going to be ap proaching people with an open mind and asking them, ‘how is it that I can help you help yourself?’”

She also spoke about creating a more needs-based system for stu dents who need financial support — however, Smith did not specify how she’d work on creating such a system.

Smith said that after speaking with previous executives, she thinks a large issue is a lack of communication between the AMS and students — believ ing that often the intent of the executives is in line with what students want.

“I’m just aiming for a pragmatic approach.”

Alexandra SMITH

PRESIDENT

Shaun “The Bulldozer” You is a third-year political science student running for president on a platform focused on bulldozing a path to make “an AMS for the people” by prioritizing student engagement and transparency.

Despite not having experience in the AMS, the Bulldozer believes he can bring in a new perspective.

“I can be that fresh perspective to help push for these agendas that will actually help the broader student electorate.”

One of the main ways he plans to do this is by “advocating for a better consultation infrastructure.” He said this included a minimum of three to four days of consultation time for policy decisions with the relevant groups on campus.

“If we can get people to not only have this understanding of how the AMS works, but also working to make it better. I actually do think that we can make UBC a lot better,” he said.

The Bulldozer supports student groups who have been advocating to have UBC staff regain access to the AMS Food Bank. The AMS removed staff access to the Food Bank in May 2023 due to high amounts of usage which created financial strain for the AMS.

The Bulldozer also said he wanted to “push” for anti-racism and work with clubs to organize different cultural events — citing the Lunar New Year celebrations which took place in the Nest in February as a model to work off.

In debates, The Bulldozer supported calls to divest from companies complicit in Palestinian human right violations, calling it “vital” for the future of UBC.

Shaun “The Bulldozer” You

THE BULLDOZER

The Bulldozer brings an outside perspective to the race. He is enthusiastic about wanting to rebuild relationships with students who have previously felt dismissed by the AMS by adding minimum consultation time for large policy changes, but his unspecific platform shows a lack of experience. While he genuinely wants to bring change for students, it seems he needs to concretize his goals first. The Bulldozer’s joke candidacy is also not a particularly silly one — it’s unclear what the bit added.

PRESIDENT

Christian ‘CK’ Kyle is running to be president on a platform centred around bettering academic support, the student experience, affordability

CK previously served as the EUS president during the 2022/23 academic year and is currently also the strategy and governance lead and the constituency relations and special project lead in the AMS president’s office.

CK said he wants to create an exam database, similar to ones that currently exist at SFU, UofT and McGill by working to put together practice exams.

CK also hopes to work alongside AMS tutoring to learn what classes have the highest demand.

CK wants to work with the Centre of Accessibility to create a standardized system of notifying students and professors and ensure they clearly “understand what the terms are” to receive accommo -

He said UBC lacks school spirit — pointing to the 2023 Academic Experience Survey, which reported 57 per cent of students feel no sense of belonging on campus.

CK said the AMS cannot build a 60,000-member community in a year, but it “can build the foundations for it.”

He wants to prioritize supporting the Indigenous constituency, which was created last year but did not have any substantial initiatives this year, and aid food security groups on campus by offering them the opportunity to order food at discounted prices when the AMS places large orders for the AMS Food Bank.

On restoring the AMS’s relationship with its resource groups, CK said the issue came down to the “AMS president [making] unrealistic promises about things.”

He said he would only “stand to do things I know I can do” and during debate, highlighted he was “the only one on stage with experience actually mending broken relationships.”

Christian ‘CK’ Kyle CK

CK has the most experience in student government among all candidates and has worked in the President’s Office this year — he’s your capable, status-quo candidate. He created a strong student community as EUS president in 2022/23. He’d like to create an exam database and increase student community on campus, and while these goals are not particularly new, they’re detailed and in line with what students want. However, his dismissal of other candidates’ qualifications during debates brings into question his ability to work with people of varying perspectives.

Brandyn Marx is running for president out of concern about the organization’s lack of equity for AMS students and staff.

“I previously would never have pictured myself as an AMS executive,” said Marx. “But the way that things have been going … it is not fair.”

Their platform prioritizes accountability, creating autonomy for the Sexual Assault Support Centre (SASC) and the Bike Kitchen and restoring UBC staff access to the AMS Food Bank.

Marx said their strength as a candidate lies in having years of experience as an AMS employee and an active AMS constituent since they started at UBC. They currently work as the AMS liquor purchaser and have previously been in supervisor roles in the purchasing department and food and beverage departments. Marx also has experience within Council — they sat on the Finance Committee in 2019 and are now on the working group reviewing the AMS’s

Marx could bring a unique perspective as president with their years of work in AMS services. Marx has also been part of resource groups and has built connections with students who have previously felt ignored by the AMS, especially as part of the PC1/2 working group. As seen in debates, Marx is passionate about fighting for the voices of marginalized students but some of their platform points lacked specificity and they could struggle with the institutional limits of the role.

respectful workplace (PC1) and sexualized violence (PC2) policies.

Marx said they would make sure that resource groups have adequate support and noted they “already have the trust of a lot of people and the resource groups.”

They also said they would want to work with constituencies, clubs and resource groups and “proactively reach out for opinions rather than just waiting for something to go wrong and then having to react.”

Marx said they would have full days of office hours on weekends for students who are unable to come during the week and also have virtu al options to accommodate students living off-campus.

In debate, they proposed an anony mous feedback channel for students and staff to submit criticism without the fear of repercussions.

Brandyn MARX

P RESIDENT

P EXTERNA L

Ayesha Irfan is running for VP external on a platform centred around advocating for international students, housing and transit.

The second-year political science student has served two years on AMS Council as an arts councilor, and has recent experience at all levels of government.

Irfan worked as a constituency assistant for the MP Edmonton Centre, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance and would bring this experience to external, if elected.

On housing, Irfan wants to focus on advocating for more investments into the BC Student Housing Loan Program.

Irfan also hopes to advocate for student tenancy rights, as the Residential Tenancy Act does not currently include student housing.

When it comes to transit, Irfan said she would continue to advocate for the SkyTrain expansion to campus. Irfan also believes “the SkyTrain business

Ayesha IRFAN

Jake Sawatzky is in his final year of behavioral neuroscience and is running to be the next VP external on a platform centred around student wellness and safety, as well as affordability.

Sawatzky comes from a background of mental health advocacy, and is currently the co-president of Drop the Puck for Mental Health.

Sawatzky wants to raise awareness for mental health resources like Here2Talk and the UBC Counselling Centre.

Sawatzky brought up the idea of a bursary program so students could afford counsellors outside of the UBC’s free counselling services.

Sawatzky’s platform covers areas of student interest and concern, but lacks depth on actionable goals. It is unclear what he specifically wants to accomplish in office or how he would do so. Sawatzky does seem like a people-person, despite being reserved in the first debate, and shows genuine interest in wanting to engage and build relationships with students and the community. While Sawatzky has some knowledge gaps, it could be possible for him to learn and grow in the position.

Sawatzky also wants to advocate for sexual violence protection and prevention like making the Students for Consent Culture’s 11 minimum standards “concretized” into the AMS’s policy.

On transit, Sawatzky said he would continue to advo -

proposal could have been wrapped up sooner.”

Food insecurity is another focus for Irfan. She said she wants to push the government to establish a one-time non-repayable food security grant program, but did not specify how she would lobby for this.

Irfan also stressed the importance of student engagement.

With the impending provincial election, Irfan highlighted the opportunity to inform students about each candidate. She noted that if certain parties win, Irfan could see a “possible rollback on some of the affordable policies that were put out this year.”

Irfan also sees potential in having student-centric issues like the SkyTrain and food insecurity being on the ballot.

Irfan wants to “get students to vote … to leverage our power” and hopes to hold the premier debate in the Nest, as next year is the BC provinicial elections.

Irfan has a solid platform and is consistent about her proposed policies throughout campaigning. Her time spent on AMS Council, coupled with her experience working in all levels of governments, shows she has the knowledge to get the work done. Having lobbying experience is not required, but using pre-existing connections in the interest of students doesn’t hurt. Her ambition and passion for students is clear, though Irfan may struggle prioritizing everything she wants to accomplish in a one-year term.

cate for the SkyTrain expansion to UBC. He also said he would work on bringing back the 480 bus — which students have advocated for in the past.

Sawatsky said he hopes to improve transparency and said he would do this by keeping students updated through both social media and in-person meetings.

On affordability, Sawatzky said he would advocate to get funding from the provincial government for the AMS Food Bank, mention ing the increased usage of the food bank this past year.

Sawatzky also wants to expand the BC Access Grant. He said it is important to make sure there is enough affordable housing for students on and off campus and near transit hubs, but did not specify what advocacy he would do to accomplish this.

SAWATZKY

Jai Sodhi is running to be the next VP administration on a platform aimed at increasing club engagement and improving the Nest’s operations.

