DSU VP Student Life Candidate: Irene Saliendra

Editor’ Note: This interview has been edited and formatted for style and clarity

Name: Irene Rose Saliendra

Program and year: 3rd-year Business Management, majoring in entrepreneurship and innovation

Why are you running? What made you decide to run?

For the past three years I have been involved in student engagement initiatives and events, and have been activity pursuing new ways to engage and attract students on campus. With this passion and the jobs that I have held on campus, I have gone out of my way to talk to student on the aspects they feel that student life is lacking for them.

What are your goals of elected?

My primary goal if elected is to create impactful programing.

Impactful looks at making an impact or a statement, leaving a place or space or individual a little bit different or more empowered than previously.

Programming can be an event, workshops, networking, facilitation.

Putting these two words together, I am looking to conduct initiates that leaves a place, space, person a little bit different or empowered through facilitations of events, keynotes, networking. Putting this concept into context; I want to upgrade and enhance the DSU app. Have it be more functional and effective for students to use which will benefit the current students and students entering. Through this also having a location where all events are located on campus, not just DSU events but also faculty, society, and student groups.

Another thing I will do is create a student life committee that has equal representation of all student groups on campus to have direct communication with those groups to find out what forms of impactful programing that they want. Lastly, I will work to increase the awareness of services that we have here on campus. Through increasing awareness of these services will increase the utilization of them by students which will result in them an improved student life for individuals.

What is something interesting about you that the student body would be interested to know?

I was born in Canada but speak fluently in my native tongue, Filipino, and often feel it is easier to find my words through my second language than in English.

What are the responsibilities of the Vice President of Student Life?

The responsibilities of the Vice President of Student life include;

Facilitating and planning diverse programming that emphasises an inclusive environment

Working with the wellness of students and seeing their needs in that department (mental health, sexual health, stress management, etc)

Working with Athletics to facilitate programming that intertwines their students and facilities to other students

Collaborating with societies on programing and helping them improve their current programing to gain a larger outreach and easier access to campus resources. Connecting with students on a personal level to know what they want to see happen on campus