The Martlet

Ryan Levis, Independent

Ryan Levis, a fourth year Greek and Roman studies major and business minor, is running for chairperson for the third time in as many years.

Prior to submitting his candidacy, Levis had to ask himself if he still wanted the position. The answer, clearly, was yes.

“When it comes to running, I’m doing it because I haven’t seen the change I’ve wanted to see. I’m still in it,” he said. “I also love talking to students. I love engaging with the other candidates.”

Levis thinks he would be the best candidate for the role of chairperson because of his voice.

“Over and above my fabulous thinking mind, my charming wit, my ability to facilitate calmly and smoothly, and my sense of humour, I’ve got a big voice . . . and I think people are losing sight of how important a voice is,” he said. “But what makes me the best candidate is my vibrant character.”

Levis also believes his past experience in acting and theatre administration will help him in the role of chairperson.

“It’s really about thinking critically and what’s possible and what’s just hot air. I can take that pressure because I’m a really light-hearted person. As an actor, I’m used to a lot of criticism. That doesn’t bother me.”

Levis is a multifaceted person — he describes himself as a student, an actor by trade, an aspiring athlete, a botanist and a masseuse all in one breath — but his answers to sillier questions speaks volumes of his character.

When asked if he had to go to jail for any crime at all, without hesitation, he answers “a crime of passion.”

Rachel Chapman, Renew

Rachel Chapman, a third-year sociology and business student, believes that, above all, the UVSS’ objectives must be realistic and achievable.

“Our goals are to lower the deficit that the UVSS has and create a sense of community on campus, where everyone’s voice is heard,” she said.

“A lot of students don’t know what the Students’ Society does, so my slate would like to get more people involved.”

Chapman is also seeking change for the Student Union Building (SUB).

“Looking at a business standpoint, [we’re] trying to make the SUB more profitable, to decrease our debt. We want to work on ways that students can have some extra money in their pockets.”

Chapman believes that her distance from the UVSS in the past is one of her greatest advantages.

“I feel like I’m coming in unbiased. I’ve been active in the UVSS, but I haven’t been a member on the board.” Although she’s attended board meetings in the past, Chapman says she’ll provide the UVSS with “a new perspective from the general public.”

“I have a broad knowledge of students. I know a lot of people from different groups, and know a lot of issues people feel need to be brought to the board,” she said.

Still, Chapman sees things on campus she thinks should be kept the same.

“I think one big topic right now is the bunnies. I was sad to see them all go.”

She also feels that the movement towards campus gardens should continue.

“It would be good to see community gardens opened up, possibly by the SUB, for students to have use of the land.”

Overall, Chapman believes the university is “good” but “there’s always room for little improvements.”

As a potential arbiter of change on campus, Chapman looks to the example of other leaders. When asked who she’d most like to spend a day with, she replies without hesitation.

“Nelson Mandela. He’s been in jail, and he’s also been a really powerful politician,” she said. “Most politicians have never had their freedom taken away from them. I think he would have a really diverse view on the world.”

Tara Paterson, FuseUVic

Tara Paterson, a fourth-year political science and women’s studies student, is running a campaign based on three key issues.

“Defuse debt, infuse campus community, and refuse to stand down on sustainability.”

Paterson hopes to lobby with other students for increased post-secondary funding and lower tuition rates, while engaging them through organizing more events and endorsing environmental stewardship on campus.

“We want to re-engage students with the UVSS, and that doesn’t begin with one person, or five executives, or a 20-person board. That begins with every person on campus,” she said.

Paterson says her past involvement with the UVSS gives her an edge going into this year’s election.

“What distinguishes me from the other candidates is experience,” she said. “I’ve sat on the UVSS board as a director-at-large for a year, which neither of the other candidates have done.” She believes this familiarity is essential for an effective UVSS, but it isn’t the only thing she brings to the table.

“I am deeply passionate and hardworking about student issues, and will fight for students. My experience extends far beyond the UVSS. I have experience working and volunteering in non-profits, as well as other organizations, in which I have chaired meetings, managed budgets and organized events.”

Although her platform is characterized by change, Paterson sees things at UVic that she believes should be preserved.

“UVic as a university, compared to many others, has a strong culture interested in maintaining environmental sustainability,” said Paterson. She says it’s also important to have a campus community built on “the support of an interactive campus culture that’s really inclusive.”

Another thing Paterson wants to continue is the inclusion and recognition of indigenous students.

“Last year UVic had the highest percentage of indigenous students graduate of any university in Canada,” she said. “I think it’s something we’re still far from realizing, but promoting a campus that recognizes indigeneity is something that I would absolutely keep.”

Looking to the future, Paterson acknowledges the minds that incited change in the past. When asked who she would spend a day with, dead or alive, Paterson chose three people.

“John Lennon, Emma Goldman and Martin Luther King Jr.,” she said. “And [I’d] ask if this is the world that they imagined.”