Executive Committee

• President Candidate: Rickee-Lee Webster

  Hello! Hi! Hey You!!! My name is Rickee-Lee. I am excited to announce I am running for President of the Executive Committee for a second term as I only had the privilege of being in the position for 6 months and would like to continue the momentum. Playing an active role in the ongoing improvements of our University and its many facets is important to me. I see the Presidency as an excellent way to be part of a team that is involved in student’s lives and has a vision for the progress of both the Alberta University of the Arts and its students; past, present and future. I am extremely grateful for the connections I have made thus far and look forward to cultivating even more in the future. I am interested in your journey and how I could be of any assistance along the way. It would be my honour to continue to advocate on behalf of the student body, develop community initiatives and build a strong union between the institution, faculty and students. I look forward to connecting, discussing and working with you. I would be very grateful if you’d vote for me, Rickee-Lee. 

• Vice-President Academic Affairs Candidate: Kayla Gale

  I’m running for Vice-President Academic because I have been working alongside the current VP Academic in my role as General Faculties Council Representative throughout the year. I would like to maintain consistent student representation on councils and committees that AUArtsSA sits on. I have previously served the AUArtsSA in an executive role for two years, as Vice-President of External Relations, so I am familiar with executive leadership within the SA and am ready to get back in! Having attended AUArts for four years now, I am well aware of what needs improvement, and having been involved in the University’s governance I have a good idea of how to get it done. I would like to work towards improving things like registration and scheduling regarding academics, however I am also really invested in encouraging the institution to promote equity and diversity on campus. There has been a lot of talk about this for a while, and we’re only just seeing motions being made to make this happen. I would like to work with the administration of the institution to make changes that need to happen, stay on their heels about progress, and hold them accountable for mistakes and shortfalls.
  

• Vice-President External Relations Candidate: Chloe Collins

  This past year I have advocated on behalf of the students to the provincial government. While working alongside the Alberta Students Executive Council, I have brought student concerns to the right tables. I have also advocated for continued mental health supports on campus as well as the implementation of a standardized transfer credit system across Alberta Post-Secondary Institutions. As a direct result of these advocacy efforts, the Mental Health Grant, which supports our Hear/d Residency, has been guaranteed. This year I will continue to fight for student rights on a provincial scale. I am also committed to advocating against large increases in student tuition. I would be honoured to serve a second term as your Vice-President of External Relations.

• Vice-President Student Life Candidate: Jamie Russett

  My name is Jamie Russett and I am a drawing major going into my fourth year at AUArts. I have spent the 2019-2020 school year working hard as the Drawing department’s Student Leadership Council representative, a member of the Student Association’s Events Committee, and as a Hear/d Residency mentor. I believe my experience within the association itself, as well as my dedication to supporting peers within the university, make me a great vote as your new Vice-President of Student Life. I would like to take the opportunity of having a louder voice behind the scenes back into my community to further listen to my student body and do what I can to foster community on a larger scale, and I look forward to potentially being a wellness resource that my peers feel comfortable reaching out to on campus. 

Student Leadership Council

• Ceramics Candidate: Lisa Blackwell

  I am a mature student with many years experience working as part of a team in progressive learning environments. I am effective working independently and as a cooperative team member. As a creative thinker I am constantly looking for solutions and efficiencies. 

  I am friendly and approachable and will work hard serving and advocating for the Ceramics department and all students. 

  Thank you for the opportunity to put myself forward as a candidate for Student Representative for the Ceramics Department. 

• Glass Representative: Portia Scabar

  I’m Portia Scabar and I am running for the Glass Representative position at AUArtsSA! Throughout my first two years here I have fallen in love with Glass and with the amazing community that it fosters. In my previous years of schooling I have taken on many projects based on bettering the community and developing opportunities for my peers, such as leading a fundraising group based around covering the cost of all graduation tickets within the high school I attended. With this position I would like to continue these endeavours to strengthen the glass community at AUArts as well as help it grow even larger. Spending time in the hotshop and coldshops has opened my eyes to a passionate group of people who I feel need someone just as passionate as them to advocate for their wants and needs. With my interest in glass and building relationships with the people in the program I feel that I will be able to be the voice that the glass program needs. Being someone who is often focused on others I would like to use this position to get to know my peers better and push for what the collective wants. As well I would like to have the opportunity to organize more event nights to highlight the wonders of glass and all of the students in the program which in turn will be a form of self-advertisement for the glass program at AUArts. If you have ideas of how to better the glass program, have event ideas or just want to make a new friend I am here to advocate for you and be a friendly face within the school and the glass department. 

