Eshan Arora is a third-year medical sciences student running for the Dalhousie Student Union’s board of governors representative position.
Two students — Arora and Ryan Dee — are running for the position. Dee couldn’t be reached for an interview.
The below snippets of the Gazette’s interview with Arora are edited for clarity and grammar.
Why do you want to run for board of governors representative?
I’ve had a lot of experience pushing for and advocating around the university, especially concerning disability inclusion and accessibility. I’ve had experience in student government through the Dalhousie Science Society, where I’m the [representative] for the Medical Sciences Society. I have experience and understanding of the bureaucratic stuff that goes on at Dal and I want to further understand the full architecture of the bureaucratic process.
At first, when I was looking into the position and debating if it would be a good fit for me, I spoke with the current board of governors representative. He explained to me the whole process and the role that we have to play in being impartial and not having any bias, but also ensuring everyone’s perspective is considered. We’re not here to push a certain agenda, but if there are issues or concerns that are widely held in the student body, we need to ensure that it is known by the board.
What makes you the best candidate for board of governors representative?
In addition to my previous experiences and the skills I gained from them, I think my dedication to the role and having connected with and understood the position prior to going forward with this election process solidifies my commitment to this role. I would say that my understanding and insights into what is needed for this position are much better than they would’ve been if I hadn’t tried to understand the position and meet with the previous leadership.
How do you like to connect with the Dalhousie community and how do you think that being a part of the DSU will help you connect with the Dalhousie community more?
I do a lot of volunteering, and I’ve jumped at every opportunity I’ve had. Whether it’s within my own program, medical sciences, giving back through being in the Concussion Legacy Foundation chapter at Dalhousie or pushing for disability and inclusion, these experiences have given me the opportunity to connect with various groups.
Also, being a member of the BIPOC community, I have my own cultural connections and relations to those communities. I have a far-reaching and diverse personality, which allows me to connect with lots of different communities. I think that is the perfect skill set for being the board of governors representative because having awareness and connection with all these different communities improves my knowledge of concerns and issues that are going on.
In terms of connecting with the Dalhousie community further, I think being on the DSU council would allow me to connect with other like-minded individuals that have their own skills and experiences that I can learn from and collaborate with. I also think understanding the back end of the bureaucratic system and the board of governors system and the ways that they approach issues and concerns is valuable because I can provide a student opinion and perspective.
Cover photo: Dalhousie Student Union
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