Juliana du Pree There are plenty of people at the University of Alberta Students’ Union (UASU) that do important work for our campus. However, even the UASU president pales in comparison to their star member: Leia, the office corgi (and unofficial UASU mascot). Who needs a president or general manager when there’s a corgi afoot? Make no mistake, she makes important contributions to the UASU, just like everyone else.
There are infinite benefits to having a fuzzy friend around the office. Office pets can increase morale, be a conversation starter, and encourage people to take breaks. The pesky cons of having a pet in the office are irrelevant in my mind. Leia can’t do anything a human couldn’t.
Sadly, it’s unlikely that Leia will be running for UASU president anytime soon. The U of A’s admissions are not currently open to four-legged friends, but I think they should make an exception. I’m sure Leia would love to take a class on the fundamentals of animal nutrition, especially if there’s taste-testing involved.
But, just because Leia may not have a future as the president of the UASU doesn’t mean she isn’t a valuable member there. I think Leia is overlooked as a valuable asset to the UASU’s operations. Sure, she probably isn’t much help with paperwork or policies, but who cares about that anyways?
The UASU has struggled with student engagement and it isn’t getting any better, as seen with the latest UASU election. But I think Leia could help. Nothing will entice students to participate more than free food, coffee, or corgi cuddles. Why not reward students for voting by getting to meet Leia? I’m sure if that was the case, voter turnout would be higher than we’ve ever seen.
Better yet, the UASU could start making Leia-themed merch. Shirts, water bottles, socks, notebooks, stickers, stuffed animals — the opportunities are endless. Would I ever buy a shirt with ‘UASU’ and a cheesy slogan on it? No. But would I buy anything with a corgi on it? Absolutely. I would be willing to hate the Daily Grind coffee a little less if there was a Leia-themed drink. I’d pay $5 for a coffee with corgi latte art on it, no matter how bad it tastes.
I don’t think there’s any question of who’s the best mascot at the U of A. Sorry Guba and Patches — you’ve been bested by Leia.
