Graduate students’ association executive candidates
Aaron Glenn | Xupint Sun | Chandra B. Singh | Andy Bonar
Aaron Glenn
Third-year, soil science PhD
What experience do you bring to the position?
I’m the vp external this current year; as well as the prior year, I was the soil science . . . I have experience with other student groups and community organizations.
What will you do to make the GSA better?
I don’t see a lot of changes that I’ll be making. A lot of it will be more trying to maintain services and things. What’s happened this year is we had a hard time keeping a full executive as it was.
I guess, that will be a change if we can do this this year and keep the full executive around. Maybe get another staff member, even.
(Even though you’re the only candidate for the position) why are you the best candidate for the position?
Out of people that were around and willing to do it again and do the work, I guess I have the most experience.
Xupint Sun
Third-year master’s of Education
What experience do you bring to the position?
Last November, I won the byelection and so I have some experience in this position. So I’m familiar with this job and I know the GSA very well, and get along with all the executives very well. So I’d like to continue.
What will you do to make the GSA better?
in this position, I found some weakness and some merits of this position. So many grants, conference grants, maybe other students don’t know, they won’t apply, and I will make this grant will know for the graduate students, so they can apply for some conference grants, special grants. Because this is my main duty, so about the financial records and process of some grants. So I will do this job better.
(Even though you’re the only candidate for the position) why are you the best candidate for the position?
I believe in myself. I have a really hard to do something for the graduate students. I know this position very well, and enjoy doing this job. And the way that my passion for doing this job, I believe that I’m the best candidate.
Chandra B. Singh
Third-year biosystems engineering PhD
What experience do you bring to the position?
I’m already involved with the GSA. Currently I’m the senator. I also work in my department, in Biosystems Students Association, as the president. So I like working with the student groups.
What will you do to make the GSA better?
There are a few things. Basically as VP (external), I will be more in the external matters. So I’ll try to be effective and work with other unions, local unions in Manitoba, like UMSU.
Why should students go out and vote?
Because they are the members of the GSA. If they come and they vote they encourage us, and then we can work for them.
(Even though you’re the only candidate for the position) why are you the best candidate for the position?
I understand the structure of the GSA. . . . And I can also work with CFS to raise the issues for lobby for more funding for research. And also, I want to lobby for the elimination of the international student differential fee. . . . There should not be any differentiation between the students — because they contribute in the same way.
Andy Bonar
Second year, master’s of English
What experience do you bring to the position?
I was the GSA representative for the English department last year, so I got acquainted with council and how that works.
What will you do to make the GSA better?
I don’t want to change anything as much as I want to build upon some of the changes that the past executives made. So I want to continue and promote the GSA seminar series and speaker series.
Why should students go out and vote?
I think it’s good to go out and vote “Yes” and show that you want this service done for you, that you’re part of the community and that you believe in the GSA.
(Even though you’re the only candidate for the position) why are you the best candidate for the position?
Because I care deeply about the main responsibilities of ths position. I believe in advocating for students. There’s a lot of students who come to this school from other schools, or even come into the master’s program, and don’t know their rights. So I look forward to helping with advocacy issues. I also am big on sharing information and
