Anvi Kumar is a fourth-year psychology student running for VP Administration on a platform of student visibility and inclusivity.
As a chairperson of UBC Film Society, Kumar feels there is a “disconnect” between AMS executives and clubs and constituencies. She said she hopes to “be a presence on campus,” if elected.
She said her role as chairperson has helped in “learning how to foster an inclusive team environment where everyone feels heard.”
“I’ve been on the other side… [so] I feel more sympathetic towards whatever potential problems… might come up to student groups,” she said.
She said she wants to reform communication channels between the AMS and student groups by doing a weekly meeting or a forum to encourage “actual in-person interaction between student groups” to address immediate queries or requests.
“There is a tendency for emails to get lost … because of the sheer amount of student clubs at UBC,” they said.
A challenge for Kumar is the all-encompassing role of VP administration — from “capital projects to student clubs and sometimes internal policies” — but she said support from other executives and her own team will help hold her accountable.
She also said she is “pretty confident in terms of doing the research and knowing the stuff, so [she doesn’t] feel so trepidatious in terms of putting forward [her] goals.”
Kumar said she plans to implement “discount days” in the Nest to promote affordability as well as increase revenue, similar to Triple "O" Tuesdays. She also said she wants to continue doing Clubs Fair and create events that focus on student well-being.
They hope to continue this work by focusing on diversity and BIPOC experiences, saying that “smaller student groups don’t get the support they need because of the lack of resources.” She did not explain how these two concepts were related.
In terms of sustainability, Kumar said that the Nest is “already a [leading] ... sustainable building,” but acknowledges that there is “always room for improvement.” If elected, they want to look into whether the resources at AMS outlets are ethically sourced and sustainable, as well as decreasing plastic usage in the Nest.
“What makes UBC stand apart from other universities is just the vibrant student community that students themselves have created in terms of extracurriculars or … interests that people can have,” they said. “It's very important for us to foster that.”
Kumar did not attend the first debate. At the second debate, she agreed with many of the other candidates, but did not provide many further specifics on her platform.
Kumar is running against candidates Anuoluwapo Awotunde, Ian Caguiat, Chayan Lu and Jake Sawatzky in the VP administration race.
Follow us at @UbysseyNews on Twitter and follow our election coverage starting February 27. This article is part of our 2023 AMS Elections coverage.