Our Executives (Winter 2024)

Neil Roy Choudhury (He/Him)

What is your program and year?

Urban Planning, 4th year

What are 2 fun facts about you?

1. Once every couple of months I go down to Safeway and grab one of their French breads, some cheese, prosciutto, and wine, then pretend I’m a little Ancient Roman peasant boy as I gorge myself.
2. I listened to over 100 albums last year

What does UADS mean to you?

A lot, too much to put into words.

What do you hope to accomplish this winter semester in terms of UADS?

To prevent all attempts at a coup d’etat

What 3 values do you think are critical for UADS and why?

Communication because you could have the greatest idea in the entire world and have it be worthless if you’re unable to communicate it effectively.

Fun! because what’s the point if you’re not having fun.

Creative because the best (and most entertaining) arguments come out of nowhere.

Jacob Tombs (He/Him)

What is your program and year?

Ecology Specialization, 3rd year

Naomi Gue (She/Her)

What is your program and year?

Philosophy and History, 2nd year

What are 2 facts about you?

1. I love reading historical fiction novels
2. I love baking vegan versions of her favourite deserts

What does UADS mean to you?

For me, UADS is all about community. We are all passionate about development our skills as public speakers, active listeners, and critical thinkers, and we are eager to support one another in doing so.

What do you hope to accomplish this winter semester in terms of UADS?

Focusing on making tournaments fun, accessible, and challenging for everyone.

What 3 values do you think are critical for UADS and why?

Inclusivity, because all of us bring unique perspectives, values, and skill sets to debate. Intellectual courage, because we strive to understand perspectives that may be different from our own, as well as engage critically with our own views. Transparency, because the club executive should always be accountable to its membership.

Alisha Cui (She/Her)

What is your program and year?

Faculty of Business, 4th year

What are 2 facts about you?

1. I love to read mystery/trillers. My favourite book is The Silent Patient and if you ask for a book recommendation from me, I will not shut up about this book.
2. I play tennis recreationally, but the goal is to not put a hole in the ceiling of the Saville’s tennis building.

What does UADS mean to you?

UADS has given me an amazing community that share the same interest as me and who are welcoming and friendly. Joining UADS has also given me the opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and practice fast thinking skills and public speaking skills.

What do you hope to accomplish this winter semester in terms of UADS?

I hope to affectively plan every single tournament that any UADS shows interest of going and make sure they everyone is safe / comfortable and have a good time!

With the internal tournaments, I hope to get as many teams as i can from other universities to come and establish a great relationship with them so that next year they would want to come again.

What 3 values do you think are critical for UADS and why?

Inclusivity because there are many people from all different backgrounds in this club. So i think it’s really important to have an open mind and inclusive of everyone’s experiences in life.

Communication because it is important to communicate any issues or concerns you have to others as no one can read minds.

Inquisitively because there is so many different styles of debate and so many topics of motions that can be discussed in debate. So it’s important for you to always strive to learn.

Fariha Elahi (She/Her/Elle)

What is your program and year?

Sociology/Psychology Major, English Minor, 4th year

What are 2 fun facts about you?

1. I hate cheese on my pizza
2. My favourite song of all time is Evil by Interpol

What does UADS mean to you?

UADS is a place to have discourse about current events and exchange ideas. It’s a community that provides you with the opportunity to challenge your beliefs while in a safe and encouraging environment.

What do you hope to accomplish this winter semester in terms of UADS?

Having more members from marginalized backgrounds join our club. It’s crucial that our club works toward having more of these voices and perspectives.

What 3 values do you think are critical for UADS?

Patience, communication, and knowledge of current events

Hansen Shu

Eamon Tan (He/Him)

What is your program and year?

Finance, 3rd year

What are 2 fun facts about you?

1. I like to read books (I am a major Percy Jackson fan)
2. I am someone who really likes animated movies/shows.

What does UADS mean to you?

To me, UADS is a community of people who accept me for who I am. It’s a community that I have seen grow, and one which has fundamentally shaped who I am today.

What do you hope to accomplish this winter semester in terms of UADS?

Hosting successful seminars that keep our members engaged while not overwhelming anyone who is new to debate.

What 3 values do you think are critical for UADS and why?

Fostering an open and welcoming environment- because I know how hard it is to enter a completely new environment with new people. So I think that an open and welcoming environment is important to create a community where people are comfortable expressing themselves.

Communication- because without active communication, there will be a lot of misunderstandings and confusion within the club, which decreases the enjoyment of club members.

Collaboration/Engagement - not only within the executive but also amongst club members, because it ensures that club members don’t feel left out during events and that their voices are heard.

Nathan Thiessen

Adrian Wattamaniuk (He/Him)

What is your program and year?

Electrical Engineering, 5th year

2 fun facts:

1. He loves to cook! Known to be a little competitive at potlucks.
2. Once umpired a game of softball at 3 am.

What does UADS mean to you?

UADS is one of the coolest clubs on campus. It brings together people from every imaginable background, and gives a space to work on your debate skills, make new friends, and just have excellent experiences. I really do feel like I’m part of a lil campus family.

What do you hope to accomplish this winter semester in terms of UADS?

Make sure we’re inclusive to all our members, and give everyone the best semester possible! I hope to keep in touch with everyone, and make sure their voices are heard as the clubs are run.

What 3 values do you think are critical for UADS and why?

1. Open communication because despite us really loving to talk, we sometimes forget what we really need to be talking about. Make sure you tell people how you’re feeling (being nice of course)
2. Make sure you listen! Again, we really love to talk but we can all stop listening to our peers at times, and that can lead to misunderstandings (also just a real bad debate technique)
3. Passion; because debate can be really involved and draining, but if you come into it ready to go and ready to learn, you’re going to love it and get so much out of it

Océanne Kahanyshyn-Fontaine (She/Elle)

What is your program and year?

Native Studies, 2nd year

What are 2 facts about you?

1. I love travelling.
2. I am currently learning Spanish, Cree and Ukrainian!

What does UADS mean to you?

University of Alberta Debate Society (very funny océanne)

What do you hope to accomplish this winter semester in terms of UADS?

I hope to create a safe space not only for novices but everyone involved in UADS! I want to create a welcoming and educational environment for everyone as well as learn how I can work with the other execs to create productive debating opportunities for our members.

What 3 values do you think are critical for UADS and why?

Understanding because we’re a vary diverse group at UADS! It’s important to be understanding of others and their situations, especially in an environment where you are expected to debate respectfully.

Communication because we need everyone to be on the same page. Since UADS is a good sized club and the weekly meetings are not obligatory to attend, it is important to communicate updates with all members. Effective communication is also a really important skill in debate.

Nitasha Baig (She/Her)

What is your program and year?

English Honours, 3rd year

What are 2 facts about you?

1. I was born in Karachi, Pakistan
2. I would die for Noah Kahan (nitasha…….)

What does UADS mean to you?

UADS is my favourite club on campus and where I met most of my friends in university. To me, debate meetings and tournaments are the highlights of the semester and give me something to break up the relentless tyranny of academia.

What do you hope to accomplish this winter semester in terms of UADS?

I hope to organize and execute at least one WGM social a month during my term.

What 3 values do you think are critical for UADS and why?

I think is critical for UADS to have patience because it’s often scary and stressful for new members to debate

I also think light-heartedness is important. We don’t take ourselves too seriously here!

Last but not least, I think that passion is almost always rewarded and needed here, whether that’s for debate in general or the topics we debate. It makes talking easy and really fun!