Meet your executive SAMRU council candidates
By Bryan Weismiller and Bryce Visser
President
Kyle MacQuarrie
Photo by Bryan Weismiller. Kyle MacQuarrie
Why are you running for president?
“Mount Royal is a spectacular institution, but there are areas that I have found that need to be addressed. In my experience, the only way to reliably effect change is to be at the top and be the person who is in a position to effect said changes.”
What qualifies you for that position?
“I have more than 16 years experience working and volunteering in Calgary including more than 10 of those being involved in a leadership role.”
What makes a good leader?
“There are good leaders and there are excellent leaders. Good leaders are able to ‘get by’ with a minimal skill set, while excellent leaders possess key attributes: flexibility, excellent communication skills, ability to delegate, drive, clarity and confidence.”
How can MRU be improved?
“Put money back in student pockets: negotiate lower parking rates, investigate food costs in Wyckham and evaluate student fees… Eliminate the communication roadblocks between the Students’ Association and the general student body… Streamline the scholarship, grant and bursary application process.”
What’s something interesting about you?
“I’m a former singing globetrotter (traveler, not basketball player) who has since settled down with my wife and daughter.
Meghan Melnyk
Why are you running for president?
Photo by Bryan Weismiller. Meghan Melnyk
“After serving on council for two years (health and community studies representative 2009/10, VP external 2010/2011) I have come to know and understand the association, our members and the issues really well. I believe having a person who knows and understands those issues will make all the difference.”
What qualifies you for that position?
“Two years on Students’ Council, five years as a student, being a lieutenant in the Canadian Forces air force reserve.”
What makes a good leader?
“A good leader is someone who knows that you can only be a leader if people are willing to follow you. You have to be a good communicator, take initiative, lead by example and be willing to work with a variety of people.”
How can MRU be improved?
“MRU is one of the best institutions in the country, but there is always room for improvement. Parking and transportation need to be improved, textbooks and resources need to be improved, and campus-culture needs to be improved.”
What’s something interesting about you?
“I’m a complete dork. I play the saxophone, I paint, I play golf, I fall down constantly, I love listening to live music. I have a terrible sense of humour and cannot tell a joke to save my life.”
VP Student Life
Raman Basi
Why are you running for this position?
Photo by Bryan Weismiller. Raman Basi
“Over my time at Mount Royal, I’ve been involved with a lot of clubs and found that they’re really the best way to build friendships. You get to meet a lot of really great people and I’ve really kept that as one of my priorities.”
What can you bring to the position of VP Student Life?
“A lot of life and energy. I’ve worked on first-year student orientation and I’ve been involved throughout the whole development of my college career.”
How can you help build a sense of community at MRU?
“I want to help students straight from when they enter Mount Royal to help build that sense of community. I know a lot of students don’t know about community activities and clubs on campus, so I feel like I can achieve a stronger community by the time I’m done.”
How will you improve MRU overall?
“Just letting the students have their voice and input. I know that when I was working on my club that it was really difficult to have a budget and initiate things and have them go through certain levels of approval, so I’d like to help with that.”
Are there any interesting facts about you that the voters might not know?
“Right now I’m really into pageants. At Miss India-Canada in Toronto, I won Miss Congeniality.”
Kaylene McTavish
Why are you running for this position?
Photo by Bryan Weismiller. Kaylene McTavish
Whether living in residence or being part of the clubs throughout the school, I really want to propel students to be involved. There’s way more to school than just going to classes.”
What can you bring to the position of VP Student Life?
“I’ve already started different changes on campus – getting the recycling program implemented in residence, for example – just being a student, so to have that title behind that will definitely give me an advantage. My reputation here and things I’ve already achieved are a platform to not only talk about change, but initiate it. ”
What do you think you can do to build the sense of community at MRU?
“There are so many opportunities here on campus… to present those in a different light, so it’s not just a poster, but something else more effective for students, so that they’re able to get something out of it I think a lot of them want to get involved; they just don’t know how.”
How will you improve MRU overall?
“My goal is paper recycling and getting it up to about 50 per cent on campus – it’s not a question whether it’s going to happen, but when.”
Are there any interesting facts about you that the voters might not know?
“I jumped out of a plane at 14,000 feet.”
VP External
Why are you running for this position?
Photo by Bryan Weismiller. Michelle Dennis
“Post-secondary education has opened doors that were once closed for me. Every potential and current student should have this same opportunity. If any external situations prevent one from doing so, I want to be involved in changing those circumstances.”
What qualifies you for that position?
“Three years of study in the public relations program, and past experience as communications representative on Students’ Council, drive my passion needed for this position.”
Why is transparency important?
“Transparency plus accountability equals trust. Best practices prove that successful organizations build trust with stakeholders by adhering to integral practices. In other words, no one will pay someone they don’t trust and it’s no different for students.”
What makes a good communicator?
“What makes a good communicator has everything to do with the willingness to learn. Ironically, a good communicator is a good listener. He or she knows their subject and issues surrounding their publics.”
What’s something interesting about you?
“I love pancakes. I have five tattoos. I am Métis. I have a crush on Barack Obama.”
VP Academic
Why are you running for this position?
Photo by Bryan Weismiller. Jennifer Langille
“I think there are a lot of injustices to students through the academic process here at Mount Royal – issues with schedules, classes, books, and final exams. I really hate when injustice is done to students. We’re the entire reason why this whole school exists and for us to be treated like we have been just isn’t right.”
What can you bring to the position of VP Academic?
“I’ve been on students’ council the past two years and this past year I was commissioner to the current VP Academic, so I worked one-on-one with her and gone with her to several meetings, so that I have a sense of the job and the issues.”
What academic challenges do you feel are being faced by students here?
“Books are a major concern. Paying $400 for one book for one semester is really ridiculous and it really sets students at MRU back financially. Also the course numbering system has really caused students a lot of grief and it needs to be fixed faster.”
Are there any interesting facts about you that the voters might not know?
“I really like black and white movies – the old classics; I love to watch all the time.”
Interviews conducted through email (MacQuarrie, Melnyk) in-person (McTavish, Langille) and phone (Basi).
