Interviews by Katrina Pyne
Jonathan Michael Magill, 19, Second-year political science
Hometown: Aurora, Ont.
Who do you aspire to be? Someone who will represent the students well
Describe yourself in three words: Patient, hardworking and understanding
Past experience: Eliza Ritchie Hall Residence Council, Frosh Week leader, DSU leadership program, campus tour guide, Dal events.
Magill has four major points of focus for the upcoming academic year.
The first is to improve computing and information technology services. Magill says any student who pays tuition needs a properly functioning Internet network across campus. According to Magill, the MyDal infrastructure needs to get updated.
“My second point of focus is libraries. We have the largest library in the Maritimes, so I want to make sure the service reflects that,” says Magill. “I want to make sure that staff are up to par with where they should be at this university.”
Magill also says the library needs to be open later and that students need more study spaces on campus.
Lastly, Magill would like to improve the academic appeals process by making sure that the policy makes it easy for students and professors to come forward if they feel uncomfortable.
“I think that whole process needs to be really communicated clearly to the students.”
As he is studying political science, it makes sense for him to become involved in student politics. He says he wants to get more involved at Dalhousie.
“I want to be a charismatic figure, engaging the students and the administration to formulate the right decision together,” says Magill.
After years of working with the public and students, he says he is very approachable.
“I really enjoy this stuff, students politics are important and the DSU is really important to me. You have to always keep in mind what’s best for the student body.”
Margaret Scrimgeour, 21, Fourth-year political science and international development
Hometown: Grand Bend, Ont.
Who do you aspire to be? A positive person with a positive outlook on life.
Describe yourself in three words: Positive, caring and active
Past experience: Manager of Archie’s Surf Shop, sales associate at Roots Canada, brand ambassador for ROXY.
Scrimgeour says that she is a customer service oriented person. She says that this quality will help her to find out what students want and deliver it to them.
According to her, the biggest concern right now is finding a way to either “prevent tuition raises or try to minimize the rises that might be implemented in the future.”
Scrimgeour says the fact that Dalhousie has repeatedly received low scores in food rating’s means its food contracts are not accommodating to all the needs of the students on campus. She feels that students need to provide their input on what types of food they would like to have on campus.
“We really need to get a well rounded idea of what students want to see in the future with regards to food services on campus.”
Scrimgeour also wants to address the need for a 24-hour campus study space.
Part of the problem with student issues, she believes, is that students don’t know how to get involved in them. She suggests getting an online forum for students to voice their opinions if they don’t have the time to come out to meetings.
“We need to find a way to reach students that’s more accessible to them, either through Facebook or Twitter,” she says.
She says that the very fact that there are three senate positions and only two students running for them says something. “It shows a general disinterest towards the DSU and the student body. I think that really needs to be addressed.”
“I’ve never done this before so there is a lot I am going to have to learn, but I am a quick learner so I think those challenges will be easily overcome.”
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