Top three platform points

Mental Health and Health Services: Formal mental health supports such as better access to counselling services, lesser wait times, walk-in appointments for health services.

Better access to education: Remote/hybrid learning options for students that have different learning methods, textbook costs and class participation (also considering the financial impact of the pandemic on students)

International Student advocacy: Better access to co-op employment opportunities for international students, more formal support services for international students

Food security: Healthy and affordable food options on campus are essential for student wellness.

And more!

Reason why someone should vote for you in 100 words or less

I have been involved in the UW community as part of clubs and other services on campus. I have also volunteered for the International Peer Community and Renison English Language Institute, which has provided me with experience in understanding specific concerns students face on campus and supports that would be necessary to address them. I feel that every student has faced unique challenges throughout their time at UW, which have been exacerbated during the pandemic. I also think that international students such as myself have faced various issues in the past few years which should be an important focus. Hearing about these experiences has inspired me to bring change on campus. Hence, I would appreciate your vote :)

Links to any website, social media accounts and/or email address

IG: @kunalkar219
Email: kskarkha@uwaterloo.ca

Top three platform points

- Increasing communication between council, school services, and students; we have access to many services (such as legal services, petition and grievances services, support groups, and so much more) that students simply aren’t aware of or can't access until they are in trouble. We deserve to take advantage of all the resources we have available to us!
- Advocating for more student driven and organized spaces and bring back the life to many of those we already have present on campus (such as POETS and Bombshelter Pub)
- Ensuring that those with important concerns concerns (such as health, safety, community, literally anything) can feel seen and supported on campus. Providing accommodations shouldn’t be frowned upon when student wellbeing is a top priority!
- Bonus point: Continuing to emphasize all the great and fun things Waterloo has to offer and continue to support clubs and organizations in providing that sense of enjoyment and community 😊

Reason why someone should vote for you in 100 words or less

Hey everyone! My name is Angela and I am an incoming 4A student in Biomedical Engineering and I would be honoured to continue to serve the student population for the 3rd year in a row on your student council. I've been extremely fortunate to learn of the inner workings of our school and have an impact in ensuring that student desires are heard and considered. Having held several leadership positions at our school (current President of National Society of Black Engineers, former VP of EngiQueers, member of Internal Funding Committee, EngSoc class rep, student rep for African Students Association) has helped me develop a strong sense of compassion for my peers. Our council needs members with strong communication skills, who are passionate in their beliefs, and who advocate for the needs of their constituents with strong conviction, and I am ready to continue to do so for my last year here at UW. Can’t wait to hear from you all soon!

Links to any website, social media accounts and/or email address

Please feel free to reach out anytime! ⬇️
angela.souza@uwaterloo.ca
linkedin.com/in/angela--souza
instagram.com/a.s.o.u.z.a

Top three platform points

1. Advocacy and partnerships with local housing corporations, the Region of Waterloo, and university administration to develop sustainable and affordable housing options for students, any time of the year.

2. More remote options for core courses, and online learning support for current in-person classes.

3. Creating dedicated resources in expanding the number of opportunities and advocacy for both co-op and regular stream students.

Reason why someone should vote for you in 100 words or less

Having served on the WUSA Student Council, the Co-op Student's Council, the WUSA Strategic and Long-Range Planning Committee, the WUSA Internal Funding Committee, the Mathematics Society, and the Arts Student Union as a councillor over the past 3 years, I bring proven experience and a track record of success to the WUSA Board of Directors. In addition, I have been involved on campus through a multitude of different opportunities, helping me understand what students truly seek for here at this institution.

Should I have the chance to be elected to the WUSA Board of Directors, I will bring a strong passion for change, and will not stop until your voices are heard and act upon. I hope to use my unique background to continue to serve you and your interests at heart, helping you feel satisfied here at your home away from home!

Links to any website, social media accounts and/or email address

Email: karl.zhu@uwaterloo.ca
Instagram: @_karl.zhu
WeChat: KarlZhu199

Top three platform points

Co-op
- Increase awareness of workers' rights for students, especially first work term students
- Analyze and create a redesign of co-op cycles to ensure top employers use WaterlooWorks, rather than external applications
- Coming up with a better design of the matching algorithm to favour students rather than employers

Reason why someone should vote for you in 100 words or less

I have been working at WUSA as the Associate Vice President of Experiential and Co-op Affairs for my first year. I have worked on Workers' Rights projects, employer relations, equity, diversity & inclusion projects and have chaired two committees related to co-op. My first year in this role has allowed me to gain a rich experience in the co-op structure and process and I will now look to leverage that to move forward with me new projects.

