82nd

Ermia Rezaei-Afsah grew up in Tehran, Iran, and moved to Calgary when he was 10 years old. As a kid he loved trivia and geography, and was interested in world history and politics even as young as seven years old.

After serving last year as an SU Faculty of Arts Representative on the 80th SLC, Ermia was elected to VP Student Life. His passion for equity and accessibility is informed by his experience as an immigrant to Canada and by his experience as a student trying to navigate the university system to access resources. His practice in the latter turned him into an advocate to help others navigate the system as well. These experiences are what inspired him to run for VP Student Life.

He has previously worked at a farmer’s market and landscaping. He has been a part of clubs such as the History Students’ Association, Food Justice Now, Philosophia, and Students for Direct Action.

Ermia is majoring in History and Anthropology, with a minor in Latin American Studies. He is most interested in Middle Eastern and Latin American history and their intersections. His favourite subjects are culinary history and the history of food.

His interest in cooking stems from an interest in both learning about other cultures and carrying on his own. Ermia likes to learn recipes through learning about the context and politics behind the dish. Food is a great way to connect, and he loves to host and create space for people. His interest food in naturally led him to gardening, and includes different growing techniques, light woodworking, growing things on a budget, growing culturally important produce in very different climates, and more.

Ermia loves to cook complex and unique food and grows as many ingredients as he can. He knows how to ferment foods and make his own yogurt, cