Lily Polenchuk University of Alberta Students’ Union (SU) vice-president (student life) candidates Saim Khokhar and Logan West seemingly have a head-start on their competitors, Nikka Pakhomova and Ramish Raza, when it comes to their understanding of Augustana Campus. Especially regarding the SU’s relationship with the Augustana Students’ Association (ASA). After the Augustana forum on February 25, it wouldn’t surprise me if Augustana voters ultimately choose between Khokhar and West at the polls.
As a former Vice-president (finance) of the ASA, Khokhar presented more plans relating specifically to the campus than his competitors. For example, he proposed more SU support for the Dagligtale, the Augustana student newspaper, as it explores becoming autonomous from the ASA. He said that bolstering the newspaper will help with long-term student engagement. Although he doesn’t clarify the type of support that Dagligtale would receive, Khokhar seems knowledgeable about the neglect that it faces as he served as the 2023–24 Dagligtale editor-in-chief (EIC). His response also provided support to Augustana students interested in journalism and writing, areas which are often devalued. Notably, this issue was not raised by the other candidates who primarily attend North Campus.
His plans to improve meals within residences are also significant. After all, about half of Augustana students live on-campus or in university-affiliated housing. However, he will have to be careful not to alienate students from North Campus. Only roughly 10 per cent of all U of A students live in residences. Still, this percentage is not a small number of students. However, if possible, improving residence meal plans would undoubtedly be well-received both at Augustana and North Campus.
While West does not attend Augustana, she did acknowledge her potential blind spots. Instead of reinventing the wheel, West plans to assist projects that the ASA has already established. As West explained, “the ASA has identified gaps in the resources available to their students and taken action.” If elected into office, West would “collaborate with them … rather than step over the initiatives they already have.” This goal ensures that funding goes towards the ASA’s programs, rather than ones that the VPSL decides on themselves. This demonstrates that West’s priority is listening to Augustana’s needs, not just solving them as she sees fit.
In comparison, Pakhomova mentioned several plans for the Augustana Campus. However, the ASA has already implemented many of her proposals. For example, she talked about organizing more social and cultural events outside of Week of Welcome (WoW). In the next few weeks alone, the ASA plans to host the Culture Clash, an Oscars Watch Party, and a drag performance competition. Unfortunately, her goals might not actually improve campus life beyond the ASA’s efforts.
Giving due credit, both Pakhoma and Raza suggest unique solutions to the mental health issues facing Augustana. Both mentioned increasing the hours of operation for student service centers. But are these plans realistic? Because Community and Campus Recreation (CCR) positions are paid, and allowing them to run during winter break or later in the day would require massive funding.
So far, Khokhar and West have presented the most durable plans for Augustana. By focusing on specific Augustana student groups and delegating authority to ASA, both prioritize Augustana voices in their campaigns. Moving forward, Pakhoma and Raza face pressure to win over North Campus voters.
