ELECTION RESULTS
PRESIDENT
Masood Syed (he/him)
EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT
Yashna Manek (she/her)
VICE-PRESIDENT OF ATHLETICS
Rashad Mubarak (he/him) & Sina Hamidi (he/him)
COMMUTER DIRECTORS
Aman Patel (he/him) & Aydin Sadr (he/him)
OUTREACH DIRECTORS
Olivia Lunin (she/her) & Claire Del Zotto (she/her)
GENERAL MEMBERS
Cassandra Collura (she/her)
Ghina Dhiyaa (she/her)
Sara Soleymani (she/her)
Angel Zheng (she/her)
LASSONDE REPRESENTATIVE
Pedro Gonzalez (he/him)
BETHUNE COLLEGE COUNCIL
ELECTIONS
Nomination Period:
Friday, March 10th TO Sunday, March 27th @12:00am
Nominees must fill out the form below
Mandatory Meeting for Candidates:
Monday, March 27th, 12:00pm
Candidates Must Attend. Rules and Regulations.
Campaign Period:
Monday, March 27th To Sunday, April 2nd
For information on Campaigning, Postering, and Deductions,
review the form below.
All Candidates Speeches & Debate:
Tuesday March 28th at 7:00pm
Voting Period:
Monday, April 3rd To Thursday, April 6th
Candidates Must Attend. Rules and Regulations.
PRESIDENT CANDIDATES
John-Paul Gagliano Veiga (he/him)
Hey everyone! My name is John-Paul Gagliano-Veiga (He/Him), but you can call me JP. I'm going into my fifth year of studying biology at York. I've always been involved with Bethune ever since my first year, especially through intramurals in which I was able to meet so many new people through and saw just how special of a community that was here at Bethune. Throughout the years all I've wanted to do was to give back to the community that was so welcoming to me and this year as an executive on Bethune Council I was able to achieve this by organizing a great athletics committee who helped me inspire, motivate, and encourage students to pursue their goals. Now knowing the in and outs of Bethune I want to carry that on through this upcoming school year by taking on the role of president at Bethune College and remember everything was impossible until someone did it.
Masood Syed (he/him)
After my time as General Member, Vice-President Promotions on Bethune Athletic Committee, and as the Executive Vice-President, I am now running to be the President of the Bethune College Council. I hope to find alternative funding for Lassonde Student Organizations and WeekZero, form a financial structure for the future of BCC, improve cross-student government and York admin relationships, and follow through with unfinished initiatives from previous years such as Club Funding and constitutional changes.
EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT CANDIDATES
Yashna Manek (she/her)
Hey everyone! My name is Yashna (pronouns she/her) and I am running to be your BCC Executive Vice President for the 2023-2024 academic year! I cherish all that Bethune has done for me since my first year at York and I want to take on this position to give back to the community as much as I can. The EVP’s role primarily concerns internal operations and management of council, and based on my experience and previous involvement at York I believe that I have the skills to properly execute this position’s responsibilities. Through my previous position on council as a General Member and my current position as Vice president Social, I have gained valuable knowledge and understanding of how each committee of council operates, and therefore I will be able to ensure that all incoming council members are well prepared and trained to assume their new roles. Furthermore, through my ongoing involvement in the Science Student Caucus, Student Ombuds Services, Science Student Ambassador Program and York University Senate, I have gained a plethora of knowledge and skills pertaining to academic policies and resources, which I plan to use to help create well-rounded and informed council members. I have devised a training and transition plan which I believe will make the council stronger internally, which will translate to external success and help me achieve my other goals as the EVP. If you like what you see and want this to happen then make sure to vote YASHNA MANEK for Executive Vice President from April 3 - April 6 at https://yuvote.yorku.ca/!
Issay Amaha (he/him)
I am running to be executive vice president to help Bethune grow as a council and a community. I’m a 3rd-year student who has been very active within Bethune since my first year. Since I was also Commuter Director this year, you may have seen me around the JACS and JCR rooms a lot. Finding a place to feel comfortable and accepted with like-minded people is always great. I want more people to experience that, like I did when I first got involved. In addition, I have been on the Bethune College Council for two years and have been a part of various other committees that keep me engaged with the community, such as the social and athletics committees. One of the responsibilities of the EVP is to oversee and help out other council members. With my experience, I would be the best candidate for the position.
