This interview has been edited for clarity, grammar and length.
Why did you decide to run for DSU president?
In my time at Dalhousie, I’ve been on the residence team and had roles in accessibility and space planning over the summer, where I looked at Dal’s infrastructure and looked at where we had deficits. I’ve also worked with the DMCRT [Dalhousie Medical Campus Response Team]. In all of my positions, I found that when I spoke to the people I was working with and people I was trying to help, I found so many holes and issues with bureaucracy and where students aren’t being met where they’re at. That’s what motivated me to run for president. I’m running because I want to change that. I want to be able to bridge that gap to where students are.
Have you been involved with the DSU before?
I currently work as a front desk manager at the DSU. So I work at the information desk. I’ve been around the DSU for about eight months now.
Why didn’t you run in the last election?
Actually, I did run in the last election. I ran for vice-president (academic and external). I ran, and I had an amazing competitor, Ethan. Ethan did a really, really good job, and I lost. I guess I wanted to keep that going, because everybody that I knew, including people who ran, asked me to run again and give it a shot.
Why do you think you’re the best person for the job?
I’ve spent my time at Dalhousie stepping into roles that demanded real action, not just conversation. As a resident assistant team lead, I was the first point of contact for students facing everything from mental health crises to housing instability with their roommates, and I’ve learned to lead with empathy, de-escalate high pressure situations and build community from the ground up. With my role as accessibility and space planning assistant, I work with the housing facilities management to audit campus spaces and push for inclusive infrastructure, like clear signage, better mobility and more visible student environments. As a medical responder with the DMCRT I’ve been on the ground supporting students during moments of crisis, offering both physical and mental health first aid. Understanding what the person in front of you is going through — be that during an overdose, or during a time of struggle — looking at another human being with empathy and understanding what they’re enduring, I think is my biggest reason.
What are some of the key points of your campaign?
One of my biggest goals is to strengthen accessibility on campus, not just physically, but financially and academically. I want to launch a student accessibility support initiative that helps the Accessibility Centre with staffing and outreach, ensuring students get the accommodations they need without delay or added stress. I want accessibility to be proactive, not reactive. I want to reduce the red tape that students have to go through just to get their accessibility needs met.
I want to see the DSU become more than just a student union that runs a deficit every year. I want it to be a revenue generating force that gives back. We can use the DSU’s event and conference services that are already bringing in income through bookings. I want to expand on that work by partnering with more local businesses and community groups. That revenue can be reinvested directly into bursaries, food security and programs like the Loaded Ladle or the Beet Street student market — initiatives that actually make a tangible difference in our students’ lives.
I also plan on adding a job board, a housing board and a scholarship page to the DSU website, so the students can easily navigate what they’re going through in terms of finding a job or housing. Even though we already have Mycareer as a website, there are a lot of small-time jobs, at convenience stores or restaurants, that go unnoticed and aren’t posted online; students have to go there physically. In terms of housing, if you have a housing board by students, for students, it’s a lot easier for people to communicate with each other and find spaces for affordable living. I feel like there are a lot of scholarships that don’t have enough competition or go unnoticed, because students just don’t know about them, and having them in one consolidated page for every faculty makes every student understand what opportunities are available.
None of that works without trust. That’s why I want to introduce a biweekly online segment that breaks down what happens in the DSU, explaining to students what we did, why we did it and what the budget looks like.
Finally, I want the DSU to be the hub of student life like it was 10 years ago, where everybody used to spend most of their time in the DSU. I want to be able to celebrate every cultural and religious festival — Diwali, Eid, Lunar New Year, Holi, Hanukkah — so every student sees themselves reflected in campus life. I’m going to make sure that every festival has a space in the DSU.
Are you planning on continuing the current administration’s initiative of pushing the Board of Governors to divest from Israel?
One hundred per cent. I feel like Dalhousie, being a representative of the students, needs to keep pushing against morally grey investments and morally grey endowments. The humanitarian need reflected in people in Palestine is the humanitarian need reflected in human beings. We need to understand, we need to be empathetic, and we need to keep fighting for justice.
What do you think the current DSU administration could have done better?
There are a few things, like the budget not being posted since 2023, that are big issues. I know that people who work there currently do the best they can, and I don’t want to build a campaign based on knocking people down. I’d rather build on what they already have done. I’d build on what Mariam has done in terms of pushing for advocacy for Palestine. I’d build on what Nick’s done, what William’s done and what Bianca has done.
I’ll keep pushing for things like getting rid of Chartwells [food service] for big events where cultural food is required. For example, a few years ago, the Black Student Association wanted to have an event in the McInnes, and they wanted to have authentic Black food for their event, but they weren’t able to do that because the only service that we offer is Chartwells. Getting rid of bureaucracy like this, so that students can enjoy their time with the DSU instead of not being able to use the only union that represents them. That’s the biggest thing that I would like to fix — getting rid of the bureaucracy, getting rid of the red tape, to make students feel like the student union is actually for them.
Why is it significant that a byelection was called and the bylaws weren’t just amended to make Matt Lawton president?
I think it’s significant because Matt Lawton lost, and giving people the choice to run again is what’s most essential in terms of having a democratic government. If appointment was the only system that worked because somebody resigned, then I don’t think it’s a fair, institutional way to deal with things. Bianca won for a reason, and Bianca resigned, and I think students have to have the ability to choose once again.
How will you support students amidst expected tuition increases and the slashing of Dal’s budget, specifically to programs in the faculty of arts and social science?
The tuition increases because of Dal’s budget cuts are something that we’re going to have to keep fighting against, regardless of what Dal says. We have to come up with systems that help us fight for international students. I’m an international student myself, and it’s insanely frustrating to have tuition go from $12,000 per term to $17,000, in a year and a half or two years. It’s insanely burdening, and even makes people defer Dal, drop out, change universities or change courses in life, and that’s not beneficial, even for Dalhousie financially. I guess making that point to them, making them understand that increasing their tuition while offering services that are less than subpar isn’t a fair deal for their students.
In terms of arts and social science students, I feel like we need to keep supporting them. Students can do the same thing as the recreational therapy students — what they did was start hosting events where people came, and donated money to be in those events. Anything in terms of helping those faculties maintain their status or keep running. Because they’re an integral part of Dalhousie, and their students are an integral part of what we represent as human beings and what we do as a university. There are too many things that students have achieved in those faculties that shouldn’t be dismissed because of a budget cut.
Recent Comments