CREDIT: MELISSA NOVACASKA
FSU president Morganna Sampson has had a positive start to her new position and plans to keep her original platform promises as well as anything else that may come up. Sampson is always open to new ideas.

Meet Morganna Sampson, your new Fanshawe Student Union (FSU) president for the 2017-2018 school year.

Loving student politics and having a passion for it since grade nine, Sampson is set to make a difference for the FSU, college, and its students.

“I’ve heard some concerns over the past couple of years about our student space, about our healthy food and about the need for more [student] jobs on campus and so those are the main reasons that I ran [for president],” Sampson said. “Getting into council I’ve noticed even more areas that I will be able to help out with throughout the year.”

Such examples include improving student safety at Fanshawe’s downtown campus.

“Over the past year there’s been a couple of incidents that have happened down there that I would like to see never happen again, so improving security down there and doing some management, that’s part of my plan,” Sampson said.

About her presidency victory, Sampson said she felt “incredible, so honoured, so grateful and so loved”.

Since starting her new position on May 1, Sampson said everything is going well so far.

“I’m feeling pretty confident about the role overall [but] I think there’s a lot that I still have to learn,” Sampson said.

Sampson reiterated her initial platform ideas which helped her claim victory. This included improving more student space, creating more study areas in the school, perhaps trying to implement more power outlets (if possible) in student study areas, improve healthier food options that would also include vegan, gluten, dairy, nut free allergen friendly, halal options on campus. Another spot to improve is the ability for students to get jobs, specifically on campus, and making it easier to be accepted for the work study program.

According to Sampson, students can already see some progress with food options with the Out Back Shack adding labeling to their menu.

“It’s really cool to see small stepping stones and it’s exciting,” Sampson said.

Another project Sampson is working on is potentially getting student discounts for the Fanshawe Conservation Area. This idea was originally part of another candidate who ran for president and Sampson noticed people were interested in it and decided to try and carry it through.

According Sampson, another project she is working on with her team is to try and come up with FanshaweOnline (FOL) videos to help students understand how to use the webpage.

Sampson also plans to get the FSU’s name out in the open among students and “gain more student awareness”.

One thing’s for certain is that Sampson wants to keep her promises, especially the ones she mentioned in her platform as well as problem solve any issues that arise in the next year.

“I want to make improvements to all three of those areas [in her platform] for sure and then go above and beyond,” Sampson said. “I have a plan as to what I want to see happen, but I’m willing to modify that plan so that it meets everybody’s needs and really collaborate people to find the best possible outcome.”

Calling herself an “action-oriented president,” and “personable”, Sampson is keeping it simple with what she hopes students, staff and the overall FSU and Fanshawe community see in her as president.

“I want them to see me as someone with an open door. Someone they can always come and bring their ideas to and someone who is going to validate those and someone who is going to act on whatever student issues come about. I really want the best for this school so I want them to know that I have an open door always,” Sampson said.

A fun fact about Sampson is that she’s a “very big” cat person, associates with them on a “deeper level” and loves a great cat pun.

If you run into Sampson, be sure to bring up cats because it will most likely brighten her day.