The third-year political science and economics student said he was motivated to run after being frustrated with the “communication gap” between the AMS and clubs as president of UBC Shooting Sports. He said this gap makes the AMS executive team seem “unreachable” or “elite.”

He plans to track club data to increase understanding between student groups and the VP administration office and improve the current Clubs Resource Centre policies that “demotivate” students from going to the AMS for help, even to just book a room in the Nest.

It’s clear that Jai Sodhi conducted external research on the initiatives that work at other large post-secondary institutions when creating his platform. Sodhi’s club-centric vision aims to reintroduce sleeping spaces on campus and increase the Nest’s operating hours. However, these initiatives may become costly on top of the AMS’s ongoing financial deficit, and work against food insecurity is mostly done by other executives.

“You’re supposed to be willing to go out of your way to help people if you can,” he said. “That’s the

approach that I feel is missing from the administration now.”

As Sodhi explained, most of his initiatives will be byproducts of his goal to remove the perceived AMS “bureaucracy” that can hinder clubs’ reach of students.

When asked about how he will leverage the Nest’s oper ations, Sodhi’s main priority was reintroducing sleeping spaces onto campus. The old Student Union Building previously had napping rooms before being converted into the Life Building in 2016.

“Students are sleeping in Koerner Library’s base ment on tables … why not provide that infrastructure to students?”

Similarly, Sodhi wants to open the Nest 24/7 “at least one week before finals,” a goal that he believes to not be “a major financial investment” due to existing security infrastructures. Last term, the Nest was open 24 hours during the entire exam period between December 10–22.

SODHI

A DMINISTRATI ON

Third-year philosophy student Amy Liao is running for VP administration on a platform focused on improving the Nest, improving clubs and AMS subsidiaries’ experiences and working towards the AMS Sustainability Action Plan (ASAP)’s 2026 goals.

Liao is currently the AMS clubs administrator and noted that her position allowed her to gain a high degree of background knowledge about the AMS’s relationships with stakeholders and campus groups.

She wants to expand study spaces, streamline health and wellness services and sustain the Commons lounge as a commuter hub by implementing lockers and quiet hours.

A common theme across all her priorities is transpar-

Liao aims to take a “club-centric” approach to community engagement “through more drop-in style club-hosted activities on site” that amplify campus events hosted by AMS clubs, resource groups and constituencies. She plans to improve the Nest’s booking system by making the “calendar more interactive” and including further

Last year, Liao worked on the consultation group for ASAP and she aligned many of her campaign priorities with the plan’s guidelines

LIAO

Sixth-year integrated engineering student Kevin Heieis is running to be VP administration on a platform that prioritizes club engagement, social media outreach and sustainable financial strategies.

As co-president of the Integrated Engineering Council, his top priority was creating a sense of community among integrated engineering majors and improving collaboration with other engineering programs. Heieis aims to continue this approach as VP admin.

“If I’m elected, I want to have an open door,” he said.

Heieis said he’s seen long response times from the VP administration’s office and one of his top priorities is improving the timeline for this communication. By improving overall productivity and accessibility of the VP administration office, Heieis hopes to reverse the “distrust” and “poor sentiment” many students have towards the AMS.

Kevin Heieis’s strength in public speaking makes him a promising candidate for a role that needs effective communication and presence. He’s promised a quick turnaround in communication and event promotion that lets club members take control of their own marketing. His idea to replace Porch with a Mexican burrito bar, while fun, may be out of the scope of the position.

“Having been in all these

to reach net-zero energy by 2025.

She also seeks to align and collaborate with other sustainability groups on campus such as the UBC Sustainability Hub to implement short-term and long-term goals in decision-making, building operations and programming to enhance sustainability efforts across campus.

Liao wants to add a sustainability training program for executives during the annual orientations, which would be “developed in collaboration with sustainability groups to compile resources that are tailored to club management and event programming.”

Liao pointed out that collaborating with other campus groups will be important in achieving the action plan’s goals despite the AMS’s current financial deficit. She will look to strategize budgeting for the portfolio’s most costly event, Clubs Fair.

Amy Liao’s priorities and AMS experience as the club administrator promise a smooth transition from this year’s administration. Her practical goals and sustainability focus set her apart. However, budgeting was not the strongest suit of the VP administration office this year, and Clubs Fair and related club events were the only initiatives she expressed could be an opportunity to cut costs.

leadership positions, I know how beneficial the AMS can be,” said Heieis. “But a lot of people just don’t see that because they don’t have that engagement with the society.”

Heieis said he wants to devise solutions for club concerns by identi fying where in the system these problems are breaking down.

On leveraging social media, Heieis believes club members themselves should organize and be featured in promotional content rather than AMS executives.

“I think that is a great way to show students what they do and what the event is, something with passion,” said Heieis. “My overall goals are to be proactive with clubs.”

Speaking on the AMS’s Sustainability Action Plan, Heieis said he wants to continue to work towards a circular economy using a data-driven approach.

Following years of major deficits in the AMS, Heieis said he is not looking to commit to any “big ticket items” if elected.

Heieis also included reviewing current vendors in the Nest for financial stability in his platform, however that falls outside the scope of the VP administration duties.

Kevin HEIEIS

VP FINANC E

Mohkam Singh Malik (ਮੋਹਕਮ), a firstyear arts student, is running to be the next VP finance on a platform of accountability, affordability and community.

Malik believes his “newness” to the AMS and the university sets him apart from his competition and allows for actual accountability to take place.

A top priority for Malik is to decrease the AMS’s predicted financial deficit of $738,766 by reducing the $42,000 salaries of AMS executives by 10 per cent and overall spending in executive offices. During debates, he said this was not his only initiative to combat the deficit.

Malik added that if other executives are unwilling to cut their salaries, he still intends to donate 10 per cent of his salary to combat food

In addition to executive salary cuts, Malik plans to

reduce the number of paid staff in the AMS executive offices by 20 to 30 per cent and instead opt for more volunteer positions or funding through grant applications.

Malik also wants to launch a comprehensive review of Nest businesses to ensure they have “longterm plans to make money.”

On student engagement, Malik said he will be communicating financial information and the office’s projects through short-form videos. He also hopes to improve the connection between clubs and the AMS through prioritizing club reimbursements, improving account management and making club treasurer transitions smoother.

Malik said he is ready to work with the university “to try to claw back a little bit more money” to ensure the AMS/ GSS Health & Dental Plan coverage remains the same. However, if changes are necessary, he would talk to student groups to find “‘what do we find is really important and what can we live without?’”

Mohkam Singh MALIK (ਮੋਹਕਮ)

Gavin Fung-Quon is running to be the next VP finance on a platform of strengthening services, expanding subsidies, improving communication and simplifying clubs and constituency finances.

The fifth year-international relations student has years of experience in the VP finance office, which inspired him to run and create his own financial plans to strengthen the AMS and support the student body.

“It supported me from the start, it supported all my friends from the start, and I believe we can support every student, and that’s what I want to bring as VP finance,” he said.

Fung-

Quon is the status quo candidate in this race. He has worked extensively in the VP finance portfolio and is currently the associate VP funds, meaning he knows the AMS’s financial management. His idea to automate the deposit system for clubs and expand information campaigns about student subsidies are unique. However, the rest of his policies lack ambition. He plans to focus on long-term financial sustainability goals articulated by this year’s office. FungQuon is knowledgeable and seems passionate, but is certainly not looking to make waves.

He believes that his accounting and financial management skills from experience in the AMS’s finance office set him apart from the other candidate.

Fung-Quon plans to increase community partnerships to alleviate the cost of AMS services like the Food Bank and Safe Walk, which currently represent a significant expenditure in the AMS’s budget.

A top priority for FungQuon is expanding student

Malik is an AMS newcomer and is looking to make big changes to its finances with a focus on cutting costs. He has a background in political organizing as a youth board member of the BC United. His plan to cut all AMS executive salaries and reduce the number of paid support staff is unique but it’s unclear how feasible — or ultimately worthwhile — this plan would be. Malik is ambitious, but showed some knowledge gaps in the debate.

subsidies and making sure students can access that information. Some subsidies are currently available for students facing financial hardships but he intends to clarify the application process, if elected.

The AMS/GSS Health & Dental Plan “is still not as sustainable as [the AMS] would like it to be,” according to FungQuon. However, he would prioritize consultation with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and students with disabilities for any further coverage changes.

Another priority for FungQuon is simplifying club finances and forming stronger connections with club treasurers.

He said the current deposit system for clubs is “bottlenecked by a very manual process” that can be automated.

To address the anticipated $738k deficit in the AMS, Fung-Quon wants to work with the managing director to ensure financial sustainability of businesses in the Nest and increase their revenues.

Gavin FUNG-QUON

VP FINANCE

Third-year political science student Taushifa Shaikh is running for AMS VP academic and university affairs (VP AUA) after experiencing frustration with the AMS centring university interests over student priorities.

