September 23 marks the beginning of the campaign period for candidates and referenda questions registered in the Association’s Fall By-Elections. It is going to be another exciting year with six candidates hoping to be elected to equity roles on the Board of Directors of the Association. As a whole the TCSA’s Board of Directors works year-round to address student issues and enhance the student experience. Each elected representative takes on the responsibility of helping govern the Association through its Board of Directors. Through our Executive positions the Board is kept informed on the operations and services the Association provides, while our Equity roles ensure support for Trent’s diverse student constituencies that contribute to campus life.

If you would like to vote, please look for your ballot in your Trent University email account from October 1 to October 4. Keep in mind that once you open your ballot you need to be sure that you take the time to submit it – don’t close it before completing the survey, otherwise it may be spoilt. If you have any questions about our elections, please contact us at elections@trentcentral.ca. Included below and on page 4 are your candidates and their platforms for the TCSA’s 2019 Fall By-Elections.

Candidate for Vice President of Clubs and Groups

Hello! My name is Lawrence Faria and I hope to become your Vice President of Clubs and Groups. I am a third-year international student from Guyana majoring in Physics. As the Clubs and Groups Coordinator, Vice-President of the Trent Undergraduate Physics Society and former Trent International Orientation Facilitator, I have had the invaluable experience of working with many amazing groups and student leaders across campus and the Peterborough community. While it has been a privilege to witness and be a part of the many successes, tireless advocacy, and altruism of our students, these experiences have highlighted many areas where we can do better. Using my prior experience as a policy assistant with the Ministry of Education in Guyana, I will effect broad structural change, formalizing and establishing best practices for the processes by which clubs are formed and access funding.

The changes made this year by the provincial government has made the levy funding clubs on campus optional. As we continue to challenge these changes at a political and legal level, it is vital that we also work to mitigate the effects they will have on our community. With our resources potentially shrinking, I will ensure clubs have equitable access to the funding they need to continue to provide their high-quality services to our community while working with them to explore alternative funding opportunities should it become a necessity. I hope to continue to build the TCSA’s relationship with levy groups, providing them with better support working to better inform the student body about their invaluable work.

I believe creating new clubs is critical to ensuring students feel represented by the groups available to them on campus. I will work to provide more resources and support for students hoping to form new clubs. By clarifying and formalizing the process of clubs registration as well as running club registration workshops I plan to make process much more transparent and accessible.

Finally, I plan to add a strong voice for international students, pushing back against rising international tuition. I will also work closely with TISA and our regional groups, ensuring they are well supported and equipped for the enormous task of bridging the gap between the domestic and international communities at Trent.

The next year will not be easy. However, none of the obstacles we face will be insurmountable as long as we put in the work. And, as your Vice-President of Clubs and Groups, I certainly will.