In the AMS’s first official de-slated election, two candidates are up for the role of Vice-President (University Affairs).
Candidates Dreyden George, ArtSci ’26, and Alyssa Perisa, ArtSci ’25, sat down with The Journal to discuss their platforms for the upcoming school year.
The Vice-President (University Affairs) role is one of the three executive positions in the AMS and is responsible for all matters of political and educational nature, research and policy development, internal academic issues, equity initiatives, campus affairs, orientation, and University administration affairs.
The role oversees six commissions, including the Environmental Sustainability Commission, Campus Affairs Commission, External Affairs Commission, Commission of Clubs, Orientation Round Table, and the Social Issues Commission.
Alyssa Perisa
“I really want to try and be a voice for students when they’re feeling uncertain,” Perisa said in an interview with The Journal.
Perisa, one of six current Arts and Science Undergraduate Society’s representatives to the AMS, is a life sciences student with three campaign pillars: optimization, connections, and championing.
Most recently, she served as the Orientation Roundtable (ORT) Concert and Communications Director, a position within the ORT commission under the Vice-President (University Affairs) portfolio. She believes these positions have prepared her to take on the executive role.
Through her optimization pillar, she hopes to internally streamline processes within the AMS, including turning written transition manuals into online modules. She highlighted bringing back the former practice of regular AMS newsletters, which she said used to be sent to students’ emails.
“When there are important issues on campus, they can go to the newsletter, [so students] understand what we’re doing about it, and know who to go to [to] discuss it,” she said.
Perisa shared her decision to run for Vice-President (University Affairs) was driven by the desire to advocate for students, just as previous leaders in the role had done for her.
“I want to be able to come to them and say: this is what I’m doing. This is how I can support you. Come to me for anything, and I’ll see what I can do to help support you,” she said.
She said this support for students, combined with her fresh perspectives on the AMS, would make her an ideal candidate.
“The AMS needs someone with a deep understanding of how it works, without any internal bias. I’m the candidate with that fresh perspective, having experience both within the AMS and outside in the faculty societies.”
Dreyden George
When asked why he would be the ideal candidate for Vice-President (University Affairs), George referenced his experience and resilience.
George, an economics and environmental studies student, believes his extensive experience within the university affairs portfolio makes him a strong candidate for the Vice-President (University Affairs) position.
As the current Commissioner of External Affairs, last year’s Clubs Commissioner, and the Social Issues Commissioner (External)during his first year at Queen’s, George’s campaign pillars include proactive transparency and accountability, increased research and consultation, an intersectional margin-to-centre approach, working to save students time and money, building student connection and experience, and advancing relationships.
Under his platform, one of George’s key goals is to advocate for low-income students, a goal he plans to achieve by leveraging his existing political relationships established through his role as Commissioner of External Affairs. Within this role, the commissioner advocates for the student body’s needs on the local, provincial, and federal levels.
“I feel like low-income students are […] left in the background a lot of times, especially here at Queen’s with such a heavy, affluent history, […] and that’s definitely even affecting students, but especially [Indigenous students],” George said.
If elected, George would also like to use government advocacy channels to expand the social sphere of the Vice-President (University Affairs) role by creating initiatives such as University sanctioned tailgate parties which would create a limited area where students could legally drink outside for Homecoming and St. Patrick’s Day.
In his previous roles, George introduced open booking links and office hours, initiatives he plans to continue if elected.
“I want to make sure to bring [community] to the AMS […] I would be the best Vice-President (University Affairs) for the AMS, just because I have the most experience, the most tenacity and the most resilience when it comes to showing notable achievements with students,” George said.
Tags
AMS, Elections 2025, Vice President (University Affairs)
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