VICE-PRESIDENT OF ATHLETIC(S) CANDIDATES
Muhammad Abdulhafiz (he/him) & ReneJay Aguilar (he/him)
Hey Dragons, Our names are Muhammad Abdulhafiz (Hafiz) and ReneJay Aguilar (RJ) and we are running for the position of Vice President of Athletics at Bethune. As avid sports enthusiasts, we are excited about the opportunity to represent and advocate for our student-athletes. We've got plenty to say, but we'll keep it short. One of our main goals as athletic reps is to promote school spirit and involvement in athletics. We believe that supporting our sports teams is not just about winning games, but about creating a sense of community and pride in our school. We plan to organize events and activities that bring students together to cheer on our teams, and to encourage more students to get involved in sports. Can't wait to see you play sports soon!
Rashad Mubarak (he/him) & Sina Hamidi (he/him)
Hello Dragons, We are Rashad and Sina, and we would like to be your VP Athletics for the upcoming year. Rashad is in his 3rd year of Computer Science, and Sina is in his 3rd year of IT. As passionate and dedicated athletes, we have been heavily involved with the Bethune Athletic Committee and York University Intramurals. Rashad served as a senior member of the BAC for two consecutive years and Sina for one year. In this capacity, we worked closely with BAC executives and other members to manage teams, find players, and help run events. We both managed multiple teams in various sports during the fall and winter intramural seasons, which gave us valuable experience in how intramurals and BAC operates. Our involvement with the BAC and intramurals has given us a sense of responsibility to give back to the community, which is why we are running for VP Athletics. We want to ensure that every student has the opportunity to participate in and benefit from all that the BAC and intramurals have to offer. In addition to intramurals, we plan to organize various events throughout the year that will encourage more students to get involved with Bethune College and the BAC. With our passion, experience, and leadership skills, we are confident that we can help build a strong and vibrant athletic committee that benefits the entire student body.
COMMUTER DIRECTOR(S) CANDIDATES
Glory Ohikhena (she/her) & Omnia Elsalam (she/her)
Hi Everyone! We are Glory Ohikhena and Omnia Abd Elsalam and we are running as your 2023/2024 Commuter Directors. At Bethune, we seek to provide a safe and welcoming atmosphere for commuters. We understand the limitations as commuters, so we'd work together to provide opportunities by organizing events to feel like you belong. We’ve formed memories as a result of our involvement with bethune, and want to have the opportunity to offer the same experience, if not better, to commuting students.
Aman Patel (he/him) & Aydin Sadr (he/him)
Aman: Being at bethune college regularly for the past 3 years of my undergraduate mechanical engineering degree, I feel I have developed a great understanding between the requirements of council and the opinions of the students. With this I feel I can be a great addition to council and help making bethune a more inclusive environment, host amazing events and create special memories for all the students.
Aydin: Hey my name is Aydin Sadr I’m a going to be a third year Econ/Finance Student. I did Frosh with Bethune in my first year and also switched my affiliation in the beginning of my first year. In my second year I did General Member which is a position that has taught me many things about being on BCC. I am running for the Commuter Director position with my partner Aman Patel. As a Bethune student that interacts with many other constituents in the Jcr and Jacs all the time, I have a good understanding of what the students would like and how to make our spaces a much more enjoyable place. I hope to be elected in this position so I can help Bethune be a more inclusive space by running tons of events throughout the year.
OUTREACH DIRECTOR(S) CANDIDATES
Claire Del Zotto (she/her) & Olivia Lunin (she/her)
Our names are Claire and Olivia, and we would love to be your Outreach Directors! Claire is in her third year of Biology, Olivia is in her third year of Mathematics for Education, and we’re both in the Concurrent Education program. We have been involved in Bethune student life for several years, through the Bethune College Council and the Bethune Promotions and Advertising Committee (BPAC). This year, Olivia worked hard to release content for the Bethune social media channels, while Claire supported clubs as a BCC Outreach Director. If elected, we look forward to: - Establishing a committee to get more input from Bethune club execs and members - Providing professional photography and tech workshops to clubs - Creating fun volunteer opportunities for our constituents - Making your year at Bethune the best yet!
