Over the Edge, February 10-24, 2010 Page 5 Nugss elections Associate Director Candidates 2010 Election Shelby Petersen News Editor All six of the Associate Director positions are up for acclimation. This means that there is only one candidate vying for each potion and the voter can simple chose “yes” or “no” to decide if the candidate will be successful. The Associate Director Positions are as follows: Associate Director-Events, Associate Director-Planning, First Nations Represen- tative, Women's Representative, Colleges Representative, and Associate Director of Campus Sustainability. Associate Director-Events is responsible for assisting the VP So- cial with his/her duties and to act as vice chair of the Events Planning Committee. The candidate up for acclimation for this position is Alexis Moore. Moore is a third year Geography major. She has been a campus tour guide as well as a volunteer for the JDC Events Planning Com- mittee, Moore is running for Associate Director-Events because she be- lieves, “that [her] dedication to extracurricular activities, love for life, and enthusiasm for friends & fun will make NUGSS events the best ever.’ Associate Director-Planning is responsible for assisting the VP Social with a particular emphasis on events and planning for the soci- ety. The candidate up for acclimation for Associate Director-Planning is Caitlin Tates. Tates is running for re-election as she currently holds the position. Tates is a fourth year English major who plans on pursuing her Masters of Education. If re-elected, Tates will “work with the elected VP Social as well as the elected AD Events to ensure that these same evens as well as new quality events are brought to UNBC students.” ‘The First Nations Representative is responsible for acting as a li- aison between the First Nation's Centre and NUGSS, Furthermore, the First Nations Representative must represent all First Nations issues at UNBC and work with the Peer Support Network. Adam Thomas is seeking re-election for this position. Thomas is a Carrier man from Saik’'uz First Nations (Stoney Creek) and a member of the Grouse clan. Thomas is also a second year Environmental Planning student majoring in First Nations Planning. During his previous term as First Nations Representative, Thomas has been involved with the Northern Trans- portation Improvement Commission (NTIC), advocated for Aboriginal students needs and concerns, and encouraged Aboriginal student in- volvement in NUGSS and UNBC. If re-elected his plans on continuing with his successful work and maintain a mutually beneficial relationship between NUGSS and the First Nations Centre. The Women's Representative is responsible for representing all women’s interests at UNBC as well as acting as a liaison between the Women’s Centre and NUGSS. The candidate up for acclimation this year is Lauren Movold. Movold is a second year student studying Gen- eral Arts, After taking a Women’s Studies class and working with the NUGSS Events Planning Committee, Movold decided she would be a great fit as Women’s Representative. Movold’s goal is to ensure that the students of UNBC are aware of the facilities offered to women at UNBC. The Colleges Representative is responsible for representing the Col- lege of Arts, Social, and Health Sciences Faculty Department as well as the College and Management Faculty Department. This year’s candidate up for acclimation is Nadia Nowak who previously held the Associate Directory of Campus Sustainability position. Nowak is a third year En- vironmental Planning student. Nowak plans on addressing the issue of sustainability in education. Nowak also wants to find a better alternative to Better World Books to ensure more direct donation, The last position is Associate Director of Campus Sustainabil- ity. This position is responsible to act as a liaison between PIRG and NUGSS as well as the liaison between the Green University Research Manager and NUGSS among other things. Alexie Stephens is the candidate up for acclimation for this position, Stephens is a third year Environmental Studies student with a Minor in Political Science. Cur- rently, Stephens is a board member for the Prince George Public Interest Research Group (PGPIRG), president of the club Students for a Green University, coordinator for the Environmental Studies Mentorship Pro- gram, and a member of the Green University Planning Committee. If elected for the position of Associate Director of Campus Sustain- ability Stephens plans to work hard to ensure that UNBC fulfils its role as Canada’s Green University by serving local food, adding greener roofs, demanding default double side printing, as well as waste reduction and increased energy conservation. All undergraduate students are eligible (and encouraged) to vote in the 2010 NUGSS election. Voting will be held on February 9th & 10th from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm in the Wintergarden. Alexis Moore Caitlin Tates — iN Lauren Movold Adam Thomas Nadia Nowak Alexie Stephens A Run Down of the 2010 Executive NUGSS Candidates Shelby Petersen News Editor VP SOCIAL < Morgan Melnyk Tom Epplett > The candidates running for the most infamous NUGSS executive board, VP Social, are Morgan Melnyk and Tom Epplett. Both Melnyk and Epplett have experience with event planning as Melnyk is currently the Associate Director of Events and Epplett has worked for several years in the bar and service industry. Melnyk and Epplett have quite dif- ferent platforms and ideas for their time in office. “I want to make a difference and create memorable events that stu- dents can remember after they have left UNBC,’ Melnyk stated in a re- cent interview, “I will also strive to be visible and available to students to plan and implement events that students