Links to any website, social media accounts and/or email address

Email: d5khan@wusa.ca

Top three platform points

- Housing crisis: affordable and liveable housing is not only a necessity, but it's also a right
- In the wake of COVID: Online/in-person/hybrid classes and what that means for students considering the *housing crisis* and tuition; making learning accessible to everyone and letting students learn how they learn best (aka not forcing an in-person component)
-Mental Health Services: ... Should be accessible? Should leave students feeling supported and encouraged?
- Accessibility: Accommodations should not be so difficult to acquire that students don't even want to go through the process because they don't want to fight with the school to prove their needs

There's 4... whoops

Reason why someone should vote for you in 100 words or less

With close to 3 years of experience working with WUSA as a Councillor and a Board member, and having been involved in the UW community with co-op, Campus Housing, clubs and services, etc., I not only have a great background to work with within WUSA, but I am also deeply interested and invested in the success of our government advocacy efforts. I hope to be given the chance to continue working for positive change within our student body through this Director position and would appreciate your vote :)

Links to any website, social media accounts and/or email address

Happily answering questions and getting to know you through these platforms:
IG: @marie.becotte
Email: mjolicoe@uwaterloo.ca

Top three platform points

1. A long-range plan for directly aiding in the student housing crisis by building new housing.
2. Better space agreements with University administration for study/club space.
3. Stronger faculty representation guarantees in WUSA's new governance model.

Reason why someone should vote for you in 100 words or less

I have a long track record of working with people to get things done for students. I've served as a Councillor and Director for MathSoc, and will serve as President next term to organise and advocate for students at the faculty level. I've also worked tirelessly to get enormous projects done for members of the Pure Math Club as its President. I want to push hard at the top level to get good things for students.

Links to any website, social media accounts and/or email address

egirardin@uwaterloo.ca
info@nce.vote

Top three platform points

Housing Contract Playbooks: Let's work with WUSA's legal partners to equip students with all the knowledge they need to face Waterloo's major landlords.
Landlord Review Board: UWFlow for landlords and buildings. Let's share our experiences and hold landlords accountable!
Government Advocacy: Let's continue the great work of the previous WUSA board and the 2021 Housing Report, stepping up advocacy for loophole closing and protections for students.
And much more (syllabus transparency, PD reform, clubs backend) in the full platform: jeff4wusa.com

Reason why someone should vote for you in 100 words or less

Housing: a chaotic free-for-all every 4 or 12 months. According to the 2021 WUSA Housing Report, we pay more in rent than employed households while suffering from illegal clauses that we're too desperate or unaware to fend off.

I'm running to drive housing action: here's my plan.
In the short term, we augment what's under our control: contract guidebooks, landlord review platform, sublet resources, StudentCare pipeline review.
Over the long term, we push for systemic solutions: advocating at the municipal and provincial level to close loopholes, investigate housing affordability support, and expand student protections.

Links to any website, social media accounts and/or email address

See the full platform: jeff4wusa.com
Follow and share on Instagram: @jeff4wusa

Top three platform points

1. More club funding and space.
2. Addressing the housing crisis with advocacy and building new housing.
3. Better mental health supports and easier AccessAbility applications.

Reason why someone should vote for you in 100 words or less

- Current President of the Drag Club (hands-on experience of what WUSA clubs need!)
- 2 Years on the WCRI Board of Directors (deep knowledge of multi-million dollar housing operations and leadership!)
- First-hand experience with challenges accessing Counselling Services and AccessAbility

In my four years at UW, I've faced many of the same challenges our fellow students have, from mental health to fighting tooth and nail for a place to live, and I hope you'll support me in tackling these issues. Thanks for participating in this election! :)

Links to any website, social media accounts and/or email address

chen.chai@uwaterloo.ca
info@nce.vote

IG: nce.vote
Web: https://nce.vote

Top three platform points

1. Creating more inclusive accessibility services for Arts students (ranging from deadline extensions to wheelchair ramps).
2. Creating housing initiatives.
3. Creating platforms for more professional opportunities in the world of STEM, Tech, Quantitative Analysis and beyond.

Reason why someone should vote for you in 100 words or less

1. Remember that my goals are based on what you want as an Art student, I am hear to listen to you and bring your concerns to the table.
2. I will do everything in my power to make university life as fruitful as I can without increasing your workload.
3. I am here for you - beyond a student advocacy level.

Links to any website, social media accounts and/or email address

Insta: rxnia938 or raniaatif_

Feel free to chat with me to learn more about my campaign goals.

Top three platform points

- Target student housing needs by exploring new methods, including exploring solutions for more support against problematic landlords and direct involvement in the housing market.
- Strengthen social culture on campus by making the Bombshelter Lounge Plan a priority for WUSA, especially now that pandemic financial worries have eased.
- Support the new Board with my years of experience and institutional knowledge and assist other Directors in achieve their goals for students.