Shaikh’s platform centres on a student-first approach. She said the Student Service Centre (SSC) and other UBC online portals are outdated and she wants these resources to convey UBC’s ranking as a top post-secondary institution. UBC is already transitioning the SSC to Workday Student.

Shaikh said she will advocate for more academic planning for students, specifically around encouraging “mid-session check-ins” with professors rather than just end-of-term Student Experience of Instruction Surveys. She also wants to increase class attendance flexibility in-person and online allowing professors to “meet students right where they are.”

Shaikh’s platform centres on affordability, but with no student government experience at UBC, her housing goals are outside the scope of the VP AUA. She has experience with bureaucracy through working for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Shaikh’s platform includes sexual violence prevention, specifically around improving BIPOC students’ experiences during the investigations process. She clearly knows what students want and has worked with university administration in the past, but sometimes lacked specifics on how she would achieve her goals.

Shaikh said the biggest challenge she will face as VP AUA is ensuring consistent and long-term funding for food security and mental health “given the difficult economic

climate.”

The AMS is an “alien entity” for students, according to Shaikh, and the society needs to further engage with student groups by holding office hours and by ensuring execu tives are reachable.

On sexual violence prevention, Shaikh wants to “improve accessi ble, intersectional and trauma-in formed resources and prioritize the creation and implementation of ini tiatives that cater to diverse needs and experiences within our student body.” She also said resources must specifically support BIPOC students.

VP ACADEMICAND

When asked about former VP AUA Kamil Kanji’s work toward establishing a memorandum of understanding with the UBC President’s Office to se cure regular funding for the AMS Food Bank, Shaikh was unaware of the memorandum but said she would like to pursue a long-term consistent funding plan for food security if elected.

Taushifa SHAIKH

SRIAFFAYTISR

VERSITYAFFAI

CIMEDACA

Drédyn Fontana is running for AMS VP academic and university affairs under a platform of increased affordability, accessibility and equity, diversity and inclusion. The fourth-year applied science and international relations student and recently acclaimed applied science student senator said his experience as the current VP academic of the EUS and as a student-at-large on the AMS’s advocacy committee will set him up for success.

Fontana wants to increase accessibility at UBC. He said through his work on curriculum advocacy through the EUS, he’s seen the Centre for Accessibility experience “issues.”

Fontana said he has been engaging with faculty and students on issues of accessibility through the EUS, and noted that he wants to ensure “changes that are informed by people who have accessibility needs” are made to UBC’s Disability Accommodations Policy, which is under review.

Drédyn FONTANA

On affordability, Fontana said he will advocate for increased funding from UBC toward food security, housing, student bursaries and research funds.

Fontana said he will advocate against tuition increases and advocate for a multi-year tuition framework. He criticized the current tuition increase consultation process saying that despite student opposition, UBC’s Board of Governors — the governing body that controls tuition increases — still raised tuition.

Fontana also said he would work to increase student engagement through advertising office hours and listening and engagement sessions for different interest groups like resource groups, but noted this may be a challenge.

Fontana noted that UBC’s Sexual Misconduct Policy (SC17) is under review, and said he will advocate for trauma-informed language in the policy, more trauma-informed training for investigators and to include an appeal process for complainants.

Fontana has experience fighting for students through his term as the EUS’s VP academic. He has fresh ideas on sexual violence prevention, namely on how to make UBC’s sexual misconduct policy more survivor-centric. He’s knowledgeable on what the VP AUA office achieved this past year and where it can improve, but lacked specific ways he’d get his food security goals done besides initiatives already in the works. Fontana is also passionate about advocating for affordability and accessibility, specifically around UBC’s Disability Accommodations Policy and the Centre for Accessibility.

What’s so funny?

Why joke candidates run in AMS Elections

When students run in AMS Elections as a joke, it's often not just for laughs — it's an expression of student discontent. Should these candidates win? What happens when they do?

WORDS BY IMAN JANMOHAMED & HARRY SADLEIR | DESIGN BY ANYA A AMEEN

Moonlight streamed into The Gallery on the top floor of the Nest while student politicians and their supporters buzzed, awaiting the results of weeks of campaigning.

Hushed whispers, clicking cameras and nervous smiles — it was a normal AMS Elections results night. When it was time for the winner of the 2023 presidential race to be announced, anticipation filled the air. Then-AMS VP Administration Ben Du was up against Remy the Rat, a campus meme represented by English honours student Esmé Decker.

Decker — who previously ran a joke campaign as Remy in 2022 to increase student participation and voter turnout — won by a margin of just over 600 votes.

But the funny thing is, Decker wasn’t the first joke candidate to win an AMS election. Joke candidates have appeared on ballots deep in the annals of UBC history, resurfacing every generation to use mockery to spark real conversations about UBC and the AMS.

The first joke candidate students could vote for was Joseph Q. Blotz in 1941. Blotz ran on a platform of creating a “secret plank” and received 20 of the 1,379 votes cast that year. Silly joke candi-

dates have become a staple since. In 2012, a student ran for VP academic and university affairs as Party Rock and wanted to “scrap the summer term and install an exchange program to Ibiza.” A student posing as V from V for Vendetta ran for AMS president in 2015, and in 2022, then-AMS councillor Mathew Ho wore a trash can on his head to represent the Arts Student Centre in the VP finance by-election.

In the ‘90s, UBC’s most prolific electoral slate formed: the Radical Beer Faction (RBF). Slates, now banned in most AMS Elections races, allowed a group of candidates to run under one party.

“The Radical Beer Faction was formed to deal with student politics the way it should be dealt with. Drunk,” read its website.

In 1991, tucked in the UBC Physics Society room in the Hennings Building, then-science student Ari Giligson and his friends would talk about anything and everything from campus goings-on to philosophy while eating donuts and drinking coffee.

The group noticed that students were running in slates in AMS Elections.

“We really [hadn’t] seen that before, and we thought it was kind of weird and kind of ridiculous,” said Giligson. “People were putting together slates as if they were political parties.”

Giligson’s friends approached him, asking him to run for AMS president, and the RBF was born.

“I wasn't the leader,” said Giligson. “But because … I just finished up a run as the SUS President, they decided, ‘Hey, we'll put you forward as a presidential candidate because people know your face.’”

Despite being a cynical commentary on slate culture, the RBF also wanted to bolster the campus community by holding a party — and reimbursing it as a campaign expense.

“And one of the expenses will be a keg of beer,” Giligson said.

That year, the RBF took 31 per cent of the popular vote. Though that election was Giligson’s only one with the RBF, the slate continued to run. What started as a joke became a movement that outlasted its founders.

“I also felt more confident actually doing it as me, because it takes a lot to put yourself out there like that.”

— DARREN PEETS

Thirteen years later, an RBF candidate started to make waves on campus — and almost won.

While pursuing a PhD in physics, Darren Peets ran his 2.5 feet tall, 191 pound fire hydrant for UBC’s Board of Governors (BoG).

“I had a pet fire hydrant,” said Peets in a 2008 interview with The Ubyssey. “The sensible thing to do would be to run it for public office.”

During his time at UBC, Peets ran as the Fire Hydrant three times, starting as part of the RBF in 2004.

By the time Peets graduated with his PhD in 2008, many involved in UBC and the AMS were singing his praises. At the end of an AMS Council meeting, then-VP Academic and University Affairs Alex Lougheed moved a motion for Council to “formally recognize and thank the Fire Hydrant, Darren Peets, for his long-standing contributions to the society and the campus.”

The same year, then-UBC President Stephen Toope told The Ubyssey, “I have always appreciated Darren's passion for UBC, his hard work on hard issues, his perspective, and a sense of humour that tends to grow on you.”

But when he first ran as the Fire Hydrant, Peets was more interested in cracking jokes than cracking open strategic plans.

His first campaign, in 2004, started because he “ended up with a fire hydrant,” said Peets in a 2024 interview. “I approached some of the people who were involved in … The Radical Beer Faction, because most years they had one inanimate object.”

The RBF was interested, and Peets’s first foray into joke campaigning was a success.

The Fire Hydrant lost that election, 782 votes behind the elected candidates. But going into the 2005 election, Peets realized a Fire Hydrant win was a legitimate possibility.

“People within the AMS, by this point, did realize that I knew quite a lot about the university and thought I would be good for the role,” said Peets. “And there were people suggesting that they should vote for the Fire Hydrant because they would get me on board.”

According to Ubyssey coverage from the time, students saw the Fire Hydrant as a protest vote against then-UBC President Martha Piper’s administration.

“The president, the board and the executive were making a lot of decisions that sort of alienated the students, and there was a lot of frustration,” said Peets.

In 2005, the Fire Hydrant clinched the fourth place spot, only six votes behind the elected candidates.

Running as a hydrant wasn’t all fun and games — Peets would get stopped by Campus Security for carrying the mascot with him around campus.

