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On the go with Emily Rowe

As election season climaxes at Western, the Gazette has overheard many students asking — what, exactly, is the University Students’ Council president? So we sent Gazette news editor Abid-Aziz Ladhani to trail current USC president Emily Rowe and share a day in the life of the president.

10:00 a.m.

Rowe arrived later than usual because she had stayed late the night before to attend So You Think You Can Dance Western.

“Since January, I probably haven’t been home until 7 or 10 p.m.,” she explained.

Rowe began her day by checking e-mails and voice messages.

“I get around 60 e-mails a day,” she said. “If I am in a rush, I will skim through the important ones.”

She assured me she usually starts off the day by reading the Gazette —but today is different as she has a classified USC budget meeting to attend.

12:30 p.m.

After the classified meeting, Rowe came downstairs to the Gazette office for an interview with one of my colleagues about her relationship with the University President Amit Chakma. After the interview, she took the time to visit with members of the Gazette’s front office.

Next, Rowe and I sat down for a brief lunch and chatted about the USC and her job.

“It’s a hard role because you get a lot of criticism,” she explained. “It’s having people who don’t even know you criticize you. There are a lot of people who are not informed and care not to be informed; they just like to talk.”

Rowe explained the change of perspective that comes with the position is significant, and many in the USC don’t understand it. She also expressed her disdain for personal attacks during USC meetings.

After a brief silence, Rowe shares an excerpt from an e-mail she received, which read: “USC SUCKS.”

1:30 p.m.

I sat in on an interview with Rowe conducted by a member of a Fanshawe College media outlet.

“I don’t think I could count the number of surprises,” Rowe said in response to a question about challenges faced during her term of office. “[We] had the referendum, internal challenges, the [London Transit Commission] strike.”

After the interview, Rowe visited the University Community Centre gym and offered to help hand out refund cheques for the bus strike. The glares some students gave Rowe were obvious signs of impatience and dissatisfaction.

3:30 p.m.

Rowe decided to sit in on the Black Students’ Association’s Black History Month event.

She ended her day handing out rave cards in Saugeen-Maitland Hall to raise awareness about the UCC renovation referendum, and by presiding over a social science student council meeting.

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