Shon Lazarev (he/him) & Satyam Verma (he/him)
We are Shon and Satyam, and we are running to be your Bethune College Council Outreach Directors for 2023-2024! Part of what we will do is make sure that Bethune students have opportunities to have volunteer involvement and opportunities with Bethune, and make your experience in Bethune college events memorable.
Shon: If you know me, or have shared a class with me, you can always catch me playing chess, and watching Steph Curry highlights while imagining me making the same plays as him on the court. I have been involved as a class representative over the past three semesters, Bethune peer tutor for first year science courses, and am the president of the chess club at York. I am excited and am looking to be more involved in student life during my time at York!
Satyam: Hi, my name is Satyam Verma, I am in my first year of BioMedical program. I am the class representative of my biology class, I am participating in clubs like robotics, Ignite, etc. As you can, I enjoy joining extra curricular activities and now looking forward to give you guys an amazing experience as an Outreach Director for Bethune College Councils. We hope to be your bethune outreach coordinators next year and would be honoured to have your vote!
Kebrija Leeks-Kottick (she/they)
My name is Kebrija, pronouns (she/they), I’m a running as a Candidate for Bethune Outreach. I’m currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Political Science Honours. I’m a certified Victimology and a recent graduate of Humber College’s Forensic Identification program, where I was the recipient of the President Medal for my community leadership and innovation on and off campus. I was the President of the Ukrainian Students’ Club, where thanks to my own lived experience in the child welfare system and homelessness, as well as work experience in harm reduction (homeless shelters and safe consumption sites), human trafficking, victim services, communications, and community engagement, when Humber failed to help students in a number of areas such as housing, I helped find housing for dozens of International students, even extending this support to other post-secondary institutions and other International students across the GTHA, and even put together and assisted as a co-facilitator for community counselling sessions. Eventually I was able to work with Humber to create a bursary that gave executive staff, employees, and the greater community the ability to contribute funds which would then be redistributed to students in need from countries affected by war and conflict. As the current Internal & External Representative of the Ukrainian Students’ Clubs at both York and Humber, a Mentor for Fridays For Future Taiwan on their Graphics Team and in my second year as a volunteer member of the Ukrainian Canadian Students’ Union’s (SUSK) Advocacy Committee, I am well positioned to understand the importance of community engagement through DEI (Diversity Equity and Inclusion) and youth empowerment. That’s me, now let’s talk about what I can do for you (Ce que je peux faire pour vous). From the perspective of a well seasoned student and experienced community leader, but also as a new member of York, I have been involved with many communities, events, and councils and I have experienced, heard about and seen the problems impacting students at York. I have also seen these same issues before, worked on them and been successful in improving them elsewhere and I know I can help you too (et je sais que je peux vous aider aussi). It is important as a outreach representative to be the conduit and representative for student voices.
Remie Taza (she/her)
Hi Dragons, my name is Remie and I’m currently in my 3rd year of biology. Outreach Directors are supposed to provide volunteering opportunities, support our affiliated clubs and create philanthropic opportunities. I believe that being an active part of our community and joining clubs here at YorkU is what makes our student lives a lot more interesting and fun. These play a big role in our student life. Clubs need resources and funding to stay afloat, which is something I know I can help with! This position is new and so important to the Bethune community, my partner and I helped shape its responsibilities this council term by implementing club funding policies, volunteering experience and fundraisers! So, the reason I’m reapplying for Outreach Director is because I want to continue to do the good work this position has introduced to Bethune. By making sure clubs are getting everything they need, giving you all volunteer experience and giving back to our community, we constituents can continue to have a great university experience!