“Usually they would have questions,” said Peets. “‘What are you doing with that?’ ‘Running it for the University Board of Governors.’ ‘Where are you going with that?’ ‘The Hennings Building.’”

Despite losing his Fire Hydrant elections, Peets got more involved in student politics with the Graduate Student Society and AMS Council. Peets also advised successful student BoG candidates, helping them advocate against UBC’s plannedand-abandoned University Boulevard expansion which would have included condo housing and an underground bus loop.

Eventually, in 2007, Peets was convinced to run for BoG under his own name. He won.

“By that point, I had quite a long list of things that I wanted to change in nearly all aspects of the university, and I'd run out of jokes,” Peets said.

Peets said running as the Fire Hydrant gave him the courage to seriously throw his hat in the ring.

“I also felt more confident actually doing it as me, because it takes a lot to put yourself out there like that.”

Peets isn’t the only joke candidate turned serious politician. 2011/12 AMS President Jeremy Ross-McElroy ran as joke candidate Kommander Keg for VP administration in 2009.

The RBF was “dormant” with the ban on slates, and campus culture was starting to crack, said Ross-McElroy. University administrators were denying applications for beer garden events and the “campus RCMP were dramatically reducing what they would and wouldn't allow on campus.”

“We were seeing a dwindling of campus life,” said Ross-McElroy. “This was back before most of the bars and restaurants were open on campus … so Friday afternoon beer garden culture was a really important part of the campus experience.”

So a group of UBC students, including Ross-McElroy, came together to protest UBC’s “war on fun.”

“I ran as a joke and realized that I can have real impact.”

Ross-McElroy said he advocated for less-strict liquor laws on campus while running as Kommander Keg — an empty spray-painted black keg with a mustache and beret that was wheeled around on a dolly.

— JEREMY ROSS-MCELROY

He also said he and his fellow joke candidates — who were all involved with student government before their joke campaigns — brought real ideas to debates despite satirizing elections.

After losing his election as Kommander Keg, Ross-McElroy ended up representing arts students on AMS Council, and later ran for AMS office for VP external and, in 2011, president. He said he was motivated by a broader trend of the university suppressing all student-led events, not just partying.

“I ran as a joke and realized that I can have real impact, and then, ultimately, through joining AMS Council, realized that I had an opportunity to run for real and was successful in getting elected,” said Ross-McElroy.

While Peets and Ross-McElroy both had to run as themselves to win, students have elected two joke candidates running under a joke name. But in both cases, by the end of their runs, these candidates weren’t joking.

I n 2017, then-fourth year engineering student and EUS President Alan Ehrenholz ran as the Engineering Cairn, which materialized at debates as a six-inch tall replica of the Cairn on the south side of Main Mall.

Ehrenholz and a few friends started the campaign for a laugh.

“Our plan was to have me come to debates with mini cairns, make people laugh and to make the election period a little more fun for everyone involved,” wrote Ehrenholz in a 2017 Ubyssey opinion letter. “Initially, I never intended to organize a ‘real’ campaign. This was for us and the rest of campus to enjoy.”

Ehrenholz’s platform always mixed silly and serious, promising effective Council governance, increased support for councillors and implementing porous concrete on campus (as opposed to standard non-porous concrete).

But that year, based on candidates’ intangible platforms, collective lack of experience and debate underperformance, The Ubyssey disendorsed every presidential candidate.

“We felt comfortable telling voting students that they really had ‘no good options,’” wrote The Ubyssey in an editorial.

That is until Ehrenholz announced he was stepping out from behind the Cairn and running as himself after that year’s Great Debate following “significant thought and encouragement" from the people he worked with.

Despite emerging as a serious candidate, in March 2017 Ehrenholz won the presidential election as The Cairn, making him the first joke candidate to win an election at UBC.

The second joke candidate to win the presidential election was Decker, who won in 2023 after running under Remy the Rat in 2022. In 2022, Decker came second by 1,597 votes.

Decker first ran as a joke candidate to promote informed democracy and social justice under a platform emphasizing food security and climate justice. And after seeing how students responded to their first campaign, Decker ran again as a serious contender under the same name and similar platform.

“I'm here because students asked me to be here,” said Decker in 2023.

“We think that students are smart … and are able to make choices on their own,”

— MAX HOLMES

Despite UBC’s long history with joke candidates, according to AMS Elections Administrator Max Holmes, on paper there’s technically no such thing.

“Every candidate is able to run under, essentially, what we consider a nickname,” said Holmes.

According to the AMS Elections Handbook, candidates can run under a nickname at the discretion of the elections administrator, as long as the nickname doesn’t indicate club affiliation and isn’t “obscene or libellous or an attack on other candidates.”

Holmes, who was also the elections administrator when Ehrenholz and Decker won their respective elections, said the Elections Committee always knows the identity of joke candidates — or candidates that go by a nickname — since they have to ensure candidates are eligible to run in AMS Elections.

But other student unions have stricter guidelines around joke candidates.

For example, the University of Alberta Student Union’s bylaws state that “any race solely contested by a joke Candidate shall be considered uncontested,” and that joke candidates can only claim two

thirds of expenses for reimbursement.

Holmes doesn’t think those guidelines are necessary.

“We think that students are smart … and are able to make choices on their own,” said Holmes. “Students are able to see the consequence of their vote whether or not they're voting for somebody who is running under their own name, or running under a different name.”

“Initially, I never intended to organize a ‘real’ campaign. This was for us and the rest of campus to enjoy.”

Holmes also said if the Elections Committee were to put restrictions on joke candidates, that would constitute “meddling in the democratic process.”

— ALAN EHRENHOLZ

“We don't see any reason for why we would disenfranchise the choice of voters, and [if] they decide to elect somebody with a different name on the ballot, that's their choice, and we respect that,” said Holmes.

Though Ehrenholz and Decker ran under silly monikers, Holmes said it would be “quite inaccurate” to describe them as joke candidates.

“It'd be more accurate to describe them as serious candidates that ran under different names,” said Holmes. “When both of those candidates won the presidency, they won having released serious platforms, a serious website, done serious ground campaigning, done absolutely everything that another candidate would do trying to win the presidency.”

“Ultimately, our view of it is no different than somebody running under their own name and winning,” said Holmes.

When asked if joke candidates increase election turnout, Holmes said “allowing different levels of seriousness … does help with engagement.”

“On turnout, I think anything that reduces the number of candidates that you might have running in the election is going to have a detrimental effect,” he said.

Presidential elections turnout was some of the highest UBC has seen in the years when Ehrenholz and Decker won. Ehrenholz’s year brought in over 8,000 votes for the presidential race, and Decker’s year had over 10,000 students cast votes, the highest presidential turnout in AMS history.

Holmes said it’s important to remember that despite Ehrenholz and Decker’s wins, many joke candidates run and lose their elections. If joke candidates drive turnout, they could also be leading to their own losses.

“Ultimately, we think that if we brought in restrictions, it could hurt turnout and engagement which is why any restrictions we'd bring in would be extremely minor … nothing that would discourage people from running under a different name.”

Joke candidate wins show that student discontent has power. From dwindling student life, to poor land use plans and climate justice, joke candidates have advocated for student issues that some ‘mainstream’ candidates haven’t.

Changes to current joke candidate rules won’t happen anytime soon, according to Holmes. He and Peets both said joke candidates contribute to a functioning student democracy.

“Joke candidates in general, I think, are good for the system,” said Peets.

Giligson said joke candidates hold the AMS accountable while emphasizing student discontent.

“I think most of the time [joke] candidates actually get support … it reveals some frustration that people have,” said Giligson.

And Ross-McElroy said he’s happy the joke candidate tradition has continued.

“The work that the student society undertakes is incredibly important,” said Ross-McElroy. “While recognizing that that stuff is very important, you also need to make sure that you're not taking yourself too seriously.”

Siddharth Rout is a second-year PhD student studying geophysics, running for the Board of Governors.

Rout’s platform is centred on advocating for UBC to invest more into students, and create more encouraging spaces for international and graduate students.

Rout said he sat in on board meetings when he worked at Axis Bank. Now, as a graduate student, Rout said he can relate to both undergraduates and master’s students.

One thing Rout specifically wants to change is the culture of the Board. He said he would want to encourage for more “friendly” relationships amongst governors. Rout believes UBC starting up a large accessible kitchen for students, run by students, could help fight food insecurity, since 38 per cent of students worry about having enough food according to the 2023 AMS Academic Experience Survey.

Rout’s platform focuses on advocating for international and graduate students — communities not often heard on the Board. Although he has ambitious ideas to reduce food insecurity on campus, his goals appear unrealistic and unfeasible, demonstrating his lack of understanding and knowledge of what the Board is capable of accomplishing. Rout did not attend either of the debates, which leaves us with unanswered questions about his goals and ability to achieve them.

However, Rout did not mention funding for existing food security initiatives on campus like the AMS Food Bank, Agora Cafe or Sprouts.

