Candidates Spring 2021
Candidates for the Spring 2021 MUSSA council election have been announced!
Please review the candidates' statements below prior to voting at voting.utoronto.ca.
All registered MMSt and CDP students are eligible to vote. Voting is open from __, April __, 2021, 12:00 pm ET to ___, April __, 11:59 pm ET. For each open position, electorates have the option to vote for a candidate or decline their vote.
*Where multiple candidates are running for one position, they are listed below in alphabetical order by last name. Candidate order in the UofT voting system is randomized.
Please review the candidates' statements below prior to voting at voting.utoronto.ca.
All registered MMSt and CDP students are eligible to vote. Voting is open from __, April __, 2021, 12:00 pm ET to ___, April __, 11:59 pm ET. For each open position, electorates have the option to vote for a candidate or decline their vote.
*Where multiple candidates are running for one position, they are listed below in alphabetical order by last name. Candidate order in the UofT voting system is randomized.
EXECUTIVE POSITIONS
First-Year Representative
Annabelle Kolomeisky
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Hi everyone! My name is Annabelle and I’m a first year MMSt student. Coming into this year I was extremely excited and eager, but I couldn’t help but worry about the barriers entering a new program online may bring. This is why I would love to be your first-year representative! I understand there are many challenges coming into a new program, especially under these new digital circumstances, and as your first-year representative, I would make it my goal to bring the 2020-2022 cohort together and make your voices be heard! During my undergrad I was a senate member of the Classics Student Union, and during the summers I would work as a camp counselor, so I have a lot of experience working in a committee, as well as planning, communication, and problem solving. I am a very outgoing and amiable person who is not afraid of taking on a challenge. If given the chance, I would love to hear your thoughts and to connect with everyone to make your time at the program the best it can be!
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Social Assistant
Natalie Scola
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Hello! My name is Natalie and I am nominating myself for the position of Social Assistant. I am in my first year of the Museum Studies program and would appreciate the opportunity to be involved with MUSSA and contribute to creating an engaging and supportive community for my peers. My extensive experience in planning events, both social and academic, make me an ideal candidate for this position. During my time at Western University, I was involved with the campus community through many student initiatives and roles. I worked with professors across faculties to develop a speaker panel that brought awareness to the benefit of arts degrees and interdisciplinary learning. Within my program, I organized social events, such as coffeehouses, field trips and paint nights. In my role as a residence don, I served on an advisory council, where I advocated for the needs of my coworkers and worked to foster strong communication with department leaders. My roles have allowed me to work on teams in various capacities and I have developed the work ethic, interpersonal and organizational skills needed as a member of a student council. The experience gained in my previous positions will help me in being a committed and dependable Social Assistant. Having only been in the program for a week, I am thrilled to be part of an innovative and diverse group. Thank you for your consideration!
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Jefimija (Mia) Vujcic
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Hi everyone! I’m Jefimija (or Mia, for short!) and I’m a first year MMSt student. I just graduated from UofT with a double major in socio-cultural anthropology and history. Some of my hobbies include language learning, board games, and creative writing. One thing I loved most about working at the museum in my hometown has been blog-writing, as it’s so fun to informally share historical research!
During the last year of my undergrad, I revived and served as the president of the Serbian Students Association, planning various social events to bring together students with a shared heritage or cultural interest. In my last two years, I was the co-director for the Bookends book club – when I also prioritized community building around our shared love of books. In these roles, I used social media to communicate about events or to answer any inquiries related to the clubs – and I loved the chance to connect with people in this way. Since we’re online this year, I really want to engage the amazing community that has already been forming among fellow students in our program! For this reason especially, I would love to join MUSSA as the Social Assistant. |
Jingshu Yao
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I am Jingshu Helen Yao, a first year MMSt student and I am running for the Social Assistant role for MUSSA. I am interested in the public education aspect of museums, which makes event planning an important experience to have. During my undergraduate study as a linguistics major, I served as the event executive for my department student council. Events are the best way to engage students, encourage communications between the faculty and students and provide a chance for networking. Organizing events became a challenging task considering the special time we are in. I hope I can assist the social chair to help students get most of their experience at the iSchool, and improve my own skills along the way.
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Social Media Assistant
Sarah Cavaliere
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Hello MUSSA Members! I’m Sarah Cavaliere (she/her), and I am running to be your Social Media Assistant this academic year. I just completed my BA in French Linguistics and Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations at UofT, and I’m in my first year of the MMSt program. Creating meaningful personal connections has been an important part of my university experience so far. I was a Residence Don/RA for the past two years, and prior to that I was on the team that organized the 2017 Orientation Week for Victoria College here at UofT. Because of these roles, I understand the importance of not only creating great programming, but also advertising those programs effectively through various forms of media. I would love the opportunity to use my experiences in planning, promoting and advertising events to help all MUSSA members create those ever-important personal connections this year.
