Bite the Ballot: Vice-President (Student Life)

The wide-ranging portfolio of the vice-president (student life) includes non-academic advocacy on issues that impact students, which can include everything from mental health to residence. The VPSL is also the executive responsible for much of the programming and events put on by the Students’ Union, as well as services like the Peer Support Centre.

There are two candidates competing for the vice-president (student life) position: pragmatic and committed Daniela Carbajal, and the passionate Talia Dixon, returning after being defeated last year. Both candidates campaigned effectively in a remote setting by utilizing TikTok and Instagram Live to reach out to students. But who will win?

Daniela Carbajal

Daniela Carbajal is a third-year psychology student from Augustana , and is currently the Augustana councillor on Students’ Council, and vice-president (student life) of the Augustana Students’ Association. She is one of the first-ever Augustana students to run for an executive position.

Carbajal’s main goals are to empower students’ voices, improve representation, and increase inclusion in student governance. Highlights from her platform include confronting the systemic issues of sexual assault prevention, make all campuses more bilingual, rethinking how Students’ Union funds are distributed, and instituting Indigenous reconciliation methods that go beyond colonial practices.

What is truly inspiring about her platform is how it goes far past the mandate for the position. This can be seen in the sexual assault prevention and “ensuring inclusivity” sections. Carbajal wants to provide legal support for survivors who want to pursue justice, as well as ensuring policies are survivor-centred, and acknowledging that vulnerable populations of marginalized groups need to be protected.

“Ensuring inclusivity” centres on support for Indigenous students. Among other points, Carbajal plans on working with other executives to push for more transparency on the Maskwa House of Learning project, and exploring the possible effects of the General Faculties Council proposed smoking ban.

Throughout her campaign, Carbajal was critical of the lack of representation and inclusivity in Students’ Union executive positions, as well as the SU’s indifference towards Campus Saint-Jean and Augustana. At forums whenever pressed about her platform, Carbajal stuck to her points and made it clear that she would not make promises unable to be fulfilled.

Although a few of her ideas are ambitious, Carbajal’s commitment to not make false promises is reassuring. Some of her policies could truly make a difference for racialized and minority groups on campus.

Talia Dixon

Talia Dixon is a fourth-year women and gender studies and political science major and is currently an Arts councillor on Students’ Council.

I actually voted for Dixon last year because of their high aspirations — I was sad to not see them have the opportunity to lead the SU in pursuing climate justice, reconciliation, and decolonization. This year, Dixon’s platform is primarily focused on addressing sexual assault and mental health on campus. While many ideas aren’t new, the prioritization of these issues is strikingly similar to current VPSL Katie Kidd.

Dixon’s platform this year consists of “addressing sexual assault on campus,” “improving mental health supports,” “hosting meaningful events,” “fighting for students in residence,” and “making campus inclusive.”

Some main points worth noting are creating a campus-wide sexual assault prevention training program, making the Peer Support Center services culturally supportive and accessible, and the innovative Pronoun Campaign. Some additional points are creating an Aboriginal Awareness Week, working to lower the cost of residence, and “revolutionizing” the meal plan in residence.

There are certainly some new ideas here, but not as many as I had hoped. For example, at the Candidates’ forum, Dixon proposed their method of working towards reconciliation by capitalizing on relationships built with the Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Committee (AARC) and the Aboriginal Student Council (ASC).

“By striving to achieve the AARC recommendations, but to go beyond them and looking at ways where we can truly work to decolonize our Students’ Union,” Dixon said. “I sit as a representative on AARC, which I know is not all that you can do. I work very hard to build personal relationships with the Aboriginal Student Council.”

These promises about achieving goals through committee work have been heard before, but to no avail. The VPSL must go beyond this.

Talia Dixon is undoubtedly a well experienced leader, but possibly not the one that is needed in this vote. If students want more of the same from a strong, well-spoken advocate, then Dixon is the choice for you.

Who will win, and who should win?

As for who will win, this is very difficult to predict. It will depend on voter turnout in a year with COVID-19, where no campaigning was done in-person. Given strong forum performances and effective social media presences, I predict this race will be close. However, it will probably be Talia Dixon who will take it, as they are more outspoken and have a larger social media following than Daniela Carbajal.

Regarding who should win, students should vote based on which approach to governance they think will serve them better. I believe in Carbajal’s vision for a more representative and decolonized campus. Dixon most definitely supports these causes as well, but I am swayed more by Carabajal’s honest desire to confront the previous shortfalls of the SU. Carbajal has my vote, and she should have yours too.

The Gateway as an apolitical organization does not endorse candidates. Authors who write “Bite the Ballot” pieces follow the races or referendums that they write about with the expectation they attend or watch every forum and read all relevant campaign materials in their entirety. The views expressed in this piece reflect the author’s best informed judgment.