Rout explained that “if the scale of the kitchen is large, the kitchen would save a lot of money purchasing 1,000 kilos of peak load [and this] is cheaper than purchasing current packets of one kilo [amounts].”

The biggest challenge Rout sees facing the Board this upcoming year is the lack of student governor seats on the Board — believing there might be a disconnect between student governors’ interests and the rest of the student body’s.

Overall, Rout believes feedback from the student body is the most important and encourages students to voice their opinions and concerns — however, Rout did not specify how he would specifically engage with students.

Siddharth

ROUT

Ferdinand Rother is a third-year economics student running for the Board of Governors on a platform focused on advocating for international students, environmental sustainability and student Rother, an international student himself, said he was disappointed to not see representation for international students on the Board.

While Rother is not in favour of raising tuition, he hopes to advocate to the Board to “equalize the rate hikes between domestic and international students” if another tuition raise does occur.

If elected governor, Rother hopes to push the university to advocate to the provincial and federal governments for further grants and use the university’s endowment to supplement its budget instead of international tuition fees. He is also concerned with luxury property development on campus, specifically in the Wesbrook Village neighbourhood.

Ferdinand ROTHER

PhD student Enav Zusman is running for Board of Governors on a platform of graduate student affordability, food security and campus accessibility.

Zusman has been at UBC since 2014 — she has completed a MSc in Experimental Medicine and a Doctorate of Pharmacy. She’s in her second year of a PhD in reproductive and developmental sciences, specializing in women and children’s health.

One of her top campaign priorities is increasing graduate student stipends to match inflation. Her policies on graduate student aid stem from a broader program of support for affordability and accessibility. To promote affordability, she supports a tuition cap, subsidized housing for low-income students and sustained funding for food security initiatives including MealShare, the AMS Food Bank and the Acadia Park Food Hub. Zusman previously served on the Graduate Student

Rother is interested in ensuring the university respects its commitment to sustainability and its Climate Action Plan 2030 and said the high usage of concrete in new construction is “troubling.”

Rother also wants to increase cycling infrastructure on campus to aid the safety and ease of biking around campus.

Rother has experience in leadership roles, namely as the current president of the Interfraternity Council (IFC). The IFC signed a memorandum of agreement with the AMS in 2023, which restored the relationship between fraternities and the AMS after it ended in 2019.

When asked about concerns about the university’s investment in companies complicit in human rights violations, Rother said the university’s investment is “quite problematic,” and he would “[question] why it’s investing in controversial industries.”

Rother’s Rother‘s platform centres international students, advocating for capping international tuition increases and scaling up international financial aid. His campaign also calls attention to campus sustainability and lays out a vision to create a better cycling network for bikers and pedestrians alike.

Rother has leadership experience as Interfraternity Council president, but has little familiarity liaising with Board members, and his absence from the debates raises questions about how he’d make his voice heard.

Society as VP academic and university affairs and as a stu dent senator. She is also the president of the Acadia Park Residence Association, which she cited as important community building experience that motivated her to run for the Board.

On the Board, she also hopes to advocate for parents, by proposing policies like adding daycare spots, creating postpartum scholarships and increasing the amount of nursing spaces on campus.

To increase accessibility, she said she will advocate for equipping all classrooms with lecture capture technology and supporting the construction of more sensory-friendly spaces like the one in the Nest.

When asked about the Board’s lack of acknowledgement of student concerns about UBC’s endowment investments in companies complicit in Palestinian human rights violations, Zusman expressed sadness in a statement sent after her interview over the rise in antisemitism and Islam ophobia seen in the past four months.

AOB R D OF GOVERNOR S

Eshana Bhangu is running for a second term on the Board of Governors with a platform centred on improving the overall student experience.

Bhangu previously served two years as an AMS executive, as VP academic and university affairs (VP AUA) in 2021/22 and as president in 2022/23. She was also a member of the UBC Senate for three years. She hopes to continue pushing for affordable housing by advocating for an alternative funding model for student housing that would allow UBC to pause annual rent increases without creating a financial downturn.

Currently, only the Student Housing Financing Endowment (SHFE) supports the construction of new student housing projects on campus through loans that earn interest. In 2022, the Student Affordability Task Force, which included Bhangu,

Eshana BHANGU

Jasper Lorien is running to be student governor on a platform centered on freezing tuition and housing fees, divestment from companies complicit in human rights violations and increasing student housing construction.

The first-year arts student supports recent student protests and wants to see the Board divest from “companies complicit in universal human rights abuses and violations” around the world.

“The general sentiment is becoming very, very clear in the student population that we do not want our money to go to places that hurt people.”

In 2022, the university declined to support an AMS motion calling for it to divest from companies complicit in Palestinian human rights violations and support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. UBC reaffirmed its stance against BDS in 2023.

Lorien is a first-year student vying to bring a voice of disabled students to the Board and to increase the university’s commitments to affordability and divestment. Overall, Lorien has a good grasp on what is feasible and what isn’t. They have a background in advocacy as an executive of the Disabilities United Collective and have shown familiarity with policy at the debates. However, with their limited time at UBC, they haven’t had the same opportunities to develop relationships with university administrators as other candidates.

Lorien acknowledged these setbacks but noted a precedent of UBC’s divestment from fossil fuel companies. In 2019, the university

recommended UBC advocate for the provincial government to loosen the requirement — as the report noted “[SHFE] borrowing rates [are] significantly higher than market rates.”

Bhangu noted the Board has been receptive to her advocacy in the past year, highlighting that the motion to raise tuition for the 2024/25 academic year had eight votes against it.

Bhangu emphasized her platform is achievable and she would use her position to deliver results, but said she would not provide continuous public updates on her social media like some former governors.

When asked about the Board’s lack of acknowledgement of student concerns about UBC’s endowment investments in companies that violated Palestinian human rights, Bhangu said “a lack of acknowledgement and a lack of discussion is just not acceptable.”

As VP AUA in 2022, Bhangu abstained from a motion for the AMS to pen a letter urging UBC to divest.

Bhangu, the only incumbent, has spent over three years delivering on her promises for students across various roles, including AMS president and VP academic and university affairs. This year, she provided strong and targeted advocacy against tuition raises and made student voices heard on the Board in key discussions. Bhangu’s platform is nothing groundbreaking — she is keen to continue focusing on increasing student affordability and housing. But, if her platform points resonate with you, Bhangu is a candidate who can get them done.

committed to divest from fossil fuels despite the Board’s Finance Committee originally advis ing against it.

They also hope to continue to push all UBC-held funds to divest from fossil fuels. Currently, UBC is committed to make its endowment fund and pension fund free of fossil fuel investment by 2030. The working capital fund was not included in the original motion.

Cost of living is another concern of Lorien. They want to ensure students are not priced out of a UBC education.

Lorien is optimistic the board is “shifting in the direction” students want as this year’s tuition increase passed with a slimmer margin than previous years.

BOARD OFGOVER

They hope to use their advocacy experience with Climate Justice UBC and Disabilities United Collective to be an effective student governor.

Jasper LORIEN

Kamil Kanji is hoping to join the Board of Governors with a platform focused on increasing affordability, accessibility and support for international students. His platform hopes to facilitate student affordability by reducing the financial burden of housing, tuition, food security and childcare.

Kanji is the current AMS VP academic and university affairs (AUA). This past year he secured $450,000 for the AMS Food Bank and $500,000 for the AMS/GSS Health and Dental Plan from UBC.

Kanji credited his strong working relationship with UBC administrators for his success.

To increase affordable housing for students,

Kanji wants to increase funding options for new student housing projects, which is currently financed through the Student Housing Financing Endowment.

Kanji hopes to make the jump to the Board after successful stints as a student senator and VP academic and university affairs.

He seeks to continue similar goals as his predecessors around student affordability and leverage his current relationships with university administration to achieve results. In the past, he’s shown he can secure funding for the student body’s needs despite budgetary constraints.

However, his plans from last year to “break down communication barriers” between the Senate and students didn’t materialize this year, and he doesn’t seem keen on focusing on them this time around.

Kanji proposed looking to the provincial and federal governments as potential funding sources. In 2024, the province announced BC Builds and the federal government increased the scope of the Apartment

AOB R D OF GOVERNOR S

Leonard Wang is a sixth-year business and computer science student running for the Board of Governors. He hopes to leverage his investment banking background to advocate for responsible spending of student tuition, improved academic experiences and progress measuring for investments.

Wang supports UBC’s past tuition increases — although he acknowledged that his position is “controversial.”

In December 2023, the Board of Governors approved a tuition increase for the 2024/25 academic year of two percent for domestic students, three per cent for continuing international students and five per cent for new international students.

In the tuition consultation survey, 92 per cent of student respondents opposed tuition increases. Wang did not say how he intends to advocate for these student interests on the Board. He said that if elected, he intends to work closely

Construction Loan Program to now include student housing.

