Cheers rose from the student body as their peers took the stage to present their case for why they should head the Engineering Students Society (EngSoc) next year.
Two debates for EngSoc’s contested executive positions took place on Jan. 22 and 23 at Beamish-Munro Hall. Candidates identified community engagement, transparency, and trust as pivotal issues.
Three presidential candidates talk community
Three presidential candidates presented their EngSoc visions for the upcoming school year.
For candidate Matthew Brown, Sci ’25, student engagement begins with a cup of coffee, or at least it did for him. As a first-year student, Brown took his upper year mentor through EngPals to The Tea Room, which spurred his involvement in EngSoc.
Targeting first-year students while they’re fresh and pairing them with upper-year student mentors will bring more students into the society, Brown said. As an incentive, Brown wants Tea Room coupons to allow mentors to initiate conversations and cultivate relationships with new Engineering students.
“As president of the Engineering Society, I would like to expand the EngPals program and the First Year Project Coordinator (FYPCO) mentorship program,” Brown said during the debate.
Candidate Taylor Hambleton, Sci ’25, puts community at the heart of her platform.
She hopes to expand EngSoc’s outreach within the Kingston community by creating the “homelessness crisis initiative.” Under this initiative, students would provide essential items to unhoused individuals, contributing to the broader community.
“It would be going downtown, bringing essential materials to these homeless people, and just helping them, putting a smile on their face, making their day. I think it would impact them and the whole community, and the Engineering Society’s representation [in] the Kingston community,” Hambleton said during the debate.
To push engagement, Hambleton recognized the need for expanding outside “the EngSoc bubble.” She advocated for actively interacting with Engineering students outside of EngSoc, and retaining those already involved, to foster a more engaged community.
Candidate Jack Walker, Sci ’25, emphasized the importance of streamlining the transition process for clubs’ leadership. His goal is to reduce the time spent transitioning students, allowing them to focus on their respective clubs.
“One thing I really want to do is not centralize the transition materials but provide more resources and guidance on how to create a transition manual, how to introduce someone to a role,” Walker said.
He thinks EngSoc opportunities get lost in communication and aren’t digestible for students. Walker spoke on the importance of being transparent about the executive team’s internal processes to ensure students understand these positions.
“I think it’s easy for people who are already on a bunch of teams, a bunch of committees, to sometimes forget how much they know about our structures that the average person might not,” Walker said.
Vice-president (finance & administration) candidates consider automation
The debate to be EngSoc’s next vice-president (finance & administration) centered on the society’s financial future.
Candidate Bruce Cao, Sci ’26, promised to rectify disparities in the amount of support the Engineering design teams have received from EngSoc. He promised to advocate for the student body.
For candidate Sara Barcher, Sci ’25, her platform stands on the pillars of financial awareness, optimization, and inclusivity.
“I want to work on creating a much more inclusive and approachable environment for first-years,” Barcher said.
For candidate Avery McFadden, Sci ’25, the future of EngSoc’s finance and administration is automation, transparency, and communication.
“We use a program called Microsoft Power Automate, and that helps create take tasks that are usually very tedious and take a long time for any one person to do and makes them super simple,” McFadden said.
He believes introducing automation will accelerate processes within the VPFA portfolio. However, candidate Barcher expressed concerns that automation may limit transparency with processes and accessibility for future students.
Only one candidate for vice-president (operations)
Running uncontested, Lily Stock, Sci ’26, is the sole vice-president (operations) candidate for next year.
Stock, who is the current director of Retail Services for EngSoc, envisions a threefold future for the operations portfolio: becoming an inclusive society, improving the backend operations of services, and improving the student experience.
“My term as a director of retail services has instilled the belief in me that the services exist to serve students,” Stock said.
Automating services’ payroll and enhancing staff training are all plans Stock has for the upcoming year.
“Training is an important part of ensuring the services run smoothly. I would create and choose training relevant to managers and staff to better prepare for the next operational year,” Stock said.
Stock believes hiring for qualities such as drive, passion, and willingness to learn, and consistent communication with Engineering students, will ensure equal access to service positions. She will take steps toward ensuring everyone who wants to be involved can do so.
Vice-president (student affairs) candidates on bringing in new students
Two candidates are going head-to-head to be EngSoc’s next vice-president (student affairs).
Candidate Monique Kelly, Sci ’26, is running on a platform of community, transparency, and continuous growth.
Kelly wants to broaden EngSoc’s scope and transform it into a more inclusive space for everyone. She advocated for the expansion of existing clubs and the revival of those yet to recover from the pandemic.
To expand the community, Kelly proposed extending the hiring period for students who may have missed deadlines. Her initiative “give it a go” week, would allow students to try different clubs before making any commitments, a low-barrier entry to get students involved.
Barbra McLachlan, Sci ’25, wants to foster a society in which Engineering students feel valued.
McLachlan’s strategy involves active participation in town halls, academic caucuses, and feedback forums to amplify student voices to the University. She wants to create a forum for students to voice their concerns.
Collaboration is a central pillar of McLachlan’s approach. She hopes to collaborate with other faculty societies to find work opportunities for students.
Transparency, to McLachlan is a promise but also a responsibility. In her role, she believes she will build on existing communication channels that hold EngSoc leaders accountable.
“Engineering thrives on collaboration, and together, we can drive positive change,” McLachlan said.
Voting for EngSoc’s executive positions entakes place on Jan. 29 and Jan 30. Results will be announced Jan. 31.
Tags
Elections, EngSoc, EngSoc executive, president
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