2026 SU general election: VP Internal
Abdu Negmeldin
Abdu Negmeldin is a third-year Computer Science major and served as the Faculty of Science Representative this past year. An uncontested candidate; he wants to prioritize students’ mental health, create more multi-faith and social spaces, and advocate for international students through establishing the International Student Association (ISA) as the Vice President Internal.
“Students make the heart of university life, especially at UCalgary.” said Negmeldin.
As a Student Representative, Negmeldin became more aware of the impact that the SU has on student life. “I realized that a lot of the things I would want to help improve or change were beyond the scope of that role,” said Negmeldin.
To do more for the students, Negmeldin has decided to run for VP Internal on a platform primarily focused on building up the community from within and expanding outwards.
Regarding his first pillar; tackling mental health, Negmeldin wants to increase awareness through platforms like social media and work with the University of Calgary Wellness Services to make resources more accessible. Alongside outreach, he also wants to increase visibility for alternative services, but he did not specify what these services might look like.
Negmeldin emphasized the Mac Hall expansion referendum as an important step in providing students with more opportunities to socialize.
“I know there’s the Mac Hall expansion referendum. I think we have a big opportunity here, and I think students would be missing out if they vote against it. Because Mac Hall was built by students, for students,” said Negmeldin.
Alongside advocating for an increase in social spaces, he also plans to scout more suitable locations for multi-faith spaces by prioritizing the use of empty classrooms. When asked about implementing both schedules and after-hours opportunities for these spaces, he said he’d need faculty administrators onboard. Although he plans to use an administrative route, no specific plan was given for how scheduling would work for these multi-faith spaces.
When it came to potential language and cultural barriers standing in the way of Negmeldin’s establishment of the ISA, Negmeldin expressed that he has been working with the current VP Internal, Lorraine Ndovi, to create long-term plans. When asked about these long-term plans, no example was provided but intends to continue Ndovi’s mission.
As an immigrant, Nedmeldin explained that cultural differences are what makes student life exciting. He’d like to use the ISA and contact international students directly to advocate and help them adjust to a new environment.
“In our modern age, the benefits of talking to people in-person have kind of been lost because we’re so accustomed to social media,” said Nedmeldin.
His preferred method to utilize in-person communication to shape his campaign first-hand, rather than through social media.
Negmeldin believes the SU can and should help every student at UCalgary, and his goal is to make sure the students know it too.
“I know a lot of students have become apathetic in recent years. The voting population has become less and less,” said Negmeldin. “The SU’s power comes from the fact that it represents students. If the students give up on it then where does that leave us?”
As a whole, although Negmeldin’s platform addresses a wide array of student issues, he hasn’t explained in explicit detail how he will implement initiatives that can improve student lives, leading us to question if he has what it takes to bring his ambitions to life.