Lochlann KerrWhile the position for vice-president (operations and finance) (VP Ops Fi) is uncontested, that does not mean that the candidate, Julia Villoso, should be taken for granted, as she shows what I perceive to be genuine promise.
Julia Villoso
Villoso is a third-year arts councillor who highlighted her previous experience during her campaign. She initially ran for VP Ops Fi last year, but lost to current presidential candidate Emily Kimani. However, this loss has not seemed to slow her down as she has used the experience to create a better platform.
She has also focused on her previous work on campus ranging from her membership on several committees, to representing students as an arts councillor, as well as an inclusivity director for the arts faculty association OASIS.
This level of experience is summed up quite nicely by the statement in her platform.
“I can confidently say that not only am I knowledgeable in how the [Students’ Union] organization is run, but through my experience, I know exactly what students are concerned about,” she says.
The most notable things she has addressed in the forums are ripped straight from her platform, and I mean this in the best way possible. Through the many forums she has deviated very little from her platform points, highlighting her commitment to sustainability both in regards to students and the campus itself. I found her most prominent, effective, and refreshing points to revolve around wellness in regards to students.
The strongest aspects of her forum performance and platform would be her expansion of USAU Cares, an online wellness directory that is meant to help students in areas ranging from mental health to sexual violence services. Villoso promises to make this service more readily available by “[working] with multiple student groups, such as the International Students’ Association and Aboriginal Student Council, to introduce two new categories within the directory, specifically for BIPOC and international students.”
On top of that she campaigned, most noticeably during the Campus Saint-Jean (CSJ) forum, for these services to not only be available to students on the North Campus, but also on to the students on our sister campuses of Augustana and CSJ.
However, there is a big caveat to focusing on UASU Cares and that is the fact that most students may not actually know of this service, or what it is. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but to bring this resource to the forefront of students’ minds in an effective way would require a great deal of effort, time, and resources. Additionally, online resources only go so far, and I find myself worried that all this effort, if not wasted, could be put to use in more ways than just this website.
Villoso also shows her commitment to wellness by promising to make the student mental health service Empower Me more readily available and visible to students. By bringing notice to this “underused” service she again shows a dedication to the well being of students that I am fully in support for. On top of all this, she has also pledged to still go forward with the Myer Horowitz Theatre renovations, further commenting on it in her platform when she writes, “I want this renovation to be able to actively build our community and to better serve students.”
While the renovations have been criticized, I see this as a positive, for finishing up with these renovations would then allow for the funds to be allocated to other important projects across the campuses. Plus, a complete Myer Horowitz Theatre would allow for the generation of income outside of students, lessening the burden on us.
Who Will Win, and Who Should Win?
Without a shred of doubt in my mind Villoso will win this race. Not only is she the only candidate, she has shown a great level of competence while running her campaign as well. The promises made both in her platform and the forums are very realistic without coming off as underwhelming, giving her a sense of practicality as a candidate. It’s important to note that Villoso has experience with student politics and wears this on her sleeve, and I believe it is this transparency that will help win her voters.
I also believe Villoso deserves to win. She is transparent about her goals and shows a great level of confidence. Along with this, the level of empathy she shows when she speaks about their platform points creates a feeling of trust that I feel won’t go unnoticed about her possible voters. To put it bluntly, you can tell she is passionate about the issues and she actually cares about her fellow students. All in all, I believe that a vote for her, is a vote in the right direction.