• Character Design Candidate: Josh Chilton

  Hello, my name is Josh Chilton and I am an artist, designer, and fellow student at our university. In Fall 2020 I will be in my third year and endeavour to be the Character Design Student Representative. I have been asking my fellow students who our representative is during Winter 2020 and very few could answer. I will change this. Design students should know that they have a voice and the person who is representing them. Having strong relationships with the community I represent is critical to understanding people’s needs. I will do my best to understand your needs and communicate our issues so that we can all be better informed, as well as make the best decisions for our continuing education at the Alberta University of the Arts! 

• Character Design Candidate: Justin Drake

  As the Character Design Representative, my first and foremost priority would be to create an efficient line of dialog between the students and the faculty of the Design department. I want to make sure that the students feel like they are being heard, but I also want to make sure that the teachers’ concerns are heard by students. This is important, as I see both teachers and students confused regarding the others wants and needs. A simple way I see this taking place is through student department discussion panels, which currently exist, but often have low attendance due most likely to poor advertising. Through dialog we can make a great change throughout the school, one of positivity and understanding. 

• Character Design Candidate: Mary Snow

I have worked hard over the past year as the Character Design Representative, and if re-elected, intend to do so again. I am going into my fourth year, and have taken part in organizing events, connecting students with appropriate resources and being a mediator, and helping to run the Buttoneers club as treasurer. My goal is to help students in need of clarity or direction in regards to problems they may be having in their education and helping them get the resources they need, to bring attention to the needs of Character Design, and Design as a whole, and to connect students throughout the school for better communication and sense of community.

• Graphic Design Candidate: Harrison Sirois 

  With a majority of our instructors being sessional, not full-time faculty, I am presenting myself as a candidate who can listen and speak loudly for the students of Graphic Design and Advertising. Having a long-standing track record, I’m looking forward to getting fired up on your behalf. 

• Illustration Candidate: Henry Hays
  

  Nobody likes bullshit, so if you smell it then come runnin’ to me. I’ve been at this school for four gotdamn years and I’m ready to try my hand at seein’ if I can make this place work a bit better for us, and in turn I’m gonna work a bit harder for all ‘o you. I am an illustrator, a maker of comics, and a part-time coward but that won’t stop me from causin’ a ruckus and raising hell on your behalf. If this position is granted to me, and if you know me or not, I encourage you to talk to me about any concerns you have for this program/school and I will happily engage with you in a passionate, friendly, and polite manner. Thank you for your consideration and I hope to do something that’s worth your vote before the 2020 school year is up. 

• Illustration Candidate: Maggie Yuan
  

I am interested in representing and spreading awareness of the exploration, diversity, and creativity that is inherently part of the illustration stream at AUArts. I am a second-year Illustration student who is also looking to expand my knowledge in Graphic Design. Although I am new, my leadership experiences start here; I am hoping to do my best as a leader and representative for my department. One of my goals is to suggest changes to our curriculum because of my experience with the lack of in-depth classes we currently have while another is to voice any concerns that our student body has. I hope that you will consider electing me as your Illustration Representative today and improve our department for tomorrow!

• Painting Candidate: Jonathan Wolfe

I’m interested in running for the Painting Representative this year as I think I’m the right person for it. I’m great for the spot as I’m familiar with many people already in the department. I’m not afraid to stand up for people, and I’m aware of what’s happening in the department as I often participate in the activities around the painting department and the campus altogether. 

I was the Painting Representative last year and hope to do so again, as I think it’s crucial that the school has someone to represent us. This school has not had a Painting Representative for several years beforehand and I think this is a great disservice. My main initiative is to address issues that people in my department are having, but I also want to help bring more people into the Painting program. I’ve talked to a lot of people in Second Year that are uncertain where they should go and I just want to show them how great the painting side of this school really is.