Nick d’Entremont is a third-year student running for the Dalhousie Student Union’s vice-president of academic & external position. He’s studying political science.
Four students — d’Entremont, Ramandeep Singh, Alex Amin and Brijesh Varsani — are running for the position. Amin and Varsani couldn’t be reached for interviews.
The below snippets of the Gazette’s interview with d’Entremont are edited for clarity and grammar.
Why do you want to become the academic and external vice president?
I think it’s really about the roles and responsibilities that come with being the VP of academic and external. I’m really intrigued and interested in championing and representing students on academic issues and tuition fees and also working with municipal, provincial and federal governments to create change for students.
What makes you the right candidate for this role?
I think I have the skills necessary to work with everyone and create meaningful change. I think experience is also an asset. I was a provincial candidate in the most recent 2021 Nova Scotia general election, I ran as a Liberal candidate to be the member of legislative assembly for my home riding of Argyle [near Yarmouth]. I think as VP I could use some of the skills, networks and connections from that experience to make an impact on our campus.
What are some of the key points of your campaign?
My entire campaign is about accessibility. Accessibility means a lot of things. It’s about removing barriers that students face and ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to receive services on campus and an education. Accessibility is about being able to afford education. We’ve seen with increasing tuition costs that Dalhousie doesn’t have our interest at heart. I think with the current cost of living crisis, some people may be watching what they spend now or budgeting more because it’s getting difficult to get groceries and pay rent. I think we need to have a conversation about how the dollar figure on our tuition is reflective. Do we think that the amount we’re paying is the right value for our education? I don’t think it’s reflected in the amount we pay.
How are you currently involved in the Dalhousie community?
Currently, I’m not involved. I’ve kind of taken a pause on volunteering for a bit, just to focus more on my education. But I have in the past reached out to the DSU to get more involved. And I’ve actually found it difficult to get involved, to get a response in a timely manner or a response at all. So I’m hoping that for the next DSU executive that comes in, it’s going to make it much more open and an easier place and environment to be able to volunteer and help out.
How are you planning on fitting this role into your schedule?
I really enjoy the roles and responsibilities that come with this. It will be about managing my time effectively. I think it’s important that we have an accessible council and student union. If a student wanted to text me or call me at any point, I think it’s important that I’m accessible to them and I would be able to get to them in a timely manner. So it would be a priority for me to balance out courses, personal life and being a DSU executive.
Cover photo: Dalhousie Student Union
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