Name: Rowan DeBues
Year: 4
Program: Major in History, Double Minor in English Literature and European Union Studies
Hometown: Peterborough, ON/Ramsgate, UK
Standing tall above the crowd and chiming hello to virtually every passerby in a charming British accent, it’s difficult to miss Rowan DeBues while strolling Victoria College’s hallowed grounds. It’s a beautiful day during the first week of school and Rowan leads me into Burwash Dining Hall, a sprawling, ivy-covered structure sitting on the north edge of Victoria Campus, reminiscent of Hogwarts’ own Great Hall. “People are asking for selfies!” Rowan exclaims in bewilderment as we place our trays on the table. Fresh out of rugby practice, nursing a cold, and dressed in a Victoria College Orientation sweatshirt and Varsity Blues track pants, Rowan intimates that it might not be the best day for selfies. Yet his humble, unassuming exterior proves to match his overall attitude towards VUSAC Presidency and becoming a notable member of the Victoria College community.
Was there something in particular that inspired you to get involved at Vic?
To be honest, I was lazy and uninvolved as a first year. The process of my becoming involved was relatively unglamorous, mostly because I took a ‘why not’ approach to it rather than a proactive one. I hadn’t found a place to stay by the end of my first year, so I ended up staying in residence and my good friend convinced me to run for Lower Burwash President. Lower Burwash proved to be an amazing community, and I sort of became inspired from there.
How else are you involved around campus?
Rugby! It’s the largest time commitment outside of VUSAC, and it’s also what I love most. I play both Varsity and Intramural.
What are some of your fondest memories during your time here?
That’ difficult to answer—there have been many good moments. One of the most satisfying and memorable moments was completing Orientation Week this year; it was one of the biggest emotional investments of my time here at Vic. Also, when Bergita contacted me to let me know that I’d been hired as a don. It was at a bit of a low point for me, and I sort of needed the position of Don as a validation of my own worth. It was the largest sense of relief I’d ever had.
Has the time you’ve spent as VUSAC president changed how you view yourself or Victoria College as a whole?
On a personal level, working for all of these people has increased my sense of service. I’ve been given the opportunity to see how Vic functions as a machine, and have been given a sense of the time, energy, and emotion that is put into building these students up. It’s made me more appreciative of this entire community.
And community is, in fact, what Rowan truly values most. “No man is an island, and what has the potential to bring down one of us, has the potential to bring down us all,” the VUSAC President said in his speech to Victoria College’s incoming class of 2018 during Orientation Week. “You are entering what I truly believe to be one of the greatest communities on earth, and when we strengthen the bonds of this institution and utilize our collective strength, the potential of us all as individuals will increase tenfold.”
Photography by Alexandra Scandolo