There are so many things happening at McGill that you rarely think about the people who do all the behind-the-scenes work to make everything flow smoothly! This week, I had the chance to interview my rez floor fellow, Jamal Tarrabain, who also happens to be the VP Communications on the Arts Undergraduate Society of McGill.
Maddy Evans for Her Campus (HC McGill): Hi Jamal, thanks so much for sharing your experience with us today! First, can you tell us a little about yourself?
Jamal Tarrabain: I’m a third year student majoring in Ecological Determinants of Health which is just a fancy name for environmental studies. I was born in Edmonton, Alberta and moved to Montréal to study at McGill. I also work as a Floor Fellow at New Residence Hall.
HC McGill: Thank you! What drew you to get involved with the Arts Undergraduate Society?
Jamal: There were a multitude of factors that drew me towards the Arts Undergraduate Society. In my first year at McGill I became involved with the residence councils, serving on both the Inter-Residence Council and the Environmental Residence Council. This spurred my interest in student leadership at McGill. Then, in my second year I served as an executive on the McGill Environment Students’ Society in addition to representing undergraduate students as an SSMU councillor. When I was deciding what organization I wanted to join in my third year, the AUS stood out to me. The AUS is an organization that truly values equity, inclusivity, and transparency. The AUS plans large scale events such as Frosh while also passing legislation that directly impacts arts undergraduate students. It was this diversity in what the AUS does for students that inspired me to run in the election to join the executive. What drew me to the communications portfolio specifically was my desire to find creative ways to engage and communicate with the student body in order to encourage student participation.
HC McGill: What is your role within AUS and what are the sort of things you are responsible for?
Jamal: I serve as the Vice President Communications. As such, I am in charge of communicating on behalf of the AUS. I manage the social media pages, website, graphic design team, photographers and videographers, and of course, send out the weekly listserv. I also oversee a few committees with an example being the Fine Arts Council.
HC McGill: What have you gained from being a part of the AUS Executive Committee?
Jamal: A big lesson I have learned during my time on the AUS Executive Committee is an understanding of when advocating your ideas is appropriate and when sometimes, engaging in that moment would just be taking up space from other people sharing their opinions. I believe that it is really important when working in collaborative settings that you do not develop a philosophy of individualism but rather commit yourself to the team. Representing the over 8000 students in the arts faculty has been an amazing, humbling experience. I love engaging with the student body and look forward to serving their interests this year.
HC McGill: And lastly, do you have any advice you could give first-year students who are looking to get involved during their time at McGill?
Jamal: Most importantly, do not lose that interest! Get involved! I have made so many amazing friends throughout my involvement on campus and have learned a plethora of lessons. I recommend that you self-reflect and determine your interests. Once you identify your passions, whether it be the environment, politics, human rights, philanthropy, etc., you are more than halfway there. There are amazing organizations and collectives at McGill that cater to all passions and in the rare case that you cannot find such a group, you can start one. Be an agent of change! You will not only benefit your community, but also grow as an individual.
Images Obtained From:
https://involvement.mcgill.ca/organization/aus
Other images provided by interviewee.