Sesek committed to \u201cas much whimsy as possible,\u201d saying he would be \u201cdie hard for any type of fun events like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Abbasi emphasized the importance of working with the SU events team early on to ensure that events like these can happen. He also mentioned that he wants to modernize the SU\u2019s student group regulations and work on event approval so student groups can hold more events.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Braiden Janes, an executive member of ABBEDAM Productions<\/a>, asked the presidential candidates how they would work to foster a united campus community for all students, considering that there are limited opportunities for off-campus students to engage with peers outside of their home faculties and programs.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sesek reiterated his commitment to hosting a party at Campus Saint-Jean (CSJ) to \u201clet people embrace the CSJ culture.\u201d<\/p>\n Abbasi highlighted the importance of student groups and mentioned that he has been working with Student Group Services (SGS) to see how the SU can modernize student group regulations and better support student groups \u201cso that we can have more of those collaborative events.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014Kathryn Johnson<\/p>\n VPX candidates\u00a0discuss funding and external partnership goals <\/p>\n In her opening statement, VPX candidate Arman Chauhan said she intends to expand \u201copen educational resources with dedicated provincial investment\u201d to reduce financial strains on students. Chauhan plans to advocate for \u201cappropriate federal investments into student housing\u201d and partner with municipal leaders to improve transit safety and affordable access to Edmonton recreational facilities.<\/p>\n VPX candidate Angel Raina began her opening statement by restating her experiences as an SU arts councillor and current speaker of Students\u2019 Council. She said she understands how the SU functions, allowing her \u201cto hit the ground running when [starting her] term,\u201d if elected. Additionally, Raina said her experience in City of Edmonton governance spaces has allowed her to begin building relationships that serve U of A students.<\/p>\n Raina said the SU would \u201cneed to work to make sure the federal grant of $1 billion for student housing makes its way to Edmonton, which requires working with the federal and municipal governments on the provincial level.\u201d She would also like to focus on \u201cproviding more grants and bursaries,\u201d instead of student loans.<\/p>\n She reiterated her intention to \u201cadvocate for peace officers on transit to be partnered with social workers to aid distressed individuals and de-escalate situations.\u201d\u00a0 She would also advocate for the expansion of the Leisure Access Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n In his opening statement, the third VPX candidate Dustin Rodenbush stated his intention to \u201cexpand university scholarships, internships, co-op programs, and research opportunities by meeting with organizations and businesses to expand these programs for aspiring students.\u201d<\/p>\n Rodenbush\u2019s goal is to ease the transition from university to the workplace, specifically helping students get jobs relating to their field of study. Additionally, he plans to work with CASA to \u201cpush back on any possible student grant cuts that may appear in the federal budget 2026.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Rodenbush said he agrees with the interior and exterior Butterdome renovations, however he views the \u201cfull exterior redesign\u201d as \u201centirely unnecessary.\u201d He wishes to \u201cadvocate to have future government funding allocated to other areas [to] improve campus life and classroom experience.\u201d<\/p>\n Garbutt asked the VPX candidates how they intend to \u201cadvocate to improve transit safety for students.\u201d<\/p>\n Chauhan said she will push for the Transit Safety Coalition, which she explained, \u201cmeans pairing peace officers and social workers together to de-escalate issues.\u201d Her second approach is using the city Vibrancy Fund. She said this fund can be used \u201cto allow student-led grants to create safer, cleaner, and better spaces around transit.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Raina also expressed her intention to \u201cpair peace officers with social workers on transit.\u201d<\/p>\n She said, if elected, it will be important for her \u201cto advocate to the municipal government to have infrastructure to improve or add cell access and underground stations for emergency situations that will come up because Wi-Fi isn\u2019t always reliable.\u201d<\/p>\n Raina also wishes to improve the cleanliness of transit spaces. Additionally, she would like to \u201cadvocate to improve co-ordination through more funding\u201d of the city\u2019s existing crisis diversion teams.<\/p>\n Rodenbush also plans to \u201cincrease social workers as well as peace officers\u201d for transit safety. Additionally, he intends to \u201cco-operate with the city to fix and upgrade escalators.\u201d Furthermore, Rodenbush plans for \u201ccleanliness efforts in and around the university.\u201d<\/p>\n The Environmental and Conservation Science Students\u2019 Association<\/a> asked the VPX candidates whether or not they will push back against budget cuts to university-affiliated daycares.<\/p>\n Rodenbush said he will push back against budget cuts to daycares.<\/p>\n Raina agreed and explained that \u201cthere is also a certain degree of grants and funding with the provincial government\u201d with which she intends to work with the VPSL, \u201cparticularly to get information out to students.