PP Council Elections
PP Council is your First Year Council, run by PPs for PPs. PP Council enhances the First Year experience, from events to teams to academic advocacy. Read below to learn about your PP Council candidates.
Presenting this year’s PP Council …
President
Sara Ye
Hello! My name is Sara Ye, and I am so thrilled to be one of your candidates for PP President. Outside of campaigning for president, I LOVE cafe hopping, yapping with friends, running, and meeting new people! In terms of experience, I co-founded a not-for-profit (YOP), with a network of over 300 members. There, I worked with city council, established a board of 11 members, created the website, hosted a conference with over 100 delegates, and managed banking/finances. Undoubtedly superior, the EUS is one of the most well ran and respected faculties on campus. As president, I hope to continue this legacy. I cant wait to experience everything that this faulty has to offer for us; from late night studying sessions to all the shenanigans we are sure to get up to. Vote Sara Ye for PP President!
Vice President
Michelle Zhang
Hey TBIRDS! My name is Michelle Zhang, and I'm running to be YOUR PP VP. For the past four years, I have planned multiple events, conferences, and spirit days for my community so that you can sit back and relax; your E-WEEK will be in good hands! Elections aside, I am always here to chat and listen to my fellow PPs. As PP VP, my aim is to make sure your voice is heard on the council. I promise to be someone you can go talk to; whether you want to rant about your struggles in PHYS 157 or need a buddy to sit and do WebWork with you, I am here. Don't forget that when you're voting for Michelle, you're voting for you. Feel free to reach out to me on Instagram at @michelle4vpres. Don't be a stranger!
Academic Rep
Callum Chan
Hello Everyone, I’m Callum, and I’m excited to run for Academic Representative on the PP Council! I believe in creating an environment where everyone can excel academically while enjoying the aspects of student life. Balancing the demands of engineering studies with the fun and camaraderie of our community is essential to me, and I want to help everyone navigate that balance effectively. With three years of tutoring experience, I’ve developed strong communication skills and a deep understanding of the challenges students face. My time leading in community-wide councils has equipped me with the leadership and collaborative skills necessary to connect students and faculty. I also believe that my past failures would be my greatest strength in fully fulfilling this role. They have taught me resilience and adaptability qualities that will help me succeed in this position. Together, we can create an inclusive atmosphere where every student thrives. Vote for me, and let’s make our academic journey both memorable and successful!
Social Coordinator
William White
Sports and Charity Representative
Khushaan Virk and Hannah Piatek
Vantage Representative
Zhanming Sun
Hey guys, I'm Zhanming, and I'm honored to serve as your Vantage Representative.
As a Vantage One student myself, I understand the challenges we face adjusting to university life while improving our English skills. My goal as your representative is to ensure that Vantage students are fully engaged and involved in the UBC community, especially in engineering. I am here to represent your voices in the First Year Council and make sure your concerns and ideas are heard.
I will also work on organizing events that bring us together, both academically and socially, helping us build a supportive and connected community. My priority is to make sure we all feel included and supported throughout our Vantage One journey. Thank you for trusting me in this role!
Social Media and Graphics Representative
Susana Phuong and Katrina Warren
Hi, we’re Katrina and Susana, and we’re running for Social Media and Graphics Representatives for the PP Council. With our experience on the yearbook team and our shared passion for design, we’re excited to create content that keeps everyone informed and engaged. We stay updated on the latest design and social media trends, so you can expect fresh and interactive content that resonates with our diverse community.
Our goal is to make communication accessible, ensuring everyone is aware of council events and resources. We plan to use both digital and physical mediums to reach as many students as possible while fostering a sense of connection among all first-years.
We’re eager to collaborate with you to make our social media fun, engaging, and reflective of our experiences. Let’s work together to make this a memorable year for all of us!
Treasurer
Vanessa Chapman
Hey PPs, I’m Vanessa and I’m running to be your treasurer this year! I’m kind, funny and best of all good with money! If elected, I will work to make this year the best year, starting with free food for first years at all events! I know we all work hard, so I plan on making sure the budget is well distributed so we can have a great time at barbecues, sporting events and socials. While treasurer may not be all decisions about food & events, I am prepared to jump into the spreadsheets and make sure the club stays on budget. In high school I was director of finance for the leadership club and was a founding member of my student council, so I’m ready to dive into being treasurer this year! As your treasurer (hopefully), I will always be open to your ideas, so feel free to chat about any ideas you have with the budget. A vote for me is a vote for an awesome year! Finally, I plan to save funds to make sure we can rule E-WEEK, and have an awesome time at the PP Prom!
