Q&A with DSU vice-president internal candidate, Alexander Tzovolos
The DSU general election’s voting period is from Feb. 10 to 11
Alexander Tzovolos is a fourth-year marine biology student running in the Dalhousie Student Union’s general election for vice-president internal.
Four students — Tzovolos, Zain Ul Abideen, Marzan Chowdhury and Suha Manal — are running for the position.
He ran for the position in last year’s election, losing by 66 votes.
This interview has been edited for clarity, grammar and length.
Why are you running for vice-president internal?
I firmly believe there are some major shortcomings in the way that things are run now with regard to the way students perceive societies, and the way societies interact with the DSU and students as a whole. There were some things which I could contribute to Dalhousie University as a whole that could benefit everyone, and I didn’t feel like that was happening with the administration as it is now.
What previous experience do you have that makes you the best candidate for this position?
I’m the president of the anime club, through which I’ve interacted with many societies. I’m an admin for the e-sports society, and I’m a fourth-year rep for the recreational fishing society. I know what general-interest and larger societies need, and I know what it’s like to be in a new society. I’ve also been talking to people from constituent societies and levy societies, and that’s given me insight into how they operate and how things should run.
What are the three most important things your campaign is based on?
Firstly, for me, is society expo reform; there are some significant things I can do to change it. Another is the representation of students on Sexton Campus. I’ve talked to some people [who run] engineering societies, and they told me about problems they’re having that should’ve already been fixed, but they haven’t seen any progress. Lastly, collaborations between societies. I want to make it easier for societies to connect with one another to host major events.
What is the biggest issue students face on campus today?
A lack of seeing the changes that are being made. I asked people what they think the VPI does, and they said, “I don’t know, society stuff.” It’s important to say, “No, these are the things I’m doing for you. If you’re not seeing these things, this is what you should push for, and these are the people you need to contact if you want to better the DSU or campus life.”
How will you interact with the Dalhousie community if you assume this position?
The main thing that I want to do is interact with society leaders more. I’m more than happy to interact with students to help start societies or address general inquiries about them, but a VPI should be much more focused on making sure societies feel heard. The recreational fishing society has been trying to put on a bake sale; they put in a request twice, and they’ve heard nothing back. I want to make it clear to societies, “This is the expected wait time. This is what you should do instead of emailing this person.”
What do you think is the main challenge you will face in this position?
Balancing all the personal projects I want to do with the actual job. There’s a [substantial salary] attached to an elected position. That’s not something to be taken [lightly] and done last-minute. I like hanging out with friends, but this is something serious, so it will take priority. Maybe I’ll be a little sad that I won’t see people as much.
