The VP Volunteering Services is responsible for
- undergrad representation on CS department committees
- tutoring services
- Byte to Eat, the annual food drive
- other fundraisers including pizza and cookie sales (including the ongoing RainCity Housing fundraiser)
- encouraging social citizenship
It’s a position of great potential, and only someone who’s enthusiastic, inspiring, and proactive can bring that out.
Candidates:
- Jordan Chin
- Nan Jiang
- André Malan (A* Party)
Jordan Chin
Endorsements
None AFAIK.
Platform
My name is Jordan Chin, and I am running for the position of CSSS VP Volunteering Services. I am currently a Cube volunteer tutor, as well as a member of the Greater Vancouver Science Fair Committee. In the Science Fair Committee I take part in planning events and activities for the students to participate in during the annual fair. I feel strongly that volunteering our time to help others is an important activity more of us should add to our daily lives. That said, I am always on the lookout for new ways to help out, having previously been involved in events ranging from community fundraisers to other more computer science oriented activities. Increasingly, I have found out how important it is to volunteer for something that hits real close to home. I look forward to sharing a year of rewarding experiences!
Commentary
Outside of being a volunteer tutor, Jordan doesn’t seem to be very involved with the Cube, so I know very little about him.
Although Jordan expresses his appreciation for the importance of volunteering, it leaves me curious as to what specific ideas he may have about “new ways to help out”. As the other candidates have included more explicit goals and plans, this write-up comes across as vague.
Nan Jiang
Online: Facebook
Endorsements
None AFAIK.
Platform
Hi CPSC Students,
My name is Nan, and I am very excited to be your new Vice President of Volunteering at the Cube. I have already been an avid volunteer for the Cube as the Tutoring Coordinator. Further, I have been an active promoter and organizer in charity campaigns this year (inc. “Byte to Eat” Food Drive).
As your VP Volunteering, I will work to form a committee dedicated to connect students with the department, UBC, and the community. We have made many plans and liaisons this past year, and I would like to execute and expand them for next year. As my platform, I hope:
- to expand our already successful Cube Volunteer Tutoring Program to second-year level courses
- to continue the tradition of our annual “Byte to Eat” Food Drive and share it with CPSC departments at SFU, Langara, and BCIT
- to continue supporting non-profit organizations by creating fundraisers and have all CPSC students actively participate in their success
- to create a blog website solely devoted to providing awareness to the wealth of volunteer opportunities available out there for CPSC students.
If there is one thing that all CPSC students must know; it is that each one of us has a strong passion to show leadership and initiative to make a difference in the local community. I, Nan, want to bring the leader out of you with the joy of volunteering.
VOTE Nan Jiang for VPV!!!
Commentary
Nan is already heavily involved with the volunteering committee. As Tutoring Coordinator she did most of the work in recruiting tutors and matching up tutors and tutees. She’s also helped organize most of this year’s fundraisers and donation drives. Her platform has good, solid goals—I like the idea of expanding tutoring services and a blog to promote volunteering. That said I’m not sure why she wants to work together with other schools or how she plans to do this.
While I personally can’t agree with the statement that every person possesses an innate desire to lead, that’s merely a philosophical nitpick. (I don’t equate philanthropy with leadership, although the former often requires the latter.) The overarching theme in her proposals seems to be, succinctly, “spread the goodness”. By that reasoning, liaising with other campuses makes sense, in the context of expanding the Food Drive program into a provincial post-secondary effort, rather than being restricted to UBC. Although this means extending efforts outside of UBC (and thus serving interests other than our immediate, local ones), far be it from me to fault a VP Volunteering candidate for thinking of the bigger picture.
André Malan (A* Party)
Online: Endorsements
See A* Party.
Platform
Hi, my name is André, I’m an international student from South Africa and I’m running for VP Volunteering with the A* Party. I am an incredibly hard working and caring person. I care deeply about UBC, the Computer Science department and the world we live in. As VP Volunteering I promise to work hard at bringing the best talent that this department has to offer into the roles that will make a true difference for all of us.
I have a vast amount of experience volunteering and working in teams all around campus. For example, I have extensive experience in managing volunteers from my work as the Information Technology Systems Director for the 2009 Student Leadership Conference. The skills I have gained from my positions on campus make me the best candidate for the position of VP Volunteering.
Some things I would like to do as VP Volunteering:
- More and better tutoring.
- Better student representation to the department.
- Volunteering events that actually make a difference.
If you would like to know a bit more about me, please visit my website at
http://andremalan.net. Or just Google me to see some of the work I’ve been doing to help change this campus for the better over the last four years.If you like my ideas and values vote André for VP Volunteering and Vote A* Party for your Cube execs!
Commentary
Although the proposals here are rather general (e.g. it is hard to interpret what exactly is meant by “better”), André’s past achievements speak for themselves. His past and present involvements have demonstrated an enduring commitment—not just in theory, but also in practice—to solving problems that face students in particular, and humanity in general. He also brings a diverse set of experiences to the table. Overall, this is a very promising candidate with what appears to be an exceptional dedication to humanitarian causes. (It also doesn’t hurt that his Web site, long pre-dating this election, is chock-full of content which makes a compelling case for his eligibility, or at the very least for his passion.)
André fought for freedom!…er, our right to post on UBC Blogs. (This is actually true.)
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