\u201d<\/p>\n Chauhan intends to build off of this work of the current VPOF and work with the next VPSL to \u201cimplement the Mintz Panel recommendations that push for further funding \u2026 whether that be sharing resources with other institutions or pushing for a grants-first model.\u201d<\/p>\n The Gateway highlighted the recently proposed list of referenda from Danielle Smith that could impact accessibility to social services for international students, as well as their ability to remain in Alberta after graduation. The candidates were asked how this would impact their advocacy and whether or not they plan to work with Smith\u2019s government.<\/p>\n Rodenbush said he \u201ccannot save everything, but what [he] can do is salvage.\u201d He plans to \u201ckeep the money within the university system and [hopes] to reallocate it to other areas.\u201d<\/p>\n Raina said \u201ca lot of things are determined by the government, but we also need to rely on community, and that is a big part of being an international student [at the U of A].\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n She shared her intention to \u201cpush to externally partner with organizations such as NGOs and other youth groups in the city to take care of some of the needs that we\u2019re not seeing possible with the government.\u201d In addition, she wishes to continue to \u201cpush to support international students on the provincial and federal levels.\u201d<\/p>\n Chauhan said that the U of A provides services \u201cto make sure [the university\u2019s] international student population is supported.\u201d Additionally, Chauhan said ASEC could be involved in \u201ctaking in approaches that are backed by research as to why [the university\u2019s] international student population is vital for institutions and why it increases profits for institutions.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition, Chauhan is \u201cpushing for a double-point Express Entry<\/a> system for students,\u201d which is at the federal level. She said we need to \u201cmaintain ways to keep our international student population here and provide incentives for them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014Lucy Stuckey<\/p>\n VPOF candidates\u00a0discuss financial restructuring, internal reform, and sustainability <\/p>\n VPOF candidate Armaan Singh opened again by talking about transparency around how students\u2019 roughly $700 annual fees are spent.<\/p>\n One of his major points was operational efficiency. He also argued for more efficient use of the spaces we have on campus, like the Myer Horowitz Theatre, stating they could bring in more revenue.<\/p>\n Singh also mentioned that even a three per cent reduction to operational costs could generate large savings for the SU.<\/p>\n Current SU VPSL and VPOF candidate Logan West highlighted their experience and track record as VPSL.<\/p>\n They stated that they have delivered in their current role, and are ready to move into focusing on internal operations.<\/p>\n West mentioned several priorities, including student-friendly pricing, marketing transparency, reform of student group regulations, and modernizing the Perks system to make it more relevant to students.<\/p>\n The CRO asked how candidates would collaborate with other executives to support their initiatives while maintaining a responsible budget.<\/p>\n Singh focused on specific initiatives, like collaborating with the VPSL to create anonymous sexual assault reporting, as well as supporting municipal and provincial advocacy.\u00a0<\/p>\n He also mentioned financial transparency for students.<\/p>\n West talked about early strategic planning for long-term projects.<\/p>\n They also talked about co-ordinating event programming to prevent reactive spending.<\/p>\n They also emphasized ensuring advocacy work is communicated effectively through official platforms.<\/p>\n Juliana, a student, asked if candidates support the divestment of SU funds from fossil fuel and weapon infrastructure, as well as banks that fund these projects, and how they would do so.<\/p>\n Singh didn\u2019t talk about fossil fuel or weapons infrastructure, and instead shifted the conversation towards investment returns.<\/p>\n Singh argued that the SU is earning low interest on their savings, and proposed that funds could potentially follow university investment strategies for higher returns.<\/p>\n West talked about ethical investment decisions involving Students\u2019 Council and sustainability groups on campus.\u00a0<\/p>\n She stated that the SU should uphold ethical principles.\u00a0<\/p>\n West also said that divestment is up to the students, and shouldn\u2019t be entirely up to the executive council.<\/p>\n Avery, a student, asked the candidates what their plan is to increase and support sustainability on campus.\u00a0<\/p>\n Singh focused on decreasing food waste and selling surplus food at reduced prices.<\/p>\n He stated that the SU already does lots for sustainability, citing the Daily Grind\u2019s use of recyclable materials.<\/p>\n West emphasized supporting student-led initiatives, as well as promoting the Seed Fund.<\/p>\n West also stated that they didn\u2019t want to step on the toes of any student groups that are already running sustainability initiatives.<\/p>\n Mia, the vice-president (finance) of Organization for Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies (OASIS) and vice-president (internal) of the U of A Debate Society, asked candidates how they will reform student group processes and regulations to make the financial operation of groups easier.