Meet the Ubyssey Publications Society Board of Directors candidates

Students can vote to fill five seats on the Ubyssey Publications Society Board of Directors in this year's AMS election.

The Ubyssey Publications Society Board of Directors oversees the business and financial side of The Ubyssey. Board positions are not editor or staff reporter positions. Board members have no say over editorial decisions at the paper such as what we report on and how we cover stories.

Voting is open until March 14 at 8 p.m.

Here are your candidates.

Candidate blurbs were written by individual candidates.

Sultana Razia

I’m running to be on The Ubyssey’s Board of Directors out of my sincere admiration for the newspaper’s impact on our campus! My passion for being a voice to my community has only grown during my time at UBC — I had the privilege of working as student senator-at-large on UBC Senate Library and Awards Committees to extend library hours and more awards for students. My platform is to foster an environment for The Ubyssey to sustain financially and strategically, expand reach and resources and champion in our efforts to represent the diverse voices, frustrations and experiences of all UBC students.

Nikolai Sundstrom

I am a fourth-year student studying international relations and economics, and I’m running a campaign in support of global awareness, transparency and accountability. I plan to utilize my various professional experiences in the international relations field to ensure that Ubyssey publications are more aware of global issues; increase student awareness of Board activities through statements and spotlights from/on Board directors; and increase administrative accountability, adding checks and balances to the president and directors to ensure that journalistic works are not tampered with.

Enzo Passarini

I'm a fourth-year international relations student at UBC with previous experience in student leadership, having served as an executive in multiple organizations, including leadership roles. I'm running for The Ubyssey’s Board of Directors to ensure financial transparency and responsibility and act as a responsible steward of the organization. I am committed to maintaining journalistic integrity and protecting The Ubyssey’s independence from AMS influence. I believe the newspaper should continue to serve as a platform for honest, critical and diverse storytelling that holds power accountable and represents the voices of the UBC community.

Jasper Dahmen

My name is Jasper and I am running for the Ubyssey Board of Directors. I’m a fourth-year international student from Austria majoring in sociology and am excited to contribute to the newspaper that has been accompanying me throughout my studies here at UBC. My goal is to ensure that The Ubyssey can flourish via competent management and a solid financial strategy, empowering the amazing community behind the newspaper to reach their full potential. By working together, I hope to create a future in which The Ubyssey can continue to inform, inspire and thrive!

Jason Wong

Now more than ever, effective management of The Ubyssey is crucial in safeguarding freedom of the press. I’m Jason Wong, a former staff writer at The Ubyssey who has covered groundbreaking news stories such as the federal government’s actions against international students in late 2023. In being elected to the board, I hope to promote the continued presence of online campus press despite restrictions from Bill C-18 whilst upholding integrity of the publication’s financial activities. I plan to leverage stakeholders and community partnerships to garner greater attention to the paper on a national level.

Callum McAllister

I’m running for the board because I believe in the power of university journalism to inform students and hold our institutions accountable. I won’t pretend to know much about how The Ubyssey operates — but I’m eager to learn and bring a perspective guided by the following values: upholding ethical journalistic standards such as unbiased reporting; raising the level of dialogue on campus, for all sides; championing long-form investigative journalism to hold those in power accountable. Above all, I’m committed to ensuring The Ubyssey is a strong, independent voice for students.

Joshua Hart

I am a third-year international relations student. I’m involved on campus and currently serve as a student-at-large on the Governance Committee of the AMS. I have also served on the Human Resources Committee and a Presidential Advisory Committee, which oversaw the hiring of the Deputy Provost. I am running for director to help maintain the strong foundation of The Ubyssey, which I believe is an important source of public coverage on issues for many students. I will bring an approach to the board which will help to steer The Ubyssey in a smart and proactive way for a stronger newspaper.

Ariel Estrin

As a member of The Ubyssey’s Board I intend to work to reinstate a culture of journalistic professionalism and integrity so that the issues most dear to UBC students are given the unapologetic coverage that they deserve. I am especially interested in broadening the conversation to include more of some of the marginalized voices that together characterize the diversity of our campus. Installing a regime of fiscal responsibility, so that every dollar of student fees directed toward the newspaper is spent with nothing other than the best interest of students in mind, is also a key priority.

First online March 10, 2025, 2:39 p.m.