By Vanessa Broadbent (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition:Â February 18, 2015
Dylan Thiessen
Vice-president external incumbent
Third-year political science major, history minor
Campus involvement
VP external for the Student Union Society
Volunteered on the SUS advocacy committee
How would you describe the role of SUS? What do they do?
There are certain things like student events and student support that are right on the surface of services and are things that students see, like Weeks of Welcome, U-Pass, or AfterMath — but we have a huge political role. We meet with UFV administration on a regular basis and ensure their plan for UFV is what we believe aligns with student interest. We also advocate to provincial and federal governments through our respective advocacy organizations for a more affordable, accessible, and higher-quality post-secondary service for students.
What are you hoping to do in this position this year?
The two biggest things SUS in general has coming up this year is the opening of the new building and the federal election. I think the opening of the new building is going to be a wonderful tool of engagement, whether that’s encouraging students to vote in a referendum or election or using it for events. Then the federal election — the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations already has a Get Out the Vote campaign, which SUS is planning to participate in.
Is there anything SUS has done in the past year that you are not happy with?
I can’t really think of much at all. Certainly at our board meetings we’ve tried to plead our case and the board may buy it, [or] the board may ask us to rethink it.
What have you done with SUS that you’re most proud of?
I hope I have introduced at least a higher level of political engagement on campus. That’s something that I definitely want to continue.
Is there anything you wish you had done differently?
Event planning has never really been my thing, but I think I’ve picked it up a fair bit. It’s certainly not something I dislike, but I think I tend to focus on the political, not necessarily to the detriment of the events aspect of the portfolio. I think [I would] find a better balance in the future.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