\u00a0<\/p>\n Singh spoke on his past experience in an student representative association (SRA), criticizing the current approval and reimbursement systems.<\/p>\n He claimed that SU staff are overworked, and are unable to efficiently process requests in a timely manner.\u00a0<\/p>\n Singh proposed reworking the current rubric system used for granting, and using funds more efficiently.<\/p>\n West proposed a large-scale, holistic review of the student group regulations and approval systems.\u00a0<\/p>\n She also wants to explore non\u2013cheque-based reimbursements to prevent students from being out of large amounts of money.<\/p>\n West also suggested making rubric granting and feedback systems easier for students.<\/p>\n In closing, Singh emphasized his desire to fix what isn\u2019t working, and make operations more transparent.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have gone West long enough, it\u2019s time to move forward,\u201d Singh said.<\/p>\n West closed by highlighting doing more with less, and that they will deliver tangible and feasible reforms to the SU.<\/p>\n \u201cVote for a SU with a vision,\u201d West said.<\/p>\n \u2014Evan Cruickshank<\/p>\n VPA candidate expands on her plans for structural changes to resources for students <\/p>\n During VPA candidate Susan Huseynova\u2019s opening statement, she acknowledged the stress that students face from the uncertainty of academic standards and the expectations surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) use and academic integrity. Huseynova aims to increase \u201ctransparency and accountability on big affordability files like CMA.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Garbutt asked Huseynova what plans she has to \u201cimprove textbook and course material affordability for students.\u201d<\/p>\n Huseynova stated that \u201cthe risk of CMA is that the data underneath isn\u2019t fully reliable,\u201d and that the SU has identified a gap in course material reporting with \u201cmany courses already hav[ing] no cost or low cost materials.\u201d <\/p>\n Huseynova said that if elected, she will push for a transparent and auditable report before rollout which will include \u201ca consistent term by term reporting process.\u201d<\/p>\n During audience questions, SGS asked whether Huseynova plans on \u201cmaking new changes or supporting solutions that have worked in the past that aren\u2019t up to date\u201d in regards to the many free resources that have not been updated, such as the exam registry.<\/p>\n Huseynova responded by saying that she plans on building off of the ideas and systems implemented by previous SU members. She also reiterated her plans for \u201cenhancing [the] academic advising [system] project and escalating academic concerns project.\u201d<\/p>\n The Gateway asked how Huseynova plans on making concrete changes to the academic advising system to better support students as \u201cmultiple candidates in the past have spoken on wanting to improve the \u2026 system with little to no improvement.\u201d<\/p>\n Huseynova plans on implementing a centralized model which means that it will be \u201cone co-ordinated advising system that keeps faculty expertise where it\u2019s needed.\u201d <\/p>\n This is a project that she will be continuing from a previous advising project. She stated that a co-ordinated model will \u201cprovide better [and consistent] advising\u201d for students on all campuses.<\/p>\n \u2014Trystyn Rayko<\/p>\n VPSL candidates\u00a0advocate for de-rationalization of rent, implementation of the SGBV task force recommendations, and increase consultation <\/p>\n In his opening statement, VPSL candidate Brish Goorimoorthee began with a land acknowledgement. He followed by stating that he is committed to listening, learning, and working towards meaningful action.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMy platform is rooted in the belief that student life thrives [when] barriers are reduced, communication is transparent, and opportunities for connections are intentionally created,\u201d Goorimoorthee said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Nolan Greenwood, VPSL candidate, restated his three main platform pillars of improving life in residence, implementing the 11 recommendations from the SGBV<\/a> task force<\/a>, and strengthening advocacy through events and campus outreach.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cStudents face rising costs with the rollout of the rent rationalization program without an improvement \u2026 I would call for a review of the program, [which] unfairly targets living in [International] House<\/a>, as well as HUB Mall<\/a>,\u201d Greenwood said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Following Greenwood, Manyu Rathour also stated his three platform pillars of advocacy, social impact, and community building \u2014 all grounded in student wellness. He followed by saying that he will advocate for the de-standardization of rent and the reimplantation of a five-day meal plan for student residents.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI will advocate to increase counseling access, expand trauma-informed training for Safewalk Volunteers<\/a>, and push for safer, more inclusive recreation spaces,\u201d Rathour said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Additionally, \u201cI will advocate for a free SU Prom and rotating U of A\u2019s Got Talent to unify our campuses,\u201d Rathour said.\u00a0<\/p>\n VPSL candidate Paige Wall stated that through consultation she was able to understand the underlying issues faced by students. According to Wall, she will \u201cfocus on strengthening existing structures, embedding affordability considerations into programming decisions, and advocating for improved mental health capacities where gaps exist.