GENERAL MEMBER CANDIDATES
Cassandra Collura (she/her)
Hi! My name is Cassandra Collura and I am a first year biology student. Throughout my first year at York, I have participated in many of the council events which made me realize that I wanted to get more involved in Bethune by running for General Member. During high school, I was very involved in my school community by being on many councils, playing on lots of sports teams, and even playing in our school band. I am a great team player and I have gotten lots of experience collaborating with others when being a general member on the Bethune Athletic Committee as well as being on many intramural teams, including captaining one myself. By being a general member this coming year, it would give me the opportunity to help brainstorm and organize so many of the great events for the incoming students that made me love the Bethune community so much. I would be honoured to be given the opportunity to be one of your General Members.
Ghina Dhiyaa (she/her)
Hey, my name is Ghina and I’m a first year computer science student. Throughout the year, Bethune College has felt like a second home, and is a community I am so thankful to have been introduced to. I want the general member position because I want to contribute to further building that sense of community. Also, I want to run events that help make our commuter school feel more connected.
Amir Faramarzi (he/him)
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Justin Franco (he/him)
My name is Justin Franco and I am a second year student in Biology. As a prospective member, I want to get involved with Bethune College by helping peers find a place to discover, learn, grow and have fun along the way, especially those new to the university and the college. I want to contribute small changes to the community from time to time and hopefully make a positive impact on this college in the long run. I believe the skills I develop during my time in Bethune will help me become a better communicator and a better person overall.
Estime Gnonlonfin (she/her)
Hey, my name is Estime and I am running for general member because I want to help make bethune a fun and inviting place for everyone.
Jui Sharma (she/her)
Hey y'all! My name is Jui Sharma and I am going into my 3rd year of bio-technology this year. I wanted to apply for bethune council ever since I started uni so here I am. I look forward to meeting and getting to know you all through-out the year!
Sara Soleymani (she/her)
Hey Dragons! My name is Sara and I’m a third year computer science student. Bethune has become my second home over the past two years. It has helped me grow and find the most amazing people that I get to call my friends. Bethune has helped me and changed my life in so many ways and now I want to be able to do the same for others by joining the BCC. I am currently an associate of BPAC which means I've had the opportunity to learn about the council and work closely with them, learn about the responsibilities and qualities one should have to be a part of BCC and the weaknesses that currently exist. I am dedicated to help the Bethune community and to work hard towards continuously making Bethune a better place and I believe becoming a general member can help me reach these goals! :)<3
Pham Thi Hong Uyen (she/her)
Helping out has always been one of the things I really enjoy. With this opportunity, I will be able to contribute to the Bethune College community.
Kyle Williamson (he/him)
I want the position so I can get a general feel for council responsibilities and also so I help out at Bethune.
Pocholo Yanes (he/him)
Hello! You may or may not know me like that, (whether you know me from being your frosh leader or foosball) but my name is Pocholo Yanes and I am currently a second year biology student interested in running for one of the four available positions of general member. I feel that my past experiences as a leader and current connections with Bethune would make me an excellent candidate for this position! Being a general member requires helping out in any type of way in Bethune’s community. I’m always at Bethune and basically live there and come on campus all five days of the week, so my presence wouldn’t be a problem! For helping out in sports events, I’ve played football, volleyball and soccer, so anything that requires physical activity should not be a problem. For more interactive social events, I’m open to interacting with people in Bethune’s community! I’ve always wanted to be more involved in Bethune’s community and this is the perfect opportunity to do so! Vote for me and you won’t regret it :) “Just do it” -Nike✔
Angel Zheng (she/her)
The reason why I want to become a general member is to be more connected with the Bethune community in the upcoming years and to connect with them not only by spending time with them, but by planning events they’d want to participate in as well.
LASSONDE REPRESENTATIVE CANDIDATE
Pedro Gonzalez (he/him)
Hey y'all! My name is Pedro Gonzalez, and I am running for re-election for next year. With my prior experience, I am confident that I will be able to fully flesh out & carry out this new position's mandate, and better provide for Lassonde.