want and that students will at- tend.” Already, Melnyk has planned the sold out Jump Back party hosted in the NUSC event space. Epplett, however, has listed several concrete ideas for his potential term with NUGSS, “some of the new events I am considering are: a wine and cheese gala and a UNBC formal with dinner and dancing,’ Epplett also plans to continue with the UNBC staples like the Final Affair and the Backyard BBQ. Melnyk is currently in his fourth year of studying Commerce and Epplett is in his third year with a double major in Political Science and History. Both candidates’ majors bring different skills to the board with Melnyk having extensive experience with marketing and communica- tions and Epplett being able to think critically and stay organized. VP EXTERNAL AFFAIRS < Alex Wallace Leanne Peek > The VP External Affairs is responsible for handling the communica- tion and media between NUGSS and other organizations on and off campus. This year, there are two candidates vying for this position. Alex Wallace is the incumbent candidate having already held the position during the 2009/2010 school year. Her opponent is third year Com- merce student Leeanne Peek. Along with her previous experience with the position, Wallace is an Environmental Planning student and she believes that her major will help her better serve the student population, “Problem solving skills are something I have learned through my program. Planners work with di- verse groups anda variety of personalities. No situation they encounter is the same, nor is there one way of doing things. With the profession of planning, each task will require a different set of skills. Being a repre- sentative of NUGSS you are faced with similar situations and through my studies, I have learnt how to be creative and adaptive in addressing a variety of issues.” Being the newcomer however, Peek is not without experience of her own. Peek has volunteered with organizations such as the Salvation Army, Canadian Cancer Society, and The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Each of these organizations has enabled Peek to deal with a variety of different people in different situations. VP STUDENT AFFAIRS Kelley Hilton Heather Carson Jillian Lee The position with the most candidates in the running is VP Student Affairs. Responsible for the communication between NUGSS and the various clubs around UNBC, VP Student A ffairs is a very crucial position. The three candidates all come from very different backgrounds and areas of study, Heather Carson is a third year International Studies major, Kelley Hilton is a third year International Business Major, and Jillian Lee is a third year Marketing Commerce Student. Carson believes that her background of study will be very beneficial if elected to the NUGSS board, “as a Political Science and International Studies student, I have experience with political organizations, elections, and public administration.” Conversely, Hilton believes that her experience abroad will enable her to be a successful candidate, “With my experience of teaching English overseas and volunteering at St Vincent's Soup Kitchen, I have learned how to creatively diffuse arguments, mediate situations, and provide sup- port to all parties involved.” Jillian Lee believes that her involvement with the JDC team has en- abled her to see firsthand just how important communication between NUGSS and the clubs are. All of the candidates have a variety of experience with clubs and know how important the role of VP Student Affairs is to UNBC, “I am running for the position because I have been involved in clubs since my first year at UNBC and I have seen the importance of the role of VP Student Affairs,” stated Carson. Hilton also has an invested interest in the continued success of this position, “Although clubs right now are communicating, I would like to improve upon the frequency by holding monthly meetings with club leaders and by setting up a calendar for club events. Clubs are an im- portant part of university life that instill pride and passion for UNBC, and as students may be involved in many associations at once I believe it’s important that clubs work together to make UNBC as enjoyable as possible! One thing is sure; this is building up to be one of the most conten- tious positions during in the election. With three contestants running it will be interesting to see who comes out on top and how the students react to the variety in candidates. VP FINANCE < Garrett Dobson Jennifer Larson > The two candidates running for VP Finance are Garrett Dobson and Jennifer Larson, The VP finance is responsible for managing the society's money and making the budget. Both Dobson and Larson are Commerce students, but Dobson is in his first year while Larson is in her third. Dobson believes that he is the best candidate for the position be- cause, “[I have a]... great interest in finance and the want to increase my knowledge of the allocation and dispersion of monies.’ Larson, on the other hand believes that she is a strong candidate because she has experience with the Student Residence Council and JDC. If elected, Larson plans to, “ensure transparency, market funding opportunities to eligible clubs and most importantly, see that each dollar of student fees and revenues of the Society are expended in ways most beneficial to the maximum number of students available.” Both candidates bring a wealth of financial experience to this very important position and plan to increase transparency and show the stu- dents where their fees are actually going, All undergraduate students are eligible (and encouraged) to vote in the 2010 NUGSS election. Voting will be held on February 9 & 10 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm in the Wintergarden.