New SMCSU council member is tasked with connecting students and organizing events
Emily Barber NEWS EDITOR
Shane Beal CONTRIBUTOR
On November 14, the St. Michael’s College Student Union (SMCSU) announced the results of its fall 2018 election for the position of Vice-President (VP) of Community Life. The winner: History, Political Science, and European Studies student Charlotte Ashton.
As VP Community Life, Ashton is responsible for fostering community at the University of St. Michael’s College (USMC). This involves acting as the primary intermediary between SMCSU and other integral groups within the college, including St. Michael’s College Residence Council, Loretto Council, the House Councils, and Commuter Dons. As VP Community Life, Ashton will be tasked with hosting activities that contribute and enrich the lives of USMC students, both socially and culturally.
At the VP Community Life Forum on November 1, USMC students were given the opportunity to hear the election platforms of the candidates. Accordingly, The Mike is able to provide insights into Charlotte Ashton’s proposals for the 2018–19 school year, as well as her slogan: “One community in St. Mike’s.”
Ashton intends on taking a ‘putting the opinions of students first’ approach, as she plans on unifying commuters, residents, and upper-years through more USMC events. She intends on advocating for more evening events like trivia nights, movies, and video games. One on-campus event idea she has for this winter is flooding an area and freezing it to make an ice rink for a skate night and providing students with hot chocolate and other winter treats as they enjoy time on the ice. Ashton also plans to push for more outing events in Toronto such as an excursion to Canada’s Wonderland.
When asked about experience and how she believes she would work with SMCSU, Ashton cited her time as a first-year Orientation Marshal in which she worked with many student leaders. She claims to already know a lot of the current SMCSU Council, and Ashton professes that her work ethic will enable her to catch up on SMCSU affairs, despite starting in November. When asked about how she would balance academics and work with her new responsibilities as VP Community Life, Ashton emphasized her organization and scheduling skills.
