General Election

Hey everyone, it's Medhavi, or you'd know me by Medz! I’m currently navigating my foundation year and gearing up for second year in 3D animation this fall. Excited to be in the running for the members-at-large position, with big dreams of fostering a lively and inclusive ambiance here at Emily Carr! Serving as the animation student representative for foundation year, I'm all about forging safe spaces where every voice is valued. Outgoing by nature, I thrive on meaningful connections that go beyond small talk. Whether bonding over quirky, niche interests or sharing endless laughs, I'm all about those genuine connections! My volunteering journey spans film festivals, literacy talks, beach cleanups, and scouting adventures. To expand learning opportunities, I pioneered the culinary and animation clubs during my time at high school in Dubai. I've always been driven to diversify interests by leveraging the resources available to us. It’s this passion for giving back that drives me to make a difference at Emily Carr. Feel free to approach me for anything, I’m always happy to talk and meet with people!! As an avid yapper, I’m sure we’ll get along!

Hello! My name is Linda and I’m a first-year student at Emily Carr. I have been serving as a volunteer for events hosted by the student union, notably for the Spooky Cabaret II (the Halloween party), and Clubs Day. I don’t have experience as a board member (yet) but my past volunteering demonstrates my interest in contributing and dedicating to the changes and initiatives by the ECSU. It would be a great honor, if elected, to be working for the ECSU as a member at large. If given the position, my focus will be to help facilitate activities that would foster student engagement. I hope to implement activities and events that align with the values of students. I believe Campus life should be full of exciting events and opportunities where students can connect and have memorable experiences. Furthermore, in my short time as a student, I have heard many concerns from international student peers of the high tuition fees. Another focus of mine would be listening and taking action for such concern to alleviate such burdens. You may spot me working at the Caf, attending life drawing, or volunteering for events hosted by the student union. Feel free to wave or say hi!

Hello! My name is Mia Roxas and I am a Foundation year student majoring in Communication Design. I have always been passionate about student advocacy and community engagement, having been the head of various student-led programs in high school and a participant in various volunteer initiatives. Now in university, I hope to continue this trend by helping serve the student community. With a student body full of diverse people and perspectives, I believe that every student deserves to have their voice heard, to have their interests represented, and to have a safe space. If I’m elected, I hope to address issues such as academic and financial support, student well-being and community engagement. I feel like I’m pretty approachable so if you want to say hi and chat or discuss ways I can be a better representative, feel free to :)

Hi I am Manan (she/they), international student from India. I am in 2nd year in interaction design and I am running for one of the Member at Large positions. Last year, I served as the Foundation Student Representative, where I gained invaluable insights into the workings of our student union. I attended training workshops and also the Annual General Meeting of the British Columbia Federation of students.

Through this experience, I have witnessed firsthand the importance of fair representation and advocacy in the student movement. As someone who is deeply passionate about fairness and equality, my primary goal is to ensure that international students are provided with the support and resources they need to thrive within our university community. I want to work towards ensuring food security for students and a better support system in times of crisis. One of the ways I want to build community is through cultural exchange through events and activities.

If elected, I will work towards amplifying the voices of international students, advocating for policies that promote inclusivity, and fairness.

My name is Kitty Chupik-Hall and I am a second year student currently running for faculty of art representative. I know precisely how it feels to be a student living, working, and studying within Vancouver. I understand the competitive nature of ECUAD, the challenge of rent and groceries, and the pain of doing it all for a degree many people openly mock. This is why I am interested, primarily, in doing what I can to ease the difficulty of these challenges. If I am elected, I would push to fund initiatives seeking to feed students. I would additionally spend my time providing better resources for students to find scholarships and housing at ECUAD, as many of the ECU-specific resources intended on accomplishing these tasks are littered with dead links and stock advice. I think that the ECUAD student body is absolutely teeming with compassion and creativity, and I want to do my part in making sure that students do not have to forgo savings, sleep, or food in order to attain a degree.

Hi, my name is Eknoor Matharoo. I’m truly honoured to be representing the Faculty of Visual Arts if offered a chance. I’m currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts, with print media as my foreground. As an international student, tuition fees are already through the roof, and the University has just increased tuition fees again: a 2% increase for domestic students and a 4% increase for incoming international students, and those who started in 2023.

“Nothing changes if nothing changes.”

I am quite enthusiastic to continue with efforts toward another tuition freeze. Alongside, I look forward to advocating for more available courses for visual arts students as I have personally faced challenges with registration and waitlists. This year, my intentions involve collaborating actively with leadership and community engagement to organize events that will encompass activities such as engaging in art creation and writing, and a social support group, which shall help foster connections among participants and nurture the environment with a worthwhile, unequivocal change. I strongly believe that with your support, we can leave ECU significantly better, in all realms, as we first found it. 
You can often find me in the print studio or the café. I’m starting a Podcast soon featuring current ECU students and alumni. Please feel free to say hi and chat with me about being a better representative, and how to be better at Mario Kart (haha)!

Hello, I'm Yan Wei, but people call me Yan. I am pleased to run for the Faculty of Visual Arts + Material Practice Representative again. As this would be my second time taking up this position, I aim to be a better voice for students within this faculty and make the student experience for all faculties a pleasant and fruitful one.

Besides taking on student issues and bringing them up, I am passionate about creating community on campus and making Emily Carr a second home to us budding artists. I played a big part in organizing the Halloween party of 2023, I run Life-Drawing every Friday and I also advocate for affordable and available food options on campus.

