Q&A with DSU residence representative candidate, Joshua DSouza

Joshua DSouza is a third-year chemical engineering student running in the Dalhousie Student Union’s general election for residence students’ community representative. 

He is running uncontested for the position. DSouza moved to Halifax as an international student from India in 2023. 

Currently a member of Dalhousie University’s Community Assistance Team, DSouza has previously been responsible for facilitating meetings, hosting activities and providing support to students who live in the university’s dormitories. 

This interview has been edited for clarity, grammar and length.

Why did you decide to run for this position?

Residence at Dalhousie has become my home since I came to Canada; I’ve lived in residence for the past three years. During my first year, I really felt alone being away from my family. That needs to change [for other students]. There are so many students in residence who are international, or they need someone to connect with. Who can understand them better than someone who’s already been in their shoes? Students approach members of the CAT in case they need any assistance or if they need someone to talk to. We are their first point of contact for whatever they need. I realized that I could do a good job as a CAT because I know what it feels like to feel left alone. I know what it feels like to be in a new place. But there are so many other students whose needs might not be addressed. So, proceeding from being a CAT to running for residence representative, I feel I can make a change.

Why are you qualified for this position?

I have been a member of the Community Assistance Team for two out of the three years I’ve been at Dalhousie. During these two years, I’ve had the privilege to support students in my residence, not just by programming events to make them feel included and foster a sense of home, but I’ve also been with them through conflict, stress, emergencies and times when they simply needed someone to listen. 

What are the main issues students in residence face?

Isolation is one of the main issues when students get to university; they go through a big transition. High school friends are left behind at home; they’ve got to start from scratch again. On top of that, the university load is a lot; balancing courses and all of that can get tough. So, along with students finding it difficult to make friends, they don’t necessarily have all the information about the different societies on campus. We need to help students connect with societies, because the best way to connect and make friends is by joining societies.

How are you planning on fixing these issues?

I want to make students more informed of resources and societies that are available on campus. By being part of the DSU, I’ll be able to further that. I will collaborate with members of the CAT in each residence, so we can have events in residence to promote these societies simultaneously. My goal is to ensure that the voices, the safety and the well-being of all our residence students, regardless of which residence they belong to, are constantly heard and represented within the DSU.