Jon Bolduc is running for the position of external vice-president (EVP). This is the third-year’s first interaction with the KSU. A contributing member to the King’s Poetry Society and star of the Mancat Infringement plays, Bolduc seeks to reach out and communicate with the King’s community. He views conversations as vital to any political role, especially EVP, and he plans to make that his main priority if elected. He sees his lack of experience as an opportunity to inject the KSU with a fresh perspective.
The Watch: Why are you running for EVP?
Jon Bolduc: Up until a month ago, I didn’t really consider being on the KSU but the more that I thought about it, I realized it’s something that I’d be interested in. I’ve always wanted to get more involved with the King’s community because it’s really important to me. I thought that I could represent the King’s community in a different way. I thought that I’d give it a shot and see what would happen.
Q: Because you don’t have a lot of experience with the KSU, do you feel that will affect your position as EVP?
JB: Yes, I’ve got some learning to do but I think that the way the KSU plays out, it’s good to have a mix of experienced executives and people who are new and have a different viewpoint. With my lack of experience, I think I bring a unique perspective to (EVP). That might be refreshing for the KSU.
Q: What would be your main focus as EVP?
JB: What I’ve been basing my campaign around are the King’s students. In the title of EVP, there’s an implication that it’s outside of King’s. What I want is to keep the roots of EVP in the King’s community. I plan to do that by being very open to people and conversation. King’s is one of those places where people have conversations about problems. Conversations, for any position, are vital. If I’m on the council, I’m not going to pursue things just for their own sake. I’m elected to represent King’s students. What King’s deems as a whole to be significant, those are the projects I want to go after.
Q: So you want to make the KSU more accessible?
JB: Definitely. Being a councillor is a constant thing. Whether I’m in the Wardy or just hanging out, I have to talk to people. I like talking to people and listening to them.
Q: What’re your plans if you don’t win the election?
JB: I’m always interested in organizing events. Last year I organized the Clean-Up King’s Day. The Quad was a mess when all the snow melted so I decided we should clean it up. I’m going to keep doing things like that. I’m pretty active in the King’s community in general.
Profile by Sean Mott
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Katie Douglas won a four-candidate race for first-year representative this past semester. Since, she has been a vocal member of the KSU council, fighting especially for event awareness and accessibility.
The Watch: Why do you want to be EVP?
Katie Douglas: I want to be External VP because when I came to King’s my passion was activism.I got involved in campaigns about education and the Take Back the Campus campaign right away and that’s how I got involved with the KSU. I feel that campaigns this year have not been very accessible to people at King’s and that we have not made adequate use of our resources and I’d love to see campaigns more publicized and team up with more organizations or societies at King’s who can help us spread our message.
Q: What do you think you bring to the EVP position?
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KD: I think I come as someone who is, I like to think that I am approachable. I also have lots of experience with activism and with trying to get various groups that maybe do not see eye to eye but have similar goals to work together. That’s really what I have done a lot of and what I would like to continue doing. I’d like to do that to build a bigger sense of community at King’s and improve what we have already and try to extend it. I hear a lot of people saying they find it hard to get involved. I’d like to make it more approachable.
Q: What would you do if you were elected?
KD: I’m looking into seeing if we can establish some sort of campus food program for students at King’s who might be having trouble to get by on groceries. So I’d definitely be talking to the DSU and NSCAD about their food banks to see if we could set something up at King’s. Also the Loaded Ladle to see whether that would also be something similar to be brought in.
Another thing we need to get a volunteer squad together so other members of the community, who maybe don’t want to volunteer with the chapel, which tends to be religiously oriented, although its very inclusive, but have a space for that is not a factor to go out into the community and contribute.
Profile by Evan McIntyre