This year, the Board faced criticism for not responding to student groups’ calls to endorse the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Kanji called the lack of com munication “unacceptable.”

In 2022, Kanji supported a student-led divestment motion through which the AMS urged the university to divest its endowment from nine companies complicit in human rights violations in Palestine.

As VP AUA, Kanji also opposed tuition increases and said he would continue to do so as student governor. He would meet individually with governors to share “strong affordability arguments” and support the “development of a multi-year tuition framework.”

He is also keen on ensuring students’ voices are represented in upcoming policy re views, specifically in discussions on the Disability Accommodation Policy and the Financial Aid Policy.

Kamil KANJI

with the UBC Investment Management Trust to centre Environmental Social Governance (ESG) priorities. This includes divesting from unsustainable industries including “oil and gas,” and choosing “fund managers with ESG credentials.”

When asked about divestment from weapons manufacturers such as Lockheed Martin and other companies complicit in human rights abuses in Palestine, Wang declined to comment.

When asked about whether he would advocate for increasing UBC funding for food security initiatives, Wang said he was not familiar with the issue of food insecurity. He said he intends to advocate that food service businesses on campus keep operating costs low to enable lower prices.

Wang emphasized the importance of improving professor experiences by raising salaries to retain competitive faculty. He also hopes to promote better progress measuring and reporting for the Board’s equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Leonard WANG

Leonard Wang’s emphasis on his finance and banking background says a lot about the approach he wants to bring to the Board. He supports incremental tuition increases and also seemed unfamiliar with the issue of food insecurity, which limits his ability to advocate for central issues facing students. While he has experience on Senate, the majority of his campaign revolves around working with the university’s investment management trust, raising questions about his understanding of the governor role. Wang also did not attend the debates.

Kareem Hassib is running for re-election for a second term as a student senator-at-large on a platform of accessibility, accountability and equity.

The second-year urban studies student hopes to support the Senate 2026 goals.

On accessibility, Hassib plans to push for an affordable textbook policy, research and co-op opportunities for international students, 24/7 library access and recorded lectures.

“Students with disabilities or students who have to work full time … might not be able to make it to every lecture in-person,” he said.

Hassib wants to ensure Senate transparency through continued engagement via his personal channel, regular updates to AMS Council and Senate Recentred articles in The Ubyssey He also wants to advocate for term limits for Senators. This would require an amendment to the University Act, which is a provincial legislation that governs the Senate.

Hassib brings genuine care and knowledge to the race, which he has also developed through experience on the Board of Governors. He places strong emphasis on his engagement and transparency efforts, like regular updates on personal social media accounts. However, his platform of accessibility, accountability and equity remains largely the same since he ran last year and has seen little progress. But Hassib’s passion is evident, and if he is able to continue advocating his platform next year, he could continue his work thus far making headway on his original goals.

SENAT E

Kyle Rogers is running to be one of five student senators at-large with a campaign focused on amending the academic calendar. Specifically, the third-year political science student wants to have an earlier final exam period and an extended fall reading break, in addition to more online course options during the summer semesters.

He compared UBC to other universities like SFU, whose exam period ended December 18 last term, four days earlier than UBC’s.

Rogers also wants to have a week-long fall reading break. He recalls having one in his first year when he attended UBC’s Okanagan campus.

Another priority for Rogers is having more online options for summer courses for students who leave the province, but still need to complete their required credits.

He added that he has experience with student governance as he ran for UBC Okanagan’s student union

Kyle ROGERS

When it comes to equity, Hassib aims to “[Indigenize] the curriculum” through a mandatory Indigenous course credit and implementation of the Indigenous Strategic Plan (ISP).

Hassib also stressed the importance of academic freedom. “If students or faculty want to speak up about any sort of global issue, I don’t think it’s appropriate for the university to reprimand them in any way,” he said.

Hassib held similar goals on his election platform last year, such as integrating Indigenous curricula and pushing for mandatory recorded lectures. When asked if he was able to make progress on these goals, he said “I don’t know if progress is the right word.”

“I think that the ball has gotten rolling,” he said. “Every single Senate committee is having conversations."

SENATE

“The Student Senate Caucus has to be a place that student senators feel motivated to attend,” he said.

Kareem HASSIB

in his first year. This is also where Rogers’ desire to run for Senate was sparked.

“I just found it really rewarding and exciting to be a student voice at the university. That’s what motivated me to run this year,” he said.

However, when asked about his thoughts on Senate 2026, Rogers said he had not seen it.

To complete his platform goals, Rogers hopes to work with other student and faculty senators on the Curriculum and Academic Policy Committees.

He intends to maintain student engagement through social media and in the classroom, to keep up to date with the opinions of the student body.

Rogers foresees the impacts of international conflicts and academic partnerships to be a major challenge facing student-senators this upcoming year. On how he would tackle this challenge, Rogers said “it would depend on the challenge and the time and what’s happening.”

Rogers proposes ambitious platform goals, including an extended fall reading break and earlier December exam period, but his knowledge of the feasibility of these changes seems unclear considering it took years to get a fall reading break at all. However, Rogers does appear receptive to the needs of the student body, and has experience in local politics on the Student Union at UBCO. While he could learn how to be an effective senator on the job, it’s questionable as to how much he could deliver on his platform within a one year term.

SENAT E

Alex Chui is running for a spot as one of five student senators atlarge with a platform centered around furthering accessibility, accountability and diversity and inclusion.

Chui, a science student, added he wants to advocate for the needs of faculties who are often underrepresented among student senators-at-large.

“I noticed that a lot of the people that usually run for these positions are from arts.”

If elected, Chui intends to advocate for increased access to recorded lectures to accommodate for students who may be impacted by disruptions to transit — he cited the recent transit strike and snow storm.

He also hopes to make the Senate more accountable to the student body by boosting its visibility through establishing a website for students. The Student Senate Caucus has a website, but it has not been updated since the 2021/22 academic year.

Alex CHUI

Third-year economics student Ferdinand Rother is running to be student senator-at-large on a platform focused on supporting international students, transparency and student community.

Rother believes the upcoming year will be critically important as UBC reacts to new government announcements regarding international students.

An international student himself, Rother said “having a voice on the Senate who can bring [the international student experience] into focus is very important.”

He hopes to create an International Student Affairs Committee that will provide resources, information and a plan forward.

Rother has some experience interacting with aspects of UBC governance through his role as president of the Interfraternity Council. While his commitment to international students, student community and academic flexibility are evident, and his platform is fairly specific, the Senate may not be the ideal place to advance his goals. As a newcomer, he also has knowledge gaps around the student caucus’s work on Senate 2026 that he would need to fill if elected.

Rother also sees transparency as a significant issue for the Senate. He wants to make it easier for students to engage by updating the “archaic” website and being active with updates on social media.

The student community is another major concern for

Chui said his main motivation to run came from seeing a gap between ideas and implementation yet to be bridged.

If elected, he wants to facilitate collaboration between student, faculty and staff senators to create policies which honor the progressive ideals of the student body.

To stay up-to-date with student needs and opinions, Chui said he will use the connections he gained as a councillor on the SUS Council.

He intends to bring his “realist” perspective to the table, on topics such as a requirement for students to take courses dealing with Indigenous reconciliation — which he is a strong advocate for.

He stressed that while he intends to advocate for the same common issues as other student senators, his focus on feasibility sets him apart from his opposition.

“I truly believe that the ideas seem to be common. The ideas are good, but nobody’s really talked about the feasibility.”

Chui’s platform is geared towards representing the voices of faculties outside of arts on the Student Senate Caucus. While his goals lack specificity compared to some of the other candidates, something that became especially clear during debate, Chui’s platform is hoping to increase transparency and focus on feasibility. Despite, showing some knowledge gaps during debates, he will be able to bring a nonarts perspective. S, so if you thatthat, vote for him.

Rother, who views the “self-segregation” of students by community, country and hobby as an important issue.

If elected, he wants to push for Jump Start to be extended by another week. However, Jump Start is a program run by the VP Students Office, which the Senate rarely interacts with.

Rother believes his experience as president of the Interfraternity Council, the body that governs fraternities on campus, will be helpful when it comes to liaising with the AMS and UBC.

When asked about the recent Senate 2026 document published by the Student Caucus, Rother was unfamiliar with the work but said he would do further research.

Rother praised the work of current senators who are active on social media and expressed the intention to do the same. Additionally, he said his involvement with a wide variety of student groups equips him with a good understanding of student concerns.

SENATE

Ferdinand ROTHER

SENAT E

Sahib Malik is running to be one of five student senators-at-large on a platform centred around creating more flexible course scheduling options and increasing the Senate’s transparency. The first priority comes from Malik’s personal experience as a commuter. “My main part of my platform is I want it so that we can have some more evening and weekend classes during non-peak rush hour times.”