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n She followed by saying that she will support the implementation of the SGBV task force recommendations and formalize a structured collaboration with student associations across campus.\u00a0<\/p>\n Garbutt asked candidates how they would advocate for mental health resources for students.\u00a0<\/p>\n In his response, Goorimoorthee stated that mental health can be supported through community building. He followed up by saying that he will advocate for more online access to the Peer Support Centre<\/a> (PSC), so students have resources when they are not on campus.\u00a0<\/p>\n Goorimoorthee also proposed an \u201caura farming contest\u201d event.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Following Goorimoorthee, Greenwood stated that he will ensure mental health resources are properly shared with students early on. He highlighted the SGBV task force modules, which educate students prior to their arrival on campus, saying that he will use the same technology to make the mental health resources known.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBy strengthening outreach and advocacy with student groups on campus, the SU is able to understand the gap students face in the mental health support they need,\u201d Greenwood said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rathour stated that he will \u201cmake sure that the app Empower Me<\/a> is better supported through ALUMO<\/a> on the SU\u2019s health and dental committee.\u201d He followed by saying that SUB only offers a maximum of 16 therapy sessions, which he believes \u201cis just not enough.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI want to advocate with the university and with the Counselling and Clinical Services<\/a> to ensure that [the] number of total sessions is increased on a case by case basis,\u201d Rathour said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Wall began by stating that mental health is \u201ca capacity issue just as much as it is an awareness issue.\u201d According to Wall, she will advocate for a need-based review to understand where gaps exist, particularly across different U of A campuses.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI would also ensure [the] PSC\u2019s and clinical services are well co-ordinated,\u201d Wall said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Emily, an audience member, asked the candidates how they would make campus more accessible.\u00a0<\/p>\n In his response,\u00a0 Goorimoorthee said he will push for the full implementation of the ONEcard access program<\/a>, which will provide extended access to libraries, buildings, and facilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n Following Goorimoorthee, Greenwood stated that he will ensure the SU is consistently working and meeting with student groups and leaders on campus. According to him, this will ensure that mental health issues are being shared to the greater university scale.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rathour stated that he will ensure \u201celevators \u2026 [and] accessibility doors on campus are frequently checked and renewed if they are non-functional.\u00a0<\/p>\n In her response, Wall mentioned that accessibility is \u201cfollowed by affordability, and affordability extends beyond tuition.\u201d For her, this includes the residence costs, food insecurity, event accessibility, and financial pressure that student groups face.\u00a0<\/p>\n Yanella, an audience member, stated that the number of student groups on campus has returned to pre-pandemic levels. However, according to many students, the quality of the groups and performance of executives has decreased. Yanella followed by asking how the candidates plan to address this issue.\u00a0<\/p>\n In his response, Goorimoorthee said he wants to push for student groups and leadership to have training and education that is more accessible and available.\u00a0<\/p>\n Greenwood also mentioned the importance of training given to student groups by the SU.<\/p>\n \u201cI think, as [the] SU moves to take over full event approval through the coming years, ensuring that the modules [and] feedback we give on events, [will] help better student leaders,\u201d Greenwood said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Following Greenwood, Rathour stated that he \u201cthink[s] that 40,000 students is a population, not a community. It\u2019s these student groups that build a community at the grassroot level, and [he] think[s] that it is very important for them to receive the proper support they require to act as proper functioning execs.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n According to Rathour, he wants to ensure that the university is giving the power to the SU for the event approval format.\u00a0<\/p>\n Wall stated that she will try to include herself in conversation with different student groups and understand where improvements can be made. She followed by saying that she will try to formalize structured collaboration with the International Students\u2019 Association<\/a> (ISA), the Indigenous Students\u2019 Union<\/a> (ISU), and different faculty associations and campus groups.\u00a0<\/p>\n Serena, an audience member, asked candidates what the first act of change students can expect to see once a VPSL is elected.\u00a0<\/p>\n In his response, Goorimoorthee restated that he will push for the implementation of the ONEcard access program not only on North Campus, but also on Campus Saint-Jean and Augustana.