Candid(ates) Talk - Kyle Simunovic

Kyle Simunovic sat down with my last night in the 90U lounge during the meet and greet with for residents and candidates. Here is what happened:

RYC: Sit down, do you want to see yourself or no?

Simunovic: I'd rather not

RYC: Okay, you won't see yourself.

Simunovic: Okay, you sure it can see me? I am a little tall... oh, wow...

RYC: Yah, it can see you.

Simunovic: Great.

RYC: It is currently recording.

Simunovic: Good.

RYC: Awesome

Simunovic: You're going to cut out all of this out right, all of our bullshit?

RYC: Possibly, maybe.

Simunovic: Good

RYC: So, you are Simunovic

Simunovic: I am Simunovic Simunovic

RYC: And you are running for?

Simunovic: And I am running For the Senate and BOA for Social sciences

RYC: Ooooh

Simunovic: Double dipping, as Nick Taylor Vasey, on the CHUO radio called it.

RYC: And what are the benefits of the so-called double dipping?

Simunovic: I think, to be honest, one of the big reasons why I chose to run for both was that I think the BOA has a real role to play in providing students opportunities and services and really being a voice for a lot of the student issues on campus. And I feel that that voice, and the voice of all students in general, it's an obligation of the senate to respect and respond to that. And I so think that my ability to sit as a member of the BOA and gain knowledge, and thoughts, and influence from my fellow members of the BOA of all different faculties will allow me to be a more holistic senator when I approach the work that I am doing at the Senate. So I think its going to be fun, it's a good mix of both sort of worlds one being academic and one being sort of student, sort of social oriented, so I am looking forward to it.

RYC: Awesome, and... What, well.. We are here in the 90 U lounge right now, and the pressing question that will come up again and again is what can you, as an elected representative, do for people in residence?

Simunovic: In residence. I think one of the big things in residence, and you will talk to them often, is food services. It's time and time again, I've been here for three years and you never hear the end of questions for food services, and I think what we really need to do is, as the SFUO, is find a voice for that within our organization and really find an opportunity to hear from residence and what is it that you really want? What areyour experience in other residences? I think that a lot people have come to me and spoken to me about... Guelph. University of Guelph. Amazing food services apparently. So I think it is about looking at what some of the other things out there are available, looking at what we have, and setting some goals for a particular project in terms of student engagement on the particular topic itself. SO I think that is one of the biggest issues on residence, and I look forward to campaigning throughout and hearing more from residence and seeing exactly,you know, any more expense issues... But I think that we have to remember to that residents, just like everyone else who are on campus during the day, are students too, and have the same issues that everyone else does.

RYC: Is there any particular food that you want to see served at the University of Ottawa?

Simunovic: You know, I really like sushi.

RYC: You really like sushi?

Simunovic: So maybe like some sushi, or some homemade Sheppard’s pie. My mom made good Sheppard’s pie.

RYC: Sheppard’s pie?

Simunovic: Yah, I really miss that.

RYC: Pâté chinois, as they like to call it?

Simunovic: Yes, that’s what they call it.

RYC: What do you have on your shepard's pie?

Simunovic: A little bit of ketchup.

RYC: Awesome. Okay the final question...it would be a kind of random one... If you had three words to describe the Chief Information Officer of the Election's Bureau, Wassim Garzouzi, what would they be?

Simunovic: Wassim... Well, the first two will be nice, and honest. And that would be resourceful, and probably friendly. He tends to be a friendly, friendly guy, and he's pretty resourceful. And I think that the last one will be like a bit of a pain-in-the-ass. He tends to send a lot of e-mails to us candidates. Not that it is a bad thing, but it sort of kind of makes you feel a little bit dumb sometimes, because I have an agenda, and I write it down the first time he sends it to me. Uh.. But no, he's a good guy, and I like Wassim.

RYC: Okay, thank you very much.

Simunovic: Thank you for having me.

RYC: Have a nice night.


As a side note, I highly doubt that this will ever be translated. However, if you want some really cool elections coverage en français, please visit fellow blogger Serge Miville at www.sergemiville.ca.