Hi, 

As the university transitions back to in-person classes this Fall, there will be an unusually strong need for solid communication between the Department of Physics and its student body. Through existing weekly meetings over the past year with the current undergraduate chair, Dr. Peter Krieger, I have maintained a strong line of communication with the undergraduate department, and have developed a good understanding of the policies of the Department of Physics and the FAS. I understand the overall viewpoints of the faculty, the students, and the administration, and will use this knowledge to best accommodate the requests of the student body while respecting the independence of the faculty. Significant change and uncertainty will arise over the next year, and it is more important than ever that the voice of the students be heard clearly and in good faith.

The money that funds PhysU comes from you and so you deserve to know that it is treated with care, honesty and transparency. As the treasurer of my residence house council, I have demonstrated these values. I wrote budget summaries for the house council and made sure we kept on track and even noticed an error of 7 cents! It’s also important that the treasurer helps out in the planning and execution of events. When doing this, you can trust that I’ll take your interests into account. In my time on house council, I thought of the interests of students, say, by suggesting we put the question of what food to order to the residents. In fact, my house council ended up being one of two in New College that won the Council of Excellence Award. I’m someone who genuinely cares. I put a lot of effort into making sure I’m doing the right thing and I’m looking forward to bringing that to PhysU!

I am running to be a PHYSU exec, because out of all of UofT's communities, it is PHYSU that i feel most welcome in and a part of. Therefore, I wish to do my best to help keep PHYSU an environment in which everyone feels welcome and relaxed, in whichever ways I can. I have been the VP of UofT's amateur astronomers society (UTAAS) for the past 1.5 years, and so have experience hosting and planning events, engaging with the community, and to a lesser degree, assisting with finances. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, i have been excluded from things in the past, and so making sure everyone feels welcome is especially important to me.

Hello all! My name is Katerina and I'm quite excited to have been given this opportunity! 

I have many years of leadership experience, predominantly high school student council as secretary and Vice President to follow! As well, female captain for sports teams, the science club, and executive member for UofT's Astronomy and Space Exploration Society of which my Vice President role has been secured. 

 I will bring forward the voice of the student body providing detailed information packages for all incoming students, particularly international, and being that bridge between my fellow peers and our higher ups. Access to mental health and academic platforms, creating a sense of community and administering proper care for everyone's needs is of the utmost importance. You matter, and when multiplied by the speed of light², then you energy. I hope to be a catalyst that brings change forward!

I’ve always been an avid physicist and want to get actively involved in the physics community at UofT while also trying to improve my peers’ experience. I was the head of my high school’s science and math student groups responsible for hosting weekly support clinics and organizing various events and competitions. More recently, I was the First-Year Rep of Jack.org UTSG, a mental health group, and worked to organize events and collaborations. I believe that I am the ideal candidate for VP due to the leadership experience I can bring to the role and my eagerness to help people. I am very punctual and always fulfil all my duties and responsibilities to the best of my abilities. As a VP, I’d work to increase engagement with the PhySU since many people are unaware or disconnected due to online classes. I’d also work to increase collaboration with other student unions that overlap with PhySU.

My position is very simple. We need more diversity in physics, and in particular in the physics and astro department here at UofT. I want to do outreach once Covid is over, and convince high-school students that physics is for everyone. Everyone deserves a shot, and I find it disheartening that people think physics is not for them or they feel not included because of their gender, race, etc... I will try my best to not only help all of our current students succeed, but attract new students from all shapes of life through various activities once Covid is over. Physics does not discriminate, so why should we either???? Diversity for physics, and physics for diversity. OR BUST BUST BUST.

Hello physics students! My name is Sam Lakerdas-Gayle, and I am the PhySU First Year Rep. Throughout my time on PhySU, I witnessed the warmth and passion in the physics community, which is why I want to be a PhySU VP next year! As I am already on PhySU, I know I’m the best candidate for this position because I already know how to make PhySU run smoothly and how to support all of you. I also have extensive experience in similar roles like an executive on multiple councils including U of T Environmental Action, a camp counsellor at the Ontario Science Centre for two years, and more. I want to make sure next year’s physics students have the smoothest transition back to in-person classes with academic events, social events, mental health resources, and more. If you want to make your next year at U of T make up for everything you missed this year, vote Sam Lakerdas-Gayle for PhySU VP!

Hello! I'm Daniel, a soon-to-be 3rd year doing a Physics Spec and Chemistry Major, and I'm running for one of the VP positions for the next academic year. I'm mostly running because I've spent a fair bit of time in the PhysU discord this past year and I'd like to give back a bit. I was a prefect in high school so I have prior experience organizing and running events, so none of the duties of a VP should be foreign to me. I'm excited to meet you guys (in person finally... hopefully) next year, and feel free to email me (or ping me on discord, I'm the Dan with ramen as his pfp) if you have any questions or just want to chat.

It's easy for one to claim they'll do this and that, but once the school term begins it's common for lofty ambitions to end up as just that. As the primary leader for my high school's volunteer club, I was twice tasked with organizing a 30-student service trip (transport, housing, scheduling) to Tohoku: a region still wrecked by Japan's 2011 tsunami & nuclear disaster. I also volunteered monthly as a running guide for blind runners as we were bound and ran together, and as a basketball playmate for intellectually disabled kids. I enjoy interaction with those less fortunate—whether it be physical or mental disabilities—and so am keen on expanding PhySU outreach to such individuals, as physics is usually the least of their concerns. I don't claim I'll herald a golden age for PhySU; but I guarantee my leadership experience and sustained diligence will ensure PhySU keeps moving forward.

Hey people, my name is Harsh, I’m a first-year student planning to specialize in math and physics and I’m excited to be running for one of the vice-presidents of PhySU! I’ve decided to run for the position because we haven’t been able to foster a sense of community this year and I’d like to make sure that we amend that once we get back in-person. I also love helping others and meeting new people, so I’d be grateful to have an opportunity to do both through PhySU. Should I get elected, I’m interested in creating a community of people who would enjoy learning and discussing physics outside of class. In particular, I’d love to organize informal meetings based on books, documentaries and all sorts of other physics-y stuff regularly! If you’d like to see any of the above happen, I’d really appreciate a vote from you Either way, feel free to say hi to me if you ever see me around!

Hi everyone! I am Amelie, a 1st year math physics specialist. We all know Newton’s 1st law, an object will be at its state unless a force is acted upon it. Being a PhySU VP empowers me to create a friendly and spirited environment and I want to be that force to make a positive change in the physics community. 

The following are some highlights I want to bring into action:

- Physics pathway chart of all PHY + AST courses with pre-reqs and co-reqs

- PhySU calendar of all events

- Mental health awareness, study habits + time management workshops

- More networking, research, and current-news events

Wondering what kind of past experiences I have? Well, I have 8 years of extensive leadership experience, such as being the captain and current mentor of my high school FIRST robotics team; president, exec in student council, science club + many associations. That’s why I’m here running for your PhySU VP!

Over the course of my degree I have seen things through the eyes of many kinds of students, from the 4.0 student aiming for Harvard, to the student needing to drop courses due to childhood trauma, and everything in between. Consequently, I know that different students need different support from the department and their student union. However, supported by my experiences, I truly believe it is possible to do right by all students, guided by the knowledge that it is not what you learn in University that matters, but the people you meet.

I believe this is what makes me an ideal candidate for a PhySU exec.

On the more practical side, I have honed my communication skills in many contexts, from extracurriculars, to being a PhySU exec the past two years, to working many hours as a TA. Most notably, in MAT237, I had to communicate extensively with the course coordinator and the two head TAs.