\u00a0<\/p>\n Following Goorimoorthee, Greenwood stated that his first action would be to call for the review of the rent rationalization program, ensuring that there is clarity and transparency from the review so that students and student leaders are informed in the decisions made.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rathour began by saying that \u201c[he] know[s] that not every hill is the hill to die on, but every hill is [his] favourite, so [he] will be there.\u201d He followed by stating that he wants to work with the City of Edmonton to run a fair market evaluation to \u201crent de-standardize each of the residences we have on U of A campuses.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Additionally, Rathour stated that he will work with the city to ensure that they understand what jobs are student friendly.<\/p>\n Following Rathour, Wall said that she would like to establish structured consultation with key student groups, review grant accessibility processes, and initiate conversations around mental health \u2014 such as capacity gaps.<\/p>\n \u2014Fernanda Campana Omori<\/p>\n BoG candidates discuss tuition and consultation website <\/p>\n In his opening statement, BoG representative candidate Amaan Khan asked the question \u201cDo we students deserve to be left in the dark for decisions regarding us?\u201d In response, he said that \u201cwe deserve the light.\u201d<\/p>\n He said that his platform is based on a combination of consultation with student groups, statistics, and student stories. He said that he has been and will continue to work with the Dean of Students, Ravina Sanghera, to bridge the gap between current student experience and the board.\u00a0<\/p>\n Khan also wants to bring back the anonymous survey website and work with the vice-provost (access, community, and belonging) \u201cto enhance the student experience and bring a focus to transparency and inclusion in governance.\u201d<\/p>\n In Janardhun Alagarsamy Vignesh\u2019s opening statement, he reinforced his three platform pillars: oversight, sustainability, and advocacy. He said he wants to push for summaries of explanations for financial and strategic decisions; protect academic integrity, degree value, and long-term accessibility on campus; and build structured feedback pathways so students see progress. He said \u201cgovernance is serious work that requires patience, listening, and consistency.\u201d<\/p>\n In Tala Mojarrad\u2019s opening statement, she said she has always been an advocate for leadership. She acknowledged that the university has great resources and infrastructures, but they can be hard to access.\u00a0<\/p>\n She said she plans to implement a documentation platform to ensure that unprofessional, racist, and discriminatory behaviour can be recorded and reflected upon. Mojarrad also said she wants to bridge the gap between students and the Board \u201cto make your voice and opinions integrated in the decisions that are made for you.\u201d<\/p>\n Garbutt asked the candidates if tuition increases are approved, what the candidates expect the university to deliver in return.<\/p>\n Khan said that he would make sure that he works with the BoG and university administration to make sure that tuition is used to bring student experience back to students by working with the Deputy Provost (students and enrolment), Melissa Padfield. He also said he plans to work with other provosts, such as Verna Yiu, provost and vice-president (academic), to ensure that student experience is the focus in regards to transit safety, campus safety, and affordability.<\/p>\n Alagarsamy Vignesh said a lot of what he will do is \u201cdefinitely advocate for pushing back against tuition hikes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n He said that if there is a tuition increase, he will make sure the money goes back into students\u2019 pockets and their experiences. This would be through residence issues, working with VPSL, and implementing mental health resources.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe fact of the matter comes down to improving our safety and improving our overall university experience,\u201d Alagarsamy Vignesh said.<\/p>\n Mojarrad acknowledged that tuition increases are unavoidable, however she plans to make sure that she will \u201cadvocate for your voices to make sure that this does not happen.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n She said that if tuition increases, she will sit down with the Financial Registrar Office to break down what is making tuition expensive and convey that to students. She said that she will advocate for education affordability and food safety. She also mentioned that she wants to make sure the new operating grant is also being attributed to current students as well as new students.<\/p>\n The Gateway asked what a specific change the candidates hope to make or influence at the Board level and how students would know if this has been effective.<\/p>\n Khan acknowledged that students are unaware of what role BoG actually plays, and past BoG representatives have done a \u201cwonderful job at addressing that,\u201d but there is still work to be done.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said he will work with the Learning, Research, and Student Experience committee on the BoG to make sure transparency and governance are a huge focus. He said he will make structured reports to students, and that there is a focus on social media and consultation, so students know how to get involved.<\/p>\n Alagarsamy Vignesh said that his main priority is to implement an escalation and triage system where student concerns can get an institutional response. He wants to have a centralized and accessible feedback form where students can register complaints and he can categorize and follow up with them, create periodic updates, and summarize themes.