Secretary
Alina Huang
Hi, thanks for taking a look at this! I want to join the PP council because since I’ve joined UBC, I’ve felt like a part of the engineering community and the EUS is a big reason why. As secretary, I plan to foster this community further so that first years feel connected.
I’ve had 2 years of experience being a secretary in high school, helping plan events such as dances, carnivals, and pep rallies. I’m drawn to the role because I love it when things are organized. I have 3 to do lists (if you see me around campus, feel free to ask me about them!), and I love myself a good flow chart.
Being organized is an important part of the role. If a form submission deadline is noted down incorrectly and missed, an event (say, a group study session or a celebratory party) might be pushed back.
During my 2 years as a secretary, I took meeting minutes so that ideas presented in meetings were recorded and club members could catch up on what they missed. I made sure any action items were bolded so that club members could easily view tasks. On the PP council, my experience means that ideas proposed by your elected council members will be remembered and that events are smoothly carried out.
Choosing me as your PP Council secretary means choosing a year filled with well-organized events that reflect your wants!
Congratulations to this year’s PP Council!
The Legend of the PPs
So why are First Years called PPs? Although we don’t know for sure, we have a pretty good guess that reached us in a form of The Legend of the PPs.
Back in the day, when the old Cheeze Factory was the gathering place of UBC engineers, all decisions of the society were made during weekly tEUSday meetings. Departments spoke in alphabetical order, and to keep first years in the last spot, they were referred to as ZZs. First years obviously thought that it was unfair, but could not do much about it for some time.
However, these meetings operated in a somewhat democratic way, which meant that votes were won by whoever was the loudest. One day, enough ZZs rallied together and passed a motion to rename themselves AAs. This left upper years quite upset, so they banded together and passed a motion declaring that tEUSday meetings would be held in reverse alphabetical order. This carried on back and forth until it was decided that the first years could be called whatever they wanted. Somehow, this ended in the name PP, which stuck.
Today, the president of PP Council sits on the EUS Council, meaning they have a vote on the EUS Council. Although there is no official policy regarding the order of speaking, PPs present their updates after all department clubs.
Positions
President
The President leads PP Council - they are the official spokesperson of all first years, they sit on EUS Council and the AMS First Year Committee, and they supervise the PP Councillors.
Vice President
The Vice President supports the president, and takes on special projects. They are responsible for coordinating the PP E-WEEK team, and making sure the PP Chariot and Ball Model are up to scratch!
Academic Rep
The Academic Rep works alongside the EUS VP Academic to improve the academic experience of the First Year class. They represent the PPs alongside the President at Grand Council and other academic meetings.
Social Coordinator
The Social Coordinator is - as you could probably guess - responsible for social events! They strive to enhance student life and the social environment for the PPs. They sit on the EUS events committee, and meet with the social/events coordinators of Department & Ex-O clubs.
Sports & Charity rep
Sports & Charity Reps oversee sports and charity events and services, from coordinating PP UBC REC and EUS interdepartmental teams to coordinating PP involvement in EUS charity events like Blood Drives or Movember.
Vantage Rep
Our Vantage Reps focus on the academic and social interests of Vantage One Engineering students. They’re responsible for getting Vantage students engaged & involved with PP Council (and the EUS!)
Social Media & Graphics Reps
Social Media and Graphics reps are responsible for promotion and communication regarding all events and services of the PP Council - they maintain the PP Council Instagram and other socials, create posters, and make the PP Slipstick (yearbook) pages.
Treasurer
The Treasurer is responsible for the money! This means recording all expenditures by PP Council, maintaining the PP Council budget, copying and submitting receipts to the EUS VP Finance, and keeping PP Council up to date with its financial status.
Secretary
The Secretary is responsible for internal affairs; room bookings for meetings, taking and submitting PP Council minutes, and keeping PP policy up-to-date.