Malik also expressed support for pushing back course withdrawal dates, as outlined in Senate 2026, a document detailing the priorities of this year’s Student Senate Caucus. “A week and a half is not enough to figure out if you want to do this course or not,” said Malik.

When asked what he would like to see added to Senate 2026, Malik said “completely remote programs for students.”

Sahib MALIK

Kamil Kanji is running for re-election to the Senate on a platform of increasing academic support, implementing more equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives and improving Senate efficiency and transparency — things he’s run on before but says require more time to complete.

He is the AMS VP academic and university affairs (VP AUA), which he said will help his work on the Senate as the VP AUA works with many of the same university administrators.

Kamil Kanji

is one of two incumbents running in this year’s Senate race, bringing two years of experience that will help him advocate for student priorities around expanding academic support systems and equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives. As a lead author of Senate 2026 — the Student Senate Caucus’ three-year policy strategy — he’s demonstrated an ability to work with other student senators to push for student-focused policies. But, while he has delivered results, he has also struggled to engage with the students who elected him, forgetting that you can walk and talk at the same time.

Kanji said he hopes to continue the advocacy he is currently working on for less strict requirements to qualify for exam hardships, drafting and distributing the Student Senate Caucus’s three-year policy goals among Senate committees and working on guidelines for the use of AI technologies in the classroom. He also wants to continue pushing for improvements to UBC’s academic support system, including expanding lecture recording capabilities

The second part of Malik’s platform addresses perceived issues with the Senate’s transparency.

Malik said “there’s almost no transparency on what Senate is doing,” and stressed the importance of keeping the Senate website up-to-date, as well as publishing meeting minutes in a timely fashion.

He also noted that the size of the Senate and monthly meeting schedule could make accomplishing his goals a challenge. Malik said he plans to achieve these goals by talking to like-minded senators and students, but didn’t elaborate on any specific targets.

If elected, Malik said he will lean on his experience outside the university to help him adjust to being a student senator. Malik worked as a youth member of BC United.

While Malik didn’t detail a plan on how he will engage with students, he stressed that he will always be open to hearing from them.

Commuter

students are the focus of Malik’s platform, which aims to expand remote class offerings. He has done some research, but his main platform promises are extremely ambitious and would face significant hurdles in the slow-moving Senate, considering student terms are only a year long. When it comes to issues beyond the central focus of his platform, his proposals can also lack specificity. Malik has a clear focus, but his inexperience and infeasible goals could hamper his effectiveness as a senator-at-large.

in classrooms and ensuring libraries are open 24/7 during exam periods.

Kanji said he would advocate for more EDI initiatives, including the “efficient” implementation of UBC’s Inclusion Action and Indigenous Action plans through the creation of a Senate committee for academic diversity and inclusion. When asked how he would make the Senate more transparent — something he has run on before — Kanji said he believed this year’s Student Caucus has “made more progress than most caucuses before us” in this area — the Senate Student Caucus’s website and social media have not been updated since 2022. Ultimately, Kanji said his experience in the Senate would be an asset, particularly given that UBC has said there will be no budgetary asks in the 2024/25 year due to budget shortfalls.

“I’ve shown time and time again, that I know how to use the system to make sure we’re benefit ing students.”

SENATE

Kamil KANJI

Taushifa Shaikh is running to be a student senator-at-large with a campaign focused on equity and diversity in the curriculum, clear course communication and community building.

The third-year political science student wants to encourage further participation in UBC’s surveys among her peers. She aims to accomplish this by implementing mid-session course feedback surveys to help adapt courses to its current batch of students.

She said the Student Service Centre currently doesn’t have enough information to help students make informed choices about course registration.

Although Shaikh’s work at the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation gives her experience in bureaucratic processes, her focus on housing policies and affordability is not particularly relevant to the Senate. She held herself well on the debate stage despite her lack of experience in student government, though she may be set back by her seemingly surface-level knowledge of prior Senate policies and lack of direction in her platform.

Instead of the current “two line description” of courses, she aims to push for syllabi, instructor information and previous course averages to be readily available for all courses during registration.

Referencing the latest academic experience survey in which Black and Indigenous

students said they experienced racism from their peers and profes sors, Shaikh hopes to develop an “intersectionality and decolonial framework within the academic framework.”

She hopes to pilot this by giving students specific training to prevent microaggressions through a self-paced diversity, equity and inclusion course on Canvas.

She expressed concerns regarding the lack of merit-based academic scholarships for international students as the Trek Excellence Scholarship, which was previously accessible to all students, is now restricted to only domestic students.

When asked about the Disability Accommodation Policy (LR7), which goes under review next year, she did not comment.

In response to concerns about Senate communications to students, Shaikh criticized prior senators for disappearing as soon as they get elected.

If elected, she hopes to create a community “that really cares about each other” and uphold a social responsibility to stay informed.

Taushifa SHAIKH

SENAT E

Solomon Yi-Kieran is running to earn a seat as a student senator-at-large on a platform of academic and accessibility support.

His campaign is set on pushing “concrete and very reasonably doable policies” that have immediate benefits for students.

He hopes to use his experience in provincial politics as a member of the BC NDP party to advocate for policies in the Senate.

His platform dubbed, “Advocating for You,” is an effort to help give students in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community more attention to their concerns. Yi-Kieran plans to push for a system which allows all students to report their pronouns to the teaching team without being misgendered or outed to their peers.

“I’d have friends who had been repeatedly misgendered by professors who just aren’t taking the time to care to learn about their pronouns, and that makes [the classroom] a less comfortable space,” he said.

On academic support, Yi-Kieran’s main goal is to install

a database of previous exams for each course to help students succeed in culminating evaluations.

He also sees issues in current policies with exam accommodations in regards to examination hardship, cancellation and clashes. Current exam hardship policies allow students to reschedule an exam when there are three or more formal evaluations during a 24-hour period.

Yi-Kieran wants to revise this by reducing the requirement to two exams within a 12-hour period, citing a need for the institution to be “a lot more reasonable for students who have to juggle a lot.”

Yi-Kieran said he comes into this race with “a fresh set of eyes.”

As a first-year student, he feels an even greater need to fight for issues that he is “going to have to deal with everyday for the next four years” if he doesn’t take a stand now.

SOLOMON YI-KERIAN

First-year student Jasper Lorien is running to claim one of five student senator-at-large seats on a platform promoting accessibility, institutional accountability and affordability.

When asked what made them decide to run, they said they took inspiration from their many community discussions.

During their first year at UBC, Lorien has worked extensively with the Disabilities United Collective on addressing accessibility needs of disabled students. As a disabled student themself,

Lorien’s campaign focuses on advocating for the needs of disabled students. They bring their extensive involvement in advocacy with Disability United Collective and have a meaningful platform focused on self-certified academic concessions, accessibility in UBC buildings and addressing UBC ties with organizations complicit in human rights abuses. While Lorien’s advocacy experience is outside student government, at the debates they showed expertise and familiarity with Senate policies.

Lorien further emphasized the need for someone with a level of personal experience at Senate meetings.

One of Lorien’s ideas concerns reforming academic concessions. They hope to change the policy that issues concessions to include temporary illnesses and conditions.

Lorien also hopes to bring to light the struggle for students

to receive letters of diagnosis for accommodations in a timely manner “especially in BC where we have really long wait times.” They cited policies at other Canadian institutions, such as the University of Toronto, which allow for self-certification for concessions.

While investigating problems with physical accessibility, Lorien also noticed that many classrooms and buildings at UBC remain inaccessible for students with disabilities.

They also noted their desire to cut academic ties with institutions complicit in human rights violations, citing Israel’s actions in Palestine. They hope to push for a policy to “disallow the creation of those partnerships [with countries accused of human rights abuses] at all.”

In discussion regarding open educational resources, Lorien believes the university needs to do more. They think that all lab equipment should be paid by the university as a part of tuition costs. Similarly, they also plan to lower the cost of required online testing materials with the “end goal of getting full affordability of everything.”

Yi-Kieran brings a fresh perspective to the table as a first-year in the Senate race. He is keen on amplifying 2SLGBTQIA+ and international student voices. As a member of the BC NDP and first-year representative on Arts Undergraduate Society, he brings some prior experience in student advocacy and governance. Despite being a newcomer, Yi-Kieran has shown he can go toe-to-toe with his fellow candidates in debates and has a genuine passion for academic policy.

AMS Elections 2024 referenda, explained

Election season is more than just voting for candidates — voting on referendum questions is another way to voice your perspectives on timely issues affecting the university and its students. After AMS Council removed three student-petitioned referendum questions from the general elections ballot, one question remains.

“The Vice-President Finance shall every three years create a threeyear financial plan for the Society, the details of which shall be outlined in the Code or in an internal policy.”

This referendum question, put on the ballot by an AMS Council vote, amends bylaw 11 and creates a responsibility for the VP finance to create a three-year financial plan for the society every three years. This ensures the AMS is incorporating long-term decision making into its everyday operations.

