On Tuesday March 10th at 12pm the elections for UNB Saint John’s Student Representatives’ Council took place in the Whitebone Lounge.
There was a small turnout for the event, which was used to anchor the campaign week for candidates running in this year’s election.
Contesting the position of president are Ashley Macosky and Jordan Tracey. Macosky was the first candidate to speak. Having held the office of president of the student council from 2013-2014, Macosky believes he knows what it takes to fill the roll.
Macosky began by noting his disappointment with the turnout to the election speeches, but admitted it is a struggle of the SRC from year to year, engaging students. was how disappointing the turnout was.
Macosky stated that if elected president he hopes to change a variety of things in the university, but it starts with the SRC.
Having served as president, Macosky believes he knows what works and what does not regarding the SRC.
Macosky stated that some of the changes he hopes to achieve as president are needed “for the SRC to remain solvent and relevant moving forward and can only be seen as a result of being involved and committed”.
Jordan Tracey, the second presidential candidate, is currently serving as VP External on the SRC.
Tracey spoke a lot about his attributes and academic success, like being a Dean’s list student for the faculty of science, which he believes is the perfect trait for a university President to possess.
He feels that through his experience, he knows what hard work is and is not afraid to apply himself in tough situations.
Though Tracey has not had the role of president on the SRC, he does have the advantage of being on this year’s SRC, and being able to see what worked and what did not for this school year.
Many of the changes Tracey hopes to achieve are similar to his opponents, but one main goal for Tracey is to advocate for the student body on the UNBSJ campus, and to give them a voice.
Running unopposed for the position of VP External is Emily Fox.
Fox had served as interim VP External during the summer after the position became vacant due to election issues back at the end of the last academic year.
Fox’s hope is to pick up where she left off, and continue for the 2015-2016 school year.
One thing that Fox hopes to achieve is to encourage students to get out and vote in the upcoming Federal elections. For those students who do not follow the elections or feel lost at times, Fox hopes to simplify the process, which will hopefully encourage more students to cast their votes.
Fox also hopes to find more internships and volunteer opportunities for students. As a member of many clubs on campus and the president of the Multicultural society, Fox knows the responsibilities that come with such positions, and believes that her club involvement will be a benefit for her postion.
There were also two candidates contesting the positon of vice-president student affairs.
One candidate running for the position of VP Student Affairs is Kjeld Conyers-Steede, who is currently the International Representative.
Conyers-Steede believes that being an international student will benefit him because as an international student he was introduced to a completely different culture than he was used to, and was therefore forced to adapt.
Conyers-Steede took the opportunity to join as many clubs and groups as possible, which allowed him to interact with a variety of students, and see what each club needs.
“We have so many societies and clubs that go unrecognized and I feel that with more interactive activities such as conferences, mixers, & other social events; we can build a united University,” said Conyers-Steede.
“But with that being said I also plan to encourage societies and clubs to increase their enrolment and activities to allow students the chance to network and build relationships within the school”.
Also running for the position of VP student affairs is Josh Stanton, who is currently serving as the Science Representative on the SRC.
Being part of the SRC and seeing how the previous student affairs operated, Stanton believes that he is the perfect fit for the position of VP student affairs.
Stanton hopes to work with the clubs and societies on campus to help promote and expand the diverse community on campus.
“While my job focuses on clubs and societies as the VP of student affairs, I plan to do much more as a whole and contribute to every facet of UNBSJ to the best of ability.”
Stanton continued, “as a second year student, I know what our school is capable of and am excited for the years to come”.
Voting is underway and runs all week. You can listen to the speeches below.
Ashley Macosky’s speech and questions
Jordan Tracey’s speech and questions
Emily Fox’s speech and questions
Josh Stanton’s speech and questions
Kjeld Conyers’ speech and questions
