Name: Lana Hastings
Candidate for: Vice-President Student Services
Background: Psychology (BA)
Hometown: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Hi there! My name is Lana Hastings, and I am running for Vice President of Student Services.
I am a psychology graduate, an Applied Behavioral Analysis tutor, and I have a passion for theatre, having written and directed a successful show in the Winnipeg Fringe Festival. I also have been dynamically involved in the Peer Support student group for the last three years as a member and coordinator.
I know first hand what it is like to work with the UWSA, and have become adept to the challenging, but rewarding task of maintaining membership and engaging students.
I decided to run for this position because many of you have encouraged me to utilize my work ethic, organizational skills, and student group experience on the executive team.
If elected, I will do my best to promote direct communication between the student groups and the student body, work with you to accomplish realistic solutions to your suggestions, and bring back the free phones.
Address to students at March 12, 2010 Election Forum
I’m Lana Hastings, and I am running for Vice President of Student Services. As a student I have had the privilege to volunteer in the day care, petition with the disability resource center for a new space, fundraise with Shinerama, and campaign for target poverty and have a heart aids research. I have even been able to play music with my band in the hallways.
In first year I was admittedly uninterested in student counsel unless they were serving free pancakes. One day after a long nap in the mezzanine I woke up and saw an office with bright letters on the window that read ‘Peer Support’. Dazed and confused, I wandered in and asked what it was all about. I learned that it was a place where students could talk openly about their concerns to someone who would listen. It also complemented my studies in psychology.
I participated in the training, and two years later, became coordinator. My involvement with peer support has introduced me to amazing people that I would not have met otherwise and equipped me with counseling strategies that could be learned only through experience. Peer support however has not always been a walk in the park. This year we experienced a major wage and budget cut and have had to work very hard to keep our group going. I know first hand what it is like to work with the UWSA, and because of my experience I know what worked well, and what must change.
I have made it my priority to talk to you in the hallways and figure out what you want from student services for the 2010/2011 school year. Based on my own experience, and conversations with students and coordinators, here is what we came up with:
Our first priority was to promote effective communication between the student groups, the executive team, and the student body at large.
To accomplish this, I will frequently attend student meetings for a current update on what each group is up to. Whether it is hosting events, fundraisers, or campaigns, I want to participate in your initiatives as I hope you will with mine.
I then want to pass on this information to students using multiple networking outlets. After all, you should know in advance what is going on in your university.
Secondly, I would like to support the students and groups on campus by providing coordinators with more experiential learning opportunities on how to successfully run a student group, fundraise, and create safer inclusive spaces through workshops, conferences, and public educators.
Our third goal is to enhance school spirit and create a shared sense of campus and community life. As a bass player and singer I believe it is just as important to support students in their artistic endeavors, as it is their academic pursuits. I want to give you more opportunities to showcase your art, poetry, photography, and music in physical spaces on campus. I also want to coordinate competitions in Duckworth to introduce and connect the student groups through basketball, dodgeball, and floor hockey. In the words of a student here “The more spirit there is, the more pride, and the greater the willingness will be towards improving the school.”
There is an opinion about us, as students. That we don’t participate in events, campaigns, and voting because we don’t care. This is a myth. I know this because I have heard and identified with your overwhelming concern for the future of our university. You have also taken the time to consider realistic solutions for these concerns, turning thought and talk into action.
It will be my goal to frequently and openly collaborate with you making sure that your concerns are heard, and your needs are met. The YourUWSAYourNEEDS slate comes from very different backgrounds and walks of life but we all share the same desire, your desire to effectively communicate, provide better services, and enhance school spirit. We can do this together. Let your suggestions and creativity shape my obligation as your Vice president student services.