In a written statement to The Ubyssey, Interim President Ben Du encouraged students to vote ‘yes’ to this petition in order to reinforce a “best practice of responsible management of their student fees.” Similarly to previous years, the AMS is anticipating a deficit.

This year, the AMS anticipated a $738,000 deficit for the 2023/24 budget.

Du wrote that the need for longterm financial strategy has been brought up by several executives in the past. He wrote that the referendum also reflects a commitment to the AMS’s five-year Strategic Plan. “It will inspire cohesion between the executive leadership, student supporting staff, and permanent staff to promote financial stability, optimization of resources, and a sustainable trajectory forward,” he wrote.

In a dynamic environment like the AMS, he explained that this referendum would help fight “short-termism” while still remaining committed to their membership. “A vote for this referendum is a vote for financial stability.”

photo by ISABELLA FALSETTI

From the Cult: Dear AMS, please waste more money

by ELITA MENEZES

photo by GEOFF LISTER

Inflation. Deficit. Fiscal quarter.

Terms like these are always on the minds of AMS Finance Committee members. Heading it all is the VP finance, an elected executive in the AMS who does money stuff, according to my 50 hours of research. But what does that mean for students?

One notable action from AMS finances this year was making fee opt-outs digital and more straightforward, letting you keep a whopping $24.86 if you choose not to fund resource groups and other organizations on campus (including The Ubyssey).

Sure, resource groups have had to scale back the advocacy and support they provide for students, and sure, $24.86 is just a tiny fraction of the $773.84 in total AMS student fees for everything from health care to athletics. But after buying a laptop in AMS fees you can save enough for three items from Blue Chip — I’m thinking turkey sandwich, T-Bird muffin, 16 oz matcha latte, tax and tip. Or 24.86 per cent

of something that costs $100. (Or even $24.86 worth of lipstick for a pig.) The sky's the limit (for everyone besides the groups affected, whose skies have become pretty limited).

This year’s VP finance has tried for a money-conscious streak, despite the finance office going over their allocated budget.

In the words of ABBA, “Money, money, money / Must be funny.” But, truthfully, it’s not. It’s very serious. And as much as the AMS Finance Committee does, and IDK they probably do a lot I guess, they’ve completely ignored a massive issue with the AMS’s budget and how it affects student life.

The anticipated budgetary deficit for the 2023/24 academic year was $738,766. Lots of missing cash, sure, but that’s not the main problem here. The real issue is that $738,766 is a mouthful.

Just say it. Seven hundred thirty eight-thousand seven hundred and sixty-six dollars. Now, say this: one million dollars. Doesn’t it feel like

your quality of life as a student has improved because you didn’t have to say, like, nine whole words? This is why I propose a new plan: make the deficit for the 2024/25 school year a nice number like $1,000,000. This way, we normal students can comfortably talk about finances without basic numerical literacy.

Naysayers may say the solution is to eliminate the deficit altogether, which the AMS is supposedly already working on — ok, nerds. But we need to be realistic. Inflation is inflating. Costs and debt are both on the rise, and we can’t solve money without increasing interest rates and lowering the prices of bonds, but I’m already too interested and don’t want to buy a British secret agent — it just wouldn’t work. Instead of lifting ourselves out of debt, the proven solution is to just dig a little bit more to make the hole more aesthetic.

In order to put this plan into action, the AMS would need more expenses or fewer sources of revenue.

But the AMS stands for student experience (maybe, I’m still not

sure). Student opinions should be considered while determining what frivolous places their money goes, so we found some people on campus and asked them how they would deplete the multi-million dollar AMS budget.

Fourth-year economics student

Milton Friedman-Friedman wants more complimentary items.

“Free waffle makers please. You can make so many things — here, look at this picture of a waffle lasagne,” said Friedman-Friedman before pulling up a photo that can only be described as a crime against breakfast foods. “Oh, and this beeffilled banana cream waffle donut.”

Unfortunately, I was unable to conclude the interview as I ran away.

“So I figure students need guidance, right? Consider this: fortune cookies at the entrance of each building,” said first-year arts student Econo McCrisis. They proposed making the cookies university-specific, with phrases like “Now is the time to reconsider your major” and “You won’t get

a virus pirating your textbooks.” McCrisis said this would solve a lot of their problems.

“Well, I think investing more money into student services and lowering the cost of food services is a good thing,” said third-year biology major Burt Toast. “Especially when prices are always going up, we need a union that will advocate for our needs and listen when they’re not being met,” said Toast.

Yeesh. Maybe let’s go back to the waffle makers?

“Definitely a SeaBus. It would be a lot more convenient,” said another student whose name we were unable to obtain because she took off in a sprint.

I don’t know how. I don’t know what. I don’t know who or why. But if there’s one thing I do know, it’s that we've gotta get to that milly.

From the Cult is The Ubyssey’s unofficial AMS Election coverage. For official elections coverage, visit the news section and follow us @UbysseyNews on Twitter.

AMS Elections 2024 BINGO

“This show stayed in my mind for six years… It’s just magical, it’s spiritual, it’s uplifting, it’s endearing.”

—Kalpana Pandit, actress

“It is breathtaking! I am walking away deeply inspired and profoundly moved!”

—Rita Cosby, Emmy Award-winning journalist

“Mesmerizing! Reclaiming the divinely inspired cultural heritage of China… I encourage everyone to see and all of us to learn from.”

A Performance That Truly Matters This Is What You’ve Been Waiting For

—Donna Karan, fashion designer

“Really out of this world! The words to describe it might be ‘divine,’ ‘reborn,’ and ‘hope.’ See it to believe it!”

“This show stayed in my mind for six years… It’s just magical, it’s spiritual, it’s uplifting, it’s endearing.”

—Christine Walevska, “Goddess of the Cello”

—Kalpana Pandit, actress

“Spiritually uplifting. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience and you must not miss it!”

—Coral Drouyn, theatre critic

“The eighth wonder of the world! Go see it to believe it.”

—Joe Heard, former White House photographer

and inspire. Soak up energy and athleticism that’ll invigorate your senses, and rhythms and melodies that boost the spirit. Its timeless stories of valour fill hearts with courage, imbued with love, wisdom, and hope to lighten up your day. Not just another show but an enchantment you’ll cherish forever.

A PERFORMANCE THAT HAS LEFT MILLIONS IN AWE

A PERFORMANCE THAT HAS LEFT MILLIONS IN AWE

A PERFORMANCE THAT HAS LEFT MILLIONS IN AWE

Some theatregoers drive hundreds of miles to see it. Others watch the same performance five or six times. It’s the experience you’ve been waiting a lifetime for. Don’t miss it!

A world-class experience beyond your imagination! Immerse in this breathtaking journey that has left millions in awe.

A world-class experience beyond your imagination! Immerse in this breathtaking journey that has left millions in awe.

A world-class experience beyond your imagination! Immerse in this breathtaking journey that has left millions in awe.

Bask in beauty and grace that uplift and inspire. Soak up energy and athleticism that’ll invigorate your senses, and rhythms and melodies that boost the spirit. Its timeless stories of valour fill hearts with courage, imbued with love, wisdom, and hope to lighten up your day. Not just another show but an enchantment you’ll cherish forever.

Bask in beauty and grace that uplift and inspire. Soak up energy and athleticism that’ll invigorate your senses, and rhythms and melodies that boost the spirit. Its timeless stories of valour fill hearts with courage, imbued with love, wisdom, and hope to lighten up your day. Not just another show but an enchantment you’ll cherish forever.

Bask in beauty and grace that uplift and inspire. Soak up energy and athleticism that’ll invigorate your senses, and rhythms and melodies that boost the spirit. Its timeless stories of valour fill hearts with courage, imbued with love, wisdom, and hope to lighten up your day. Not just another show but an enchantment you’ll cherish forever.

Some theatregoers drive hundreds of miles to see it. Others watch the same performance five or six times. It’s the experience you’ve been waiting a lifetime for. Don’t miss it!

Some theatregoers drive hundreds of miles to see it. Others watch the same performance five or six times. It’s the experience you’ve been waiting a lifetime for. Don’t miss it!

Some theatregoers drive hundreds of miles to see it. Others watch the same performance five or six times. It’s the experience you’ve been waiting a lifetime for. Don’t miss it!

Lincoln Center In New York US

Palais des Congrès de Paris France | Apr 29 2023

Four Seasons Centre In Toronto Canada

Lincoln Center In New York US

Palais des Congrès de Paris France

Four Seasons Centre In Toronto

Lincoln Center In New York US | Apr 16, 2023

Palais des Congrès de Paris France | Apr 29 2023

Four Seasons Centre In Toronto Canada | Apr 9, 2023

Palais

Paris France | Apr 29 2023

Four Seasons Centre In Toronto Canada | Apr 9, 2023