With the new year came new WUSA elections, and the results are finally in. The new WUSA president and vice-president for 2025-2026 are fourth year statistics student Damian Mikhail and third year mathematics student Remington Zhi respectively, both part of the Horizon party. Determined to address pressing issues affecting UW’s undergraduate population and prepared to advocate for much-needed reforms, Mikhail and Zhi display clear passion for their new roles. 

2025 Voter Turnout Results

Undergraduate student engagement with WUSA has remained a topic of concern among past and present electoral candidates. For reference, 2023 turnout saw a record low with just 3.2 per cent of eligible students voting. In 2024, voter turnout  was six times higher, at 25.17 per cent. Voter turnout fell once more (although not as drastically) in 2025, with a 21.69 per cent turnout. To put this into perspective, 7,562 students voted out of an eligible 34,870. On the subject, Mikhail shared he feels WUSA staff worked hard to get the vote out, however, he concedes it remains disappointing to not see voter turnout continue to rise. Adding on to this, he emphasized the importance of “show[ing] students what WUSA can do for [them].” When asked for his thoughts on why student participation remains low, he shared, “One of the things I hear when [speaking] with students is that they don’t know what WUSA does, or two, do not feel [WUSA is] advocating for them.” 

Zhi also weighed in on the use of incentives when it comes to student voting, stating, “It’s about getting students to care about the election and not just voting for a MacBook or pizza.” Zhi does believe such incentives can be effective in opening the door to student interest in WUSA, however. They cited that several students at the free taco and pizza events were there for such incentives, but ultimately “learned about what WUSA does and started to care about WUSA.” Mikhail emphasized that it is WUSA’s job “to create the conditions where students care about WUSA.” This, he said, can be achieved by actively showing students what “[WUSA] can do to improve student lives and tangibly change them for the better.”

Hope on the Horizon: Changes students can anticipate

Transforming WUSA Governance

Both Mikhail and Zhi have voiced their interest in making changes to the current WUSA governance model. Mikhail expressed the need to outline strict responsibilities for WUSA directors in regards to student clubs and affairs, perhaps by finding incentives and to ensure a greater understanding of issues important to students to all members of WUSA. He also emphasizes that the communication between WUSA, student clubs and societies, and students at large is key to promoting change within the current governance system. Although Mikhail believes directors are well-meaning, he feels that students are subject to a lack of change as directors are “held back by a system which restrains them.” Nick Pfeifle, the 2024-2025 WUSA president, voiced governance concerns that are echoed by Mikhail, with the need for greater student oversight being a key reform.

Reviving Campus Culture & Clubs

There’s no doubt that clubs and student-run events play an essential role in the undergraduate student experience. Both Mikhail and Zhi agree on the need for greater financial support for student clubs. Currently, UW provides $75 per term for each student-run club, which Mikhail attests is “less than almost any other university in Ontario.” For example, the University of Alberta offers $750 to eligible clubs, a noticeable jump in funding. He goes on to state that loneliness and feelings of disconnection among students on campus can be partly attributed to the lack of resources and financing put into running events and clubs. Mikhail is interested in exploring financing models that display effective functioning at other universities and implementing such models at UW. One of the issues behind student club funding lies in the current cheque request system, which he describes as “slow and bloated” and that there’s a need to “streamline [the system to] speed up that process and look at new ways [of] figuring out the hold up.” 

Addressing Hate Crimes

Hate crimes are on the rise in Waterloo region, and they have no place in our community or universities. In 2023, Waterloo Regional Police Service reported a 94 per cent increase in hate crimes in the region. Zhi mentioned that Waterloo region now has the highest rate of police-reported hate crime, per city, across the country and shared that Waterloo has been called “the hate crime capital of Canada.” The Region of Waterloo “reported 34 hate crimes per 100,000 people [in 2023].” Last fall term, UW’s international student population was 7,627 students. With such a large international student population, Zhi believes in the need “to work with local governments to address that [and improve] representation for international students within student government.” 

Upholding Academic Excellence

UW’s current financial deficit remains a pressing concern and the Horizon presidency is seeking to mitigate any potential negative impact for students. Zhi believes “the biggest threat to universities and to education right now is funding issues.” UW’s current financial deficit stands at $75 million for the 2024-2025 operating budget. Knowing that many departments and faculties are currently under close scrutiny as UW evaluates its spending and resources for the 2025-2026 fiscal year commencing in May, concerns regarding the quality of academics and the possibility of program cuts have arisen. Although Zhi reiterates that there are currently no concrete plans to cut programs, students and professors have voiced concerns over such a possibility. Mikhail and Zhi both agree that WUSA will work to avoid any cuts to academics that could have negative repercussions and that Horizon will work to advocate for students. Mikhail assures, “We want to make sure students get the education that they were promised. [Students] accepted [UW] for a reason with a certain promise [of academic quality].”

Without a doubt, the Horizon party is determined to bring student needs and voices to the forefront of their presidency. By addressing pressing concerns and recognizing the need to build a stronger sense of belonging, community, and student trust within WUSA, Mikhail and Zhi are ready to spark change. As Zhi concludes, “There are people at the university who care about students and it’s about working with them to help them understand student needs better.”