If selected, I aim to continue to make our campus an ever-improving place we can one day call our second home for all artists, no matter the major.

Hello ECUAD Family, I'm Garvit Arora, a 6ft 3in tall, India-origin Industrial Design major, and I'm running for Cultural & Community Representative for the Foundation Year. My journey at ECUAD has been marked by the initiation of the Indian Students Association, through which we've successfully celebrated our diverse heritage with three major events in just six months. Standing for this position, I invite you to join me in a mission to celebrate our collective cultural diversity more vibrantly. I pledge to organize events that not only entertain but educate us on the rich tapestries of our backgrounds. ECUAD's strength lies in its diversity, and as your representative, I aim to make every culture feel at home on our campus. I see a future where every event is a reflection of our community's inclusivity, with each of us learning, enjoying, and growing together. Let's make ECUAD not just a place for education but a beacon of cultural unity and understanding. Your vote means a commitment to a more inclusive, engaging ECUAD. Together, let's celebrate our differences and build a stronger community. If you have any questions or ideas, you can find me on campus or reach out on Instagram @Gvarora10. Let's make every culture our own. Vote for Garvit Arora, for a united ECUAD.

Hello guys! My name is Uppu and I am currently a foundation student, going into 3D Computer Animation. I will be running for representative of the Faculty of Culture and Community. Here’s a little bit about me: I like meeting new people and getting to know them. I'm someone my friends can always come to if they need help or sometimes just someone to talk to. I am someone who likes helping their friends and people with their problems in any way I can. I can be an advisor or a sounding board, depending on what they need. I love learning about new things, about people, who they are, where they're from, and what they feel is the best part about them. Being an international student, I understand how important it is to be close to your culture while being far from home. If elected, I would try to hold more cultural events and help spread the knowledge of all the many cultures we have here at ECU. I love sharing things about my culture with others, as I'm sure many people do, but sometimes it's hard to share the fun and excitement with so many people. I want to be able to be the middle-person between those wanting to share their culture with others and those wanting to learn about other cultures. I hope you think that I could be the right fit for this role, in helping ECU become a place for sharing cultures and helping the community in and around it. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to know more about me, or make a friend, on my insta handle @_uppu_sharma_

Gunaydin! I’m Parnian Anaa (she/her). I am studying Industrial Design (3rd year) with a minor in Social Practices and Community Engagement. I am running for the Students’ Union election representing the Faculty of Design + Dynamic Media.

I’ve been your student representative for four consecutive years now since the beginning of the pandemic. We have gone through a lot together, yet found ways to come together and build our community. Throughout these years, I have always been involved in various projects to advocate for us (the students). And would love to serve as your representative in the Faculty of Design + Dynamic Media. Some of the projects I have been involved in are Crafting Utopias, 2020 tuition freeze and other tuition related campaigns, student employments, hardship funds, presidential review and presidential search, mental health advocacy on campus, and community engagement etc.

I would love to continue contributing to our community in my final year at Emily Carr— to understand your values, needs, and advocate for what students are facing today.

I wish to continue amplifying your voices as we thrive to achieve, learn, and grow together.

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions, or just want to chat.

parnian@ecsu.ca

instagram: parnian.anaa

Yours in truth, a bit of chaos, and midterm fatigue,

Parnian

Hello, my name is Stuti Gulati, and I am excited to once again run for the position of Design & Dynamic Media Representative within our Students' Union. As an Indian international student currently pursuing a degree in communication design, I am deeply committed to advocating for the needs and concerns of our diverse student body.

Having served in this role last year alongside Athmika, I had the privilege of engaging directly with the Dean for DDM, addressing student issues, and fostering communication between students and faculty. Additionally, as the Community Engagement Coordinator, I had the opportunity to organize a variety of successful events such as Halloween, Clubs Day, and Valentines Week. 

In the upcoming year, I am eager to continue this important work and serve as a dedicated voice for our students. Whether it's managing clubs, participating in general meetings organized by the BCFS, overseeing grant proposals, or addressing course-related issues in DDM, I am committed to ensuring that student voices are heard and represented at every level.

I hope you consider me as your representative once again.

Hi everyone! I’m Logan (she/her), a Master of Design student here at ECUAD. It’s a huge honour to be a candidate for the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research Representative. My priority in this role would be to serve as an approachable and reliable connection between the Graduate Students and the Student Union, and to continually and collaboratively dream up ways of improving the graduate student experience at ECUAD. 

Since I arrived at the school in September, my main focus has been facilitating community and a sense of belonging for students. So far, this has been actualized through participatory design workshops aimed at redesigning the Graduate Student orientation process, the revival of Radio Emily, and organizing social events for Grad Students. As the Graduate Studies Representative, I would continue to create opportunities for connection and skill-sharing.

Another area I would focus on improving is financial support. In particular, I want to increase the accessibility and support provided regarding funding opportunities such as student disability grants, grants for equity-seeking groups, and other government-funded grant opportunities. 

Lastly, I want to use this role to encourage the school to give us tools to care for our physical and mental health. For example, I would advocate for free or discounted memberships for students at local gyms, and for more affordable, healthy and diverse food options on and around campus. 
If you have any ideas, questions, or memes you want to share, you can reach me at lwilkinson@ecuad.ca or @lgnwilky on Instagram :)