As a member of the current Carleton University Students’ Association (CUSA) executive, Zameer Masjedee said that his experience with Carleton’s undergraduate student association has prepared him to take on the role of president in the upcoming academic year.
“I don’t come from a typical politics background,” said Masjedee, a fourth-year software engineering student. “I got involved last year as CUSA’s vice-president (student life), and I think that was an absolutely amazing experience because that really showed me everything that politics has to offer. Above all else, the opportunity to engage with the student body and really provide solutions to some of the issues that they bring forward.”
One area where Masjedee sees room for improvement is in incorporating more input from the student body into CUSA decisions.
“Some students might feel that there’s other issues on campus that need to be addressed,” Masjedee said. The slate Masjedee is running with, One Carleton, has included feedback forms on their handbills and a website where students can voice their ideas on how Carleton’s campus can be improved.
“Getting a feel for how to make some of those students’ lives a bit more comfortable, a bit easier, here at Carleton is what we’re looking to do,” Masjedee said.
Among the changes that Masjedee is proposing if elected are the installation of nap pods in the MacOdrum Library, the creation of more student jobs, a weekend-long series of festivities leading up to the Panda Game, providing students with free printing, and the creation of a CUSA mentorship program.
Masjedee said his team is looking “to eradicate the divisiveness that sometimes surrounds student politics.”
“By offering students the ability to propose ideas and bringing them in with opportunities like jobs or more volunteer opportunities, we can really start to grow inclusiveness in a community that is really proud of the beautiful campus that we have here,” Masjedee said.
– Photo by Trevor Swann
