BY PRECIOUS AKANINYENE / STAFF WRITER

As universities aim to build a stronger school community, one vital aspect is the existence of a student government association. In order to make sure that the opinions of the students are heard and that their issues are taken seriously, the Augustana Student Association (ASA) is essential.

The ASA officials, who were recently elected for the upcoming academic year, bring a fresh perspective and new ideas to the table. They are committed to ensuring that they represent the student body adequately, and their goals aim to create a vibrant, inclusive, and supportive community. In this article, we introduce the newly elected ASA officials and their goals for the upcoming academic year.

Spotlight on the Newly Elected Officials

Logan Driedger (Fine Arts Representative)

Question 1: Can you share a bit about yourself?

Answer: I’m a second-year Creativity and Culture Studies major with a specialization in Drama. I was born and raised in Calgary but decided to study at Augustana because of the smaller class sizes and unique opportunities. In my free time, I enjoy getting up to shenanigans with my friends and watching movies/TV. A little fun fact about me is that I have a particular affinity for giraffes!

Question 2: What inspired you to run for this position, and what do you hope to achieve during your term in office?

Answer: In my time so far at Augustana, I’ve gotten to try so many new things and meet so many cool, talented people. As such, I want to continue getting involved in our community, and more specifically improve the experiences of Arts students, who are often overlooked. I would also like to learn more about organizing events and what that whole process entails.

Question 3: Can you share any specific initiatives or projects that you plan to implement during your term in office?

Answer: Unfortunately, it’s difficult to make any specific promises at this time. While I would personally like to push for more events that showcase student talent (art exhibitions, writing contests, etc.), I understand that being a council member on the ASA is about more than just my interests, but rather a collaboration between my colleagues and the students we represent. So—in short—I won’t know what my exact initiatives or projects will be until the fall when we really get to work, but I promise that come that time I will do everything in my power to advocate for students and improve their lives.

Lem Pagulayan (Off Campus Representative)

Question 1: Can you share a bit about yourself?

Answer: I am a second-year student studying chemistry. I moved to Canada about 5 years ago and stayed in Camrose for most of that time. Some of my hobbies are playing instruments (mainly the guitar), singing, playing badminton and playing computer games.

Question 2: What inspired you to run for this position, and what do you hope to achieve during your term in office?

Answer: I decided to run for off-campus representative because I thought it would be a fun experience and to gain more knowledge about how things work inside the school. I did not expect that no one else would be running for this position since a bigger part of the students that study in Augustana are living off campus. I am fairly new or inexperienced when it comes to planning events, but I am experienced in mediating between parties. Turnout for off-campus students participating in events, especially in the winter, are down by a bit and we’ll try to do something about that.

Question 3: Can you share any specific initiatives or projects that you plan to implement during your term in office?

Answer: One thing I see a decent amount of off-campus students participate in are the campus recreation drop-ins and tournaments. We’ll try to negotiate if we can extend the time for recreational drop-ins if it doesn’t hinder the allotted practice time for Augustanas athletes. We’ll also try to hold events similar to the off-campus dinner and keep doing this said event at least once per semester.

Jessica Mandrea (President)

Question 1: Can you share a bit about yourself?

Answer: I am a third-year Law, Crime and Justice student with a minor in Management and a certificate in Community Engagement Learning. I am passionate about sports, academics, and helping people. From being my high school’s Student Council President to serving on my MLAs advisory committee to being the team captain for many of the 11 sports I played in high school, I have a lot of leadership experience, and I am excited to use my skills to promote student wellness.

Question 2: What inspired you to run for this position, and what do you hope to achieve during your term in office?

Answer: My love for our campus and my peers inspired me to run for this position. I genuinely care about the students on this campus, and I know that in this position, I can make a positive difference in their lives. During my term, I hope to help address many student issues and inspire others to get involved.

Question 3: Can you share any specific initiatives or projects that you plan to implement during your term in office?

Answer: I have many initiatives that I am considering the logistics of. Three of the ones that I am most excited about are:

• Advocating for the change of the AUIDS core to have more faculty-specific topic options. I believe this will address issues of transferability and applicability.
• Hosting monthly forums that are paired with food or activities to ensure regular communication between students and the ASA. To further support this, I plan to ensure our decisions are informed by student feedback (in the form of polls, more visible office hours, and advertisements of upcoming ASA decisions).
• Promoting student mental health. This may be in the form of mental health sharing forums or bringing the peer support service to Augustana.

