This is part of a four part series:
- Monday – President Mark Livingstone
- Tuesday – VP Student Life Alex Vietinghoff
- Wednesday – VP Education Craig Mazerolle
- Thursday – VP Admin Mary-Dan Johnston
Even though next year will put him in potentially conflicting roles as both a student journalist and vice-president student life of St. Thomas University, Alex Vietinghoff says he won’t let one role get in the way of the other.
Vietinhoff says his involvement with the STUSU has never conflicted with his journalism before and it shouldn’t have to now.
“I’ll do exactly what I’ve been doing for the last two years – don’t report on the STUSU,” he said. ” I don’t write for theAQ and I choose what I want my stories to be about…so I’ll just continue doing stories I care about that aren’t STUSU stories.
“Besides, journalists face conflicts of interest all the time. We talk to our editors or producers and make professional decisions. That’s what I’ll continue to do.”
Vietinghoff, a third-year journalism student, got involved with the students’ union as one of the off-campus representatives in his second year.
This year, he’s one of two student senators. Although he says he wasn’t sure which position to run for coming into the election, Vietinghoff’s experience with the union – and as a regular student – attracted him to the vice-president student life portfolio.
“I’ve got debt, I’ve got two part-time jobs, I’ve spent tons of money on booze and then regretted it later and I have to rely on public transit or my own two feet,” Vietinghoff said. “It’s the type of position I feel I’d be a good fit for.”
In preparation for campaign period, Vietinghoff said he met with outgoing VP student life Lydia MacDonnel to talk about the position. One project he says he plans to continue working on involves making changes to Safe Wheels, which would see the service cut on Sunday, a typically quiet day, to allow hours to extend on busier days.
But while finding ways to make students aware of the services is important to Vietinghoff, he knows engaging students isn’t always easy.
“I’ve got many ideas for getting students more interested in active participation and I look forward to taking on any unfinished projects that are going on right now,” he said.