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Jessica Parsons
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Hi everyone! My name is Jessica and I am running for the Social Media Assistant position. A little bit about myself; I grew up in Ottawa, I love to play golf, and I have a rapidly growing candle collection. I have a lot of experience using social media both personally and professionally on a variety of platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. For the past year, I have been working for a nonprofit organization as a part of their social media team, which has taught me how to use social media in a professional yet engaging way. Now more than ever it is really important to stay connected and under these circumstances, the majority of our connections will be made online. I would love the opportunity to be a part of MUSSA and to help us all stay connected over social media!
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COMMITTEE POSITIONS
Musings Communication Officer
Jefimija (Mia) Vujcic
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Hi everyone! I’m Jefimija (or Mia, for short!) and I’m a first year MMSt student. I just graduated from UofT with a double major in socio-cultural anthropology and history. Some of my hobbies include language learning, board games, and creative writing. One thing I loved most about working at the museum in my hometown has been blog-writing, as it’s so fun to informally share historical research!
During the last year of my undergrad, I revived and served as the president of the Serbian Students Association, planning various social events to bring together students with a shared heritage or cultural interest. In my last two years, I was the co-director for the Bookends book club – when I also prioritized community building around our shared love of books. In these roles, I used social media to communicate about events or to answer any inquiries related to the clubs – and I loved the chance to connect with people in this way. Since we’re online this year, I really want to engage the amazing community that has already been forming among fellow students in our program! For this reason especially, I would love to join MUSSA as the Musings Communication Officer. |
Second-Year Tech Fund Representative
Magali Delgado
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I am a Mechatronics Engineer. Passionate with technology and the power of it. I am convinced that using technology the right way can help any activity, business, person to be successful. I would love to help my fellow students to use technology to its best.
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Programs Committee Representative
Natalie Scola
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Hello! My name is Natalie and I am nominating myself for the position of Programs Committee Representative. I am in my first year of the Museum Studies Program and would love the opportunity to represent the interest of Museum Studies students on the Programs Committee. I have gained experience for this role in during my undergraduate degree where I worked with the director and professors in my program to evaluate and develop curriculum for first year students. I helped to develop learning objectives, assignments and outreach opportunities specific to a full-year introductory course. I also completed an independent research course where I assisted a professor in developing an upper-year art history course. I was responsible for planning the course outline and subjects as well as researching appropriate readings and supplementary material. These opportunities provided me with the knowledge required to understand curriculum development and how it relates to a group of emerging professionals and academics. If elected to this position, I would ensure that the voices of Museum Studies students are heard and that course concerns and questions are addressed. My past experience and love for education makes me a strong candidate for this role. Thank you for your consideration and I hope to represent my fellow Museum Studies students on the Programs Committee.
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Christina Ugge
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My name is Christina and I'm interested in the Programs Committee position because I tend to jump onto the course evaluation bandwagon at the end of each term, but I'd love to have more of an impact on the actual changes that these evaluations end up bringing forth! In the museum world I have an interest in education and programs so I think this position would also feed into that personal interest.
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Committee on Standing Representative
Emily Finbow
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Hello! For those of you who don't know me, my name is Emily Finbow and I'm a second year MMSt student! During my undergraduate degree I was heavily involved in various club councils, and had the privilege of holding both executive and supporting positions. I am well suited to be your Committee on Standing Representative because I have experience facilitating judicial meetings for student organizations. Additionally, since I have held executive council positions in the past, I am accustomed to the degree of confidentiality this position requires. As your Committee on Standing Representative you can trust me to carefully consider all issues and act in your best interest. Thank you!
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Louisa Simmons
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Hello Folks! My name is Louisa and I would like to nominate myself for the Committee on Standing Representative position. I feel like I've been in university for approximately 1000 years (...ok, it's only been five, but you get what I mean). During that time, I have gained a lot of empathy for the many complications that students face - particularly this year as we all navigate the university nightmare that is COVID-19. As the MUSSA member of the Committee on Standing, I would work to represent students who are petitioning or appealing their status with the faculty. In my previous employment as a Teaching Assistant at Queen's University, I came to understand just how important accommodations are for many students and I advocated for their rights with my faculty. I have previously been involved in numerous student councils, and have also held the position of President for Carleton University's Journalists for Human Rights and Vice President Internal for Fair Trade Carleton. These executive positions reflect my own desire to advocate for the fair treatment of others and I hope to channel that as the Committee on Standing Representative.
I think this is a really important position, especially as many students may face difficulties during the pandemic, so I hope you will consider me as you make your vote. Thank you! |
UNFILLED POSITIONS
Any unfilled positions will be appointed and subsequently voted in by MUSSA following the election period without having to hold an election. These appointments will be made by the CRO based on student interest.
Any unfilled positions will be appointed and subsequently voted in by MUSSA following the election period without having to hold an election. These appointments will be made by the CRO based on student interest.