Sarah Nagel (Vice-President Student Life)

Question 1: Can you share a bit about yourself?

Answer: I am currently a third-year Bachelor of Science student majoring in Psychology. I have been a member of the Augustana Students’ Association (ASA) for three years, with my term as Vice President of Student Life (VPSL) next year marking my fourth year. Outside of my work with the ASA, I am an active member of several clubs, as well as Campus Recreation’s evening volleyball games. When I am not working on campus or doing homework, I like to listen to music and watch RuPaul’s Drag Race!

Question 2: What inspired you to run for this position, and what do you hope to achieve during your term in office?

Answer: I wanted to run for an executive position for my final year at Augustana, and I knew that VPSL was the right role for me. My major strength as an ASA representative, outside of my advocacy efforts, has been helping to organize events. During this current year, I had the experience of planning, organizing, and hosting an event almost entirely by myself. This Drag Bingo event ended up being very successful, so I feel like I am prepared to replicate this success in all of our events next year. I have heard from students that having events consistently throughout the academic year has been a great way to release stress, so I hope to plan several events spaced throughout both terms to give students plenty of opportunities to have fun and blow off steam. The biggest addition to my role has been organizing Wellness Weeks, but I am excited for the opportunity to bring unique activities to these Weeks. Overall, I am grateful that students elected me into this position, and I hope to make the most of my term by providing students with a large amount of both fun and informative events throughout the next academic year.

Question 3: Can you share any specific initiatives or projects that you plan to implement during your term in office?

Answer: I would like to continue the Gender Neutral Washroom initiative started by our current ASA President and VPSL. It is important to have available bathrooms for all students, including students who do not identify with gender binary terms, so I would like to put my best efforts into making this initiative a reality. Outside of this, I will be putting a large amount of my focus towards the events the ASA will be hosting throughout the year. Two of my campaign points involved more Drag Bingo and more events with safe alcohol consumption, so I would like to see these points come to life.

Nate Goetz (Social Science Representatives)

Question 1: Can you share a bit about yourself?

Answer: Well, I am a third-year student studying Law, Crime, and Justice, and I love attending Augustana. I decided to attend Augustana because I have had family in the Camrose area before, and I loved the idea of a smaller school where you could get to know people. Some of my hobbies are reading, walking, making coffee, and watching sitcoms. 

Question 2: What inspired you to run for this position, and what do you hope to achieve during your term in office?

Answer: I decided to run for the position of Social Science Representative because I want to be able to represent and fight on behalf of Social Science students at Augustana. There are quite a few issues that could use attention and I just want to be able to listen to students and bring those ideas to the table. I just want to provide the best representation possible. There are a few things I hope to achieve well in office. The first would be general advocacy, whether it is a current ASA initiative or whether it is a concern that is brought to me by a constituent. I want to be able to figure it out for them. Another thing I hope to do is work with student support to ensure that both requirements and course scheduling are clear, as right now there are issues with students not knowing when required courses will be offered, and courses often conflict with one another on the schedule.

Question 3: Can you share any specific initiatives or projects that you plan to implement during your term in office?

Answer: I have two specific initiatives I would like to do when in office. The first would be to bring current co-op opportunities to students’ attention so that students don’t have to leave the Camrose area to gain real experience in their field. The second initiative is having networking events within the Social Sciences department so that students can get to know their peers and professors better.

In conclusion, organisations that support student governance, such as the ASA, are essential to strengthening the school community. The newly elected officers offer new perspectives and a reaffirmed sense of commitment to making sure that the needs and concerns of the student population are properly represented. To guarantee that their voices are heard, it is crucial for students to get involved in student government and take part in future elections. The ASA gives students a platform to assume leadership positions and have a beneficial influence on the university community.

Visit the ASA website for further details if you’re thinking about running for office in the future or getting engaged in its initiatives. Let’s work together to build a thriving, welcoming, and encouraging community hat benefits all students.

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