Yarmouth native gets passing grade from student voters

By Michael Gorman

THE VANGUARD

NovaNewsNow.com

Zach Churchill has come a long way since his days as co-president of the Yarmouth Consolidated Memorial High School students' council.

The fourth-year Saint Mary's University student, who casually got involved in student government six years ago, is now about to take the helm of one of the largest student associations in the country.

Churchill was elected president of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations. He'll relocate to Ottawa in May where he'll spend the next two years lobbying the federal government on behalf of university students across the county.

He says it's a job he's looking forward to as he attempts to build CASA into an organization that holds the government's ear. "Education is a social element that really transcends students and even educational institutions themselves," he said over the phone from his office at SMU. "It affects all the major areas of our society: Economy; health; our ability to produce applicable solutions to our environmental problems; all those things. So it's about selling that message."

The voters who elected Churchill over three other finalists have good reason to believe Churchill will be an effective salesman.

In his second year as president of the SMU Student Association and fourth year in university government, Churchill has become a familiar face and a go-to-guy for Halifax media whenever questions concerning students arise because he isn't afraid to speak his mind or take the government to task when he thinks students are getting a raw deal.

Churchill says one of the most gratifying things about his time in office is that he has seen real progress at the federal and provincial levels as a result of lobbying efforts. "I've seen first hand that students' voices can make a really powerful difference for the country."

But it hasn't all been polka dots and moonbeams.

Of all the challenges he's faced, Churchill says learning how to deal with criticism, even if it isn't warranted, was the most difficult. "You have a lot of people talking about you that don't necessarily know you and a lot of people commenting on what they believe your values and principles are, even if those comments don't necessarily reflect what you think," he says.

Still, the history, religious studies and English student says it's been an experience he wouldn't trade for anything. It's a big step from co-chairing meetings in a classroom at YCMHS with his co-president and original political supporter, John Vo, to chasing politicians around Parliament Hill, but Churchill says he's ready.

And as for whether or not he might end up in Ottawa after his term for a more political reason, Churchill has an answer that suggests he'd fit in just fine if the opportunity presented itself. "I love the issues that are talked about at the federal level," he says. "I'm really passionate about especially international relations issues and those sorts of things. I would definitely like to be involved somehow in those discussions."