<\/p>\n Mojarrad said that one of her priorities is to make sure students are accessing resources and can access them properly by using social media to explain how to access them. She mentioned that food banks are available but many students still struggle to access those services.\u00a0<\/p>\n She said she wants to see changes to these infrastructures. It is important to note, however, that the BoG does not oversee food banks, instead an independent board of directors does.\u00a0<\/p>\n Karina Banerji, current BoG representative, mentioned that the BoG representative candidates have all stated an intention to revive Adrien Lam\u2019s website to collect anonymous feedback, which was not continued in that form for this term due to financial constraints. Banerji asked the candidates how they would implement this initiative, given that the BoG representative has no allocated funding.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mojarrad mentioned that the university has a \u201cgreat IT and IT team\u201d and students who work at the U of A. She also pointed to the possibility of applying for grants or funding from the province or university.<\/p>\n Khan said, in preparing to run for BoG representative, he consulted Lam and she agreed to pass the website down to the next BoG representative, regardless of who it is.<\/p>\n \u201cIt needs to be internalized, and it is a very, very good resource,\u201d he said. He also pointed to his experience as a computing science student, which will allow him to run the site without funding.\u00a0<\/p>\n Alagarsamy Vignesh said that Lam paid $26 per month to keep the site running, but he would pivot to co-operate with the VPOF \u201cearly on so that it can get implemented into the SU website. It\u2019s not about having the website up, it\u2019s about accessibility and where the students can reach it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014Erin Widmark-Pickle<\/p>\n Plebiscites and referendums representatives discuss the goals of their fees <\/p>\n Matthew Naruzny from the East Campus Students\u2019 Association<\/a> (ECSA) represented the ECSA referendum. If passed, the referendum would create a student representative association membership fee<\/a> (SRAMF). The proposed SRAMF is $10 per semester and students would have the option to opt out.<\/p>\n The purpose of the fee is \u201cto ensure [ESCA has] ongoing funding to continue organizing residence events and to help fund [their] residence improvement projects.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Garbutt asked Naruzny how this membership fee will improve the student experience for ESCA residents.\u00a0<\/p>\n Naruzny emphasized that the fee will be \u201cthe only ongoing funding that ECSA has.\u201d The fee will be put towards funding ESCA\u2019s projects and ensuring they can continue this in future years.\u00a0<\/p>\n Barrett Groves and Molly represented the Golden Bears and Pandas Legacy Fund<\/a> plebiscite. The fund charges undergraduate students $5.11 each semester.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSince 1991, the Legacy Fund has saved and stabilized our varsity programs through resources such as preseason travel, assistant and weight room coaches, and mental health supports for athletes,\u201d Molly said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The fund has created work and practicum placements for students and has funded jobs for A-team members like GUBA and Patches, both of whom are paid employees, Molly said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Garbutt asked the Legacy Fund team how they will communicate to students what this dedicated fee pays for and what they receive from it.\u00a0<\/p>\n Daniel Gutierrez said that they have been communicating this information on Instagram.\u00a0<\/p>\n Gutierrez said that the fund goes back to students through initiatives like student nights, giveaways, and free pre-season tickets. Additionally, Gutierrez emphasized that student athletes help to \u201cbring in more donations, more sponsorship to the university as a whole \u2026 therefore bettering the campus experience for all students.\u201d<\/p>\n A student athlete asked the Legacy Fund team what will happen to athletics if the Legacy Fund does not get approved.\u00a0<\/p>\n Molly said that one of the main things that this would affect for student athletes is their mental health supports.<\/p>\n \u201cBy having the Legacy Fund funding mental health supports for athletes, it actually takes away from these athletes having to use the campus mental health support, so it frees up a lot of room for other students to be available to use these support services.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Groves added that the Legacy Fund is integral to student athletes\u2019 study halls.<\/p>\n Christene Saji represented the Interdepartmental Science Students\u2019 Society<\/a> (ISSS) plebiscite. The plebiscite involves a faculty association membership fee<\/a> (FAMF) renewal for the faculty of science. The FAMF is a $7 per semester opt-out fee that applies to all faculty of science students.<\/p>\n \u00a0Saji said that much of the work ISSS does is made possible through their FAMF.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/DSC01442-2000x1333.jpg\")
Leah Hennig<\/a> Dustin Rodenbush, Arman Chauhan, Angel Raina (left to right) <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/DSC01497-2-2000x1000.jpg\")
Leah Hennig<\/a> Paige Wall, Manyu Rathour, Nolan Greenwood, Brish Goorimoorthee (left to right) <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/DSC01537-2-2000x1333.jpg\")