Open Positions
President :
Refer To Governing Documents:
The President shall:
a. Be available on a daily basis during the summer semester to oversee the planning and implementation of Social Orientation b. Chair Council meetings if the Administrative Assistant is unavailable;
c. Be one of at least two (2) official BCC members with signing authority for BCC accounts and shall relinquish authority upon the end of term;
d. Be a member of the York Orientation Directors Association, College Presidents Association, shall be ex officio member on all other appropriate and official Bethune Community bodies, committees and commissions;
e. Liaise with the Bethune College Master's Office;
f. Designate access and keys of all council members to the Council Office with the assistance of the Master’s Office;
g. Ensure with the Vice-President Finance that the following criteria are met and reconciled with SC&LD such that Council can complete its annual audit, and receive funding (if able):
I. One (1) copy of the campus publication in which the audit must be published, and
II. One (1) copy of the minutes of the regular Council meeting in which the audit was passed by simple majority;
Executive Vice-President :
Refer To Governing Documents
The Executive Vice-President shall:
a. Be one of at least two (2) official BCC members with signing authority for BCC accounts and shall relinquish authority upon their end of term;
b. Assist in the planning of training sessions for all Council members after their election, as well as a Council-wide retreat;
c. Oversee the internal compositions and operations of the BCC and shall be responsible in assisting the members in fulfilling their duties;
d. Oversee the operations, management and upkeep of JACS and the JCR. e. Be responsible for the maintenance and up keeping of the Mascot as well as scheduling appearances as appropriate;
f. Make office hours schedule;
g. Be responsible for planning in conjunction with the President regular BCC Town Hall meetings once per semester during the Academic Year to inform the Bethune Community of progress, upcoming events and initiative and to receive feedback from such;
h. Ensure with the Vice-President Finance that the following criteria are met and reconciled with SC&LD such that Council can complete its annual audit, and receive funding (if able): I. One (1) copy of the campus publication in which the audit must be published, and II. One (1) copy of the minutes of the regular Council meeting in which the audit was passed by simple majority;
Vice-President Athletic(s) :
Refer To Governing Documents:
The Vice-President Athletic(s) shall:
a. Ensure that such activities are widely advertised and promoted; and shall ensure that the BCC is informed of the results of all athletic competitions;
b. Act as a liaison between the Student Intramural and Recreation Council and the BCC and abide by its Constitution;
c. Ensure that regular reports on Bethune College sports activities are submitted to the Master and the Vice-President Communications for distribution to the Community;
d. Oversee the production and maintenance of the BAC budget with the BAC Director of Operations, presenting it to the finance committee, including breakdowns of incentive programs, equipment, sports events and other expenses;
e. After being elected, coordinate and manage the selection process of the new Bethune Athletics Committee Directors
General Members
Refer To Governing Documents:
The General Members shall:
a. Be a member of the Social, Communications, Sponsorship and Finance Committees;\
b. Plan a social event;
c. Plan a council bonding event;
d. Put up posters while in an in person setting;
e. Plan seasonal decorations for Bethune spaces;
f. Scan all receipts and match them to adobe cheque stubs;
g. Make callouts for Orientation week
Commuter Representative(s)
Refer To Governing Documents:
The Commuter Representative(s) shall:
a. Be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of JACs/JCR and study rooms;
b. Be a liaison between the BCC and the Commuter students of Bethune college;
c. Maintain at least three (3) separate regular hours in Bethune JCR (115), if circumstances permit;
d. Ensure JCR/JACs are open on weekdays and are clean, if circumstances permit; The Commuter Reps are also responsible for overseeing the planning and execution of any events that are to be held in JCR/JACs.
e. Be responsible for overseeing the planning and execution of any events that are to be held in JACs/JCR. e. Not be living in any residence at York University for the elected academic session.
Lassonde Representative
Refer To Governing Documents:
The Lassonde Representative shall:
a. Liaison between the Lassonde and Bethune communities to adequately represent the needs of Lassonde students
Outreach Director
Refer To Governing Documents:
The Outreach Director shall:
a. In charge of creating philanthropic opportunities
b. Coordinate with different committees to increase participation within the college
c. Create volunteer opportunities for members of community
Hired Positions
Any Positions that are not listed above other then First Year Representative are Positions are hired in rather then voted in. For more information Read the Governing Documents above.