Roy Nam is the director of external relations candidate for Vision UVic. He is one of two candidates running for this position. Voting for this election opens March 5, 2014.
What is your area of study at UVic?
I’m studying economics and philosophy. I’m a fourth year student.
What made you want to run for director of external relations?
I decided to run because, over the years, I’ve been interested in the UVSS. I ran a couple of years ago for the same position. I didn’t make it, unfortunately, but this year I think I have a pretty good team behind me and I feel I’m confident enough and experienced enough to go for it again. Hopefully this time I’ll get it.
What makes you the best candidate for this position?
I believe I can be the best candidate for this position because I have years of experience with the UVSS. I’ve been a club president so I know how the UVSS works and how other clubs and other course unions work with the UVSS as well. Also, I’m knowledgeable of the campaign that’s going on at the UVSS and I feel those are great initiatives that can be improved and I feel I’m qualified to run the campaigns much better.
How many hours a week would you plan to work in this position?
External relations position is a full time student work position. So I’ll be working full time as a student and also I’ll be working during the hours that I have to make trips—maybe to Vancouver to meet other university students. I’ll be working for those hours as well.
What would you have done differently this year compared to the current board of directors?
I feel like the UVSS has a lot of great initiatives going this year, but I feel as though some of the campaigns and events could have been executed better. Next year going forward I feel my group, Vision UVic, has a lot of great things including the marketing skills necessary to have those events and campaigns be more effective. Also we would be working closely with the other university groups such as Res Life and UVic Student Affairs and other divisions within campus to make those campaigns and events more effective.
What is your position on the UVSS’s involvement with Divest UVic?
I feel divestment is a great initiative that the university can take and the UVSS can definitely take on that campaign to work with the university, but at the same time, we haven’t done a referendum on divestment as UBC did last year. So I feel that to properly represent student voices on divestment, we feel like referendum would be plausible next year. Also, it’s not ultimately the UVSS’s decision. It’s UVic’s decision to make those changes happen. So we’ll have to see what UVic has to say about divestment and we’ll go from there.
What student campaigns would you like to further and support?
I feel like all the campaigns that we are running this year are great. In particular, I feel the consent campaign that the UVSS is doing is an excellent initiative, but at the same time we’re not working with Res Life at the moment with the campaign. So I feel as though it would be great if we could get Res Life on board and do a campaign with Res Life to make that change happen.
How do you plan to engage with the university and the government to affect change?
I feel the UVSS as well as other groups on campus have a lot of great initiatives and events that are going on throughout the year on campus. I feel as though part of the problem is that groups on campus don’t necessarily communicate with each other effectively to be aware of things that are going on on campus that they are not organizing. So I feel that the UVSS can take on that opportunity and connect with other groups on campus in order to promote and market and campaign for causes that are co-operative of each other.
What are your main goals if you’re elected?
One of my main goals is to connect different groups on campus. So there are great initiatives taken from all over campus with different student groups, different groups on campus, and different faculties as a matter of fact. And if we can collaborate and make changes for the better for students in general, I think the UVSS can be part of something greater and more accomplishments can be made on campus.
Where’s your favourite place to eat on campus?
I like Biblio. Because it’s so close to the library. I can study and eat at the same time so, Biblio.
