Looking forward with the ICSS

To say that Innis College Student Society (ICSS) President Khrystyna Zhuk and Executive Vice-President Brianne Katz-Griffin are busy with student life would be an immense understatement. Indeed, finding time to sit down for a forty-five minute interview proved to be a feat in itself. I had a chance to speak with the pair last week to discuss their opinions on the student body of Innis and issues facing the College. While doing so, I also learned a little about them personally and the legacies they hope to leave after their tenures are complete.

Khrystyna is looking forward to completing her double major in Women and Gender Studies along with Equity Studies. Telling me a little about her life outside the bounds of the university, she says, “I don’t really have time for pastimes…I do really genuinely enjoy the student issues work that I do on campus.” Luckily, she does have time for the “occasional Netflix like everyone else.” In addition to her position as president of the ICSS, Khrystyna is also one of the Arts and Science At-Large Directors on the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU). Her responsibilities involve sitting on various committees within the UTSU, such as the Bursary & Grants Committee, the Budget Committee and the Executive Review Committee.

Like Khrystyna, Brianne is heavily involved in campus life. She is currently in her third year specializing in Political Science, and is also on the U of T Dance Team, where she is able to follow a passion that began at two years old. “I’m really glad I’m able to keep up my passion for dance and passion for student leadership,” she says. When asking how she stays on top of everything, Brianne says it’s an effort of “highlighters and…sticky notes…everything is in this,” as she shows me an agenda she carries everywhere.

In regards to what they wish their legacy to be at the College, Khrystyna immediately comments, “I don’t do the work that I do to leave behind a legacy. We do these things to benefit students.” She does, however, want to begin a dialogue about the issue of accessibility through Innis buildings. As Khrystyna puts it, “there are certain students who pay fees to us, who can’t access parts of our building…this is completely unacceptable.” Khrystyna promises to strike a sub-committee in the College Affairs Board of the Innis College Council (ICC) to tackle this issue. By the end of the year, she hopes to see this committee create “a list of priorities as to what structural issues should be addressed along with a fiscal plan for obtaining the necessary funds.” This is an issue that many of her predecessors have discussed with no tangible results. However, this time Khrystyna is confident they will be successful, “because [they] now have concrete plans…not just brief discussions.”

“I want there to be a specific committee with dedicated members who will last past our terms at the college,” she adds.

Brianne agrees that there is no specific thing she wants to be remembered for, but she too has a major issue to tackle this year. She has created a Mental Health Commission on the ICSS, and hopes to have this committee become “an open space where people can talk about how they want to see mental health issues dealt with within Innis.”

She adds, “I am very excited about this…I think it’s going to be a very successful commission.” The time and location for meetings are still to be determined, but students can expect to become more informed towards the end of the month, when the administrative matters will be finalized.

I brought up the excitement of first year students during Orientation Week, and asked both Khrystyna and Brianne how they planned to build on this excitement and translate it into student involvement throughout the year. Khrystyna enthusiastically responded by saying, “We’re very lucky with the first years we have because there’s that initial desire to get involved that is most difficult to get from students…it’s hard to drag that feeling out of people, but we already have it.” For the ICSS leaders, it is now a matter of advertising and promoting events through social media. Brianne reminds me the importance of spreading information simply by word of mouth. “Through social media you can’t really see the excitement, but when someone is telling you face to face…well you can see the excitement in my face,” she comments. The ICSS will continue to use both platforms to spread news about upcoming events and ways to get involved.

In regard to the size of the college physically and in its population, I asked the executives about their interests in expanding the physical space. While other college’s student societies have multiple boardrooms, the ICSS is restricted to a small office in the back of the building. Khrystyna says, “There are long-term plans to expand the college, and although this is something the ICSS could never do, it is something the society continues to talk to the administration about.” She’s also very happy that Principal Keil is very interested in making this a priority for the college.

Both executives are excited to be working with the new principal. Brianne claims,  “Principal Keil is really devoting his time to making our students feel special and that they’re being heard by him.” His sincere devotion to getting to know Innis students on a more personal level is evident, and Brianne commented “He made me feel even more welcome, even though I’ve been here for three years now.”

Both leaders expressed their enthusiasm for the upcoming year and their hope to promote involvement. In the words of Brianne, “It’s going to be great year. I’m excited!”

You can get in touch with your student leaders for any questions or concerns at president@innisicss.com or executivevp@innisicss.com. The ICSS office is located at 2 Sussex Avenue in Room 107.

Featured image courtesy of Alexander Fernandes