Reason why someone should vote for you in 100 words or less

I am finishing up my term as the 2021/22 WUSA VP Operations and Finance, and in the past few years I have served as a WUSA Math Councillor, MathSoc President, MathSoc VP Academic, UW Student Senator, and as the student rep on the City of Waterloo Economic Development Advisory Committee.

In this position, I will bring my beliefs, background, and experience to support everyone on the new Board with practically achieving their goals for students. Issues that are important to me include the student housing crisis, on-campus food and commercial services, and maintaining fiscal responsibility while expanding student supports.

Links to any website, social media accounts and/or email address

Reddit: u/incognitamathematica
Instagram: @matthew.schwarze
LinkedIn: /in/matthew-schwarze/

Top three platform points

+ academic advocacy - for example, equal opportunities for students to pursue online and in-person courses, earlier access to course outlines on LEARN, etc
+ co-op advocacy - for example, fairer ranking algorithm, transparency in employers' salaries and complaints, more protections for students in co-op and full-time job searches, etc
+ mental health advocacy - for example, increased hours for Counseling Services, less bureaucracy in AccessAbility for mental health issues, better coverage for diagnoses in Studentcare, etc

Reason why someone should vote for you in 100 words or less

I come from experience in MathSoc - from helping eradicate work term reports and getting invasive proctoring software banned, to ensuring that the money MathSoc spends is checked and accounted for.

I keep my ear to the ground - you can find me helping students and pointing them to the right resources on Reddit and Discord (tendstofortytwo), and relaying their concerns to the right authorities when necessary.

I can communicate - I have experience sitting in committees with faculties and relaying student concerns. I have spectated many WUSA GMs and council meetings and relayed student concerns. I'm a regular writer and ex-editor for mathNEWS.

Links to any website, social media accounts and/or email address

Instagram: @nce.vote, @tendstofortytwo
Reddit: u/tendstofortytwo
Discord: tendstofortytwo#2425
Campaign website: https://nce.vote
Email: info@nce.vote

Top three platform points

1. Mental Health and sense of belonging with UWaterloo after COVID: Improve accessibility, quality of mental health, health services, and student peer support services
2. Housing crisis: provide reliable and affordable resources through student-run services and long-term solutions for student housing
3. International student: more available Financial support ( scholarship, financial aid, international word-study program, etc.), co-op opportunities, Immigration counseling

Reason why someone should vote for you in 100 words or less

As an International student experiencing UWaterloo Community before and after COVID-19, I know the transition is not easy for most of us. With my leadership roles as President of UWVSA, WUSA Service Coordinator of ICSN, Community Leader of IPC, and Student Staff in SSO, I realized that many existing services and supports on campus are hidden. It is wasting budget, human resources, and inequality when only a minority of people can access those services. With hanging issues such as housing crisis, inflation. food insecurity, and accessibility to mental health and wellness services, my goal is to improve accessibility and provide quality resources to deliver UWaterloo students the best university experience.

Links to any website, social media accounts and/or email address

Connect with me and feel free to ask me any question!!
IG: @karen_nguyen__
Email: vtt3nguy@uwaterloo.ca
#KangaGoose

Top three platform points

If re-elected, I will:
- Continue advocating for protecting coop rights and repelling Section 5.3.2 of the Ontario Employment Standards Act. (This provision says the Act does not apply to coop students)
- Improve communication between students and WUSA student government. (There is no communication between WUSA Student Council and students currently)
- Advertise for FREE legal resources that WUSA provides to fight bad landlords.

Reason why someone should vote for you in 100 words or less

As a WUSA councillor, last year, I:
- Fought against WUSA charging mandatory club, event, and advocacy fees during the lockdown.
- Advocated for better coop rights and benefits under the Employment Act by meeting with MPP Kitchener (Critic for Colleges and Universities of a political party).

Links to any website, social media accounts and/or email address

Insta @ j._.lan
Email: jay.lan@uwaterloo.ca
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-lan-726534203/

Top three platform points

- working toward improved quality, access, and communication in vital UW services like AccessAbility Services, Health Services, & Counselling Services
- identifying and advocating for overlooked system-based changes to complement other housing supports & solutions
- strengthening student-driven community through prioritizing support & autonomy for clubs

Reason why someone should vote for you in 100 words or less

I've been building a strong skill set and knowledge base since my 1A term, first filling assorted MathSoc roles before being elected to WUSA Students' Council. Since then, I've been serving on the UW Senate & Board of Governors, and I'm now finishing up my 16 months as a full-time WUSA Vice-President.

My advocacy work is backed by effective communication, critical analysis, & research, and I have experience with stakeholders across the University and government. I excel at tackling complex problems, and I hope to support the new Board in effecting our collective advocacy priorities next year!

Links to any website, social media accounts and/or email address

email: catherine.dong@uwaterloo.ca
linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinekdong/
reddit: u/serendipity_2002