Incumbent Ava Nasiri was elected VP administration for a second term.
Nasiri who has been the VP admin for the past year, has focused mainly on the completion and move into the new SUB. However, her second term in office will focus mainly on the students, she said.
“I think it's all about the students and it starts with the clubs, and it starts with the constituencies,” said Nasiri. “And being able to look at the four year degree of any average student that comes through the doors and graduates from UBC, and creating as many opportunities as possible for them to engage with something at some point so that they feel like they’re part of something bigger than just them and their academic studies.”
James Jing, third-year biochemistry student, while disappointed on the loss, acknowledged that the race was an uphill battle from the beginning.
“It was a really hard thing to get over. She had a lot of experience within the office so it’s really hard for us, who [don’t] have any experience in the AMS to come out and stand out,” said Jing.
Fourth-year Alex Remtulla echoed the sentiment but recognized the dedicated work of his volunteers, comprised mostly of his friends.
“[I'm] a little upset, but I knew going in against the incumbent it would be a tough race, an uphill battle. I think for me it was overwhelming how much my volunteers put in. I had a team of close to 30 and it was phenomenal,” said Remtulla. “Congrats to Ava.”
Though disappointed they were not elected, Remtulla and Jing plan on looking for opportunities outside of campus. Remtulla may pursue an internship with the BMO Marathon, an organization he’s worked for previously.
Nasiri feels confident that her win will afford her the opportunity to improve student life.
“I feel like the possibilities are endless because the point at which I am right now I understand the scope of the position and I think that I can imagine all of the possibilities,” Nasiri said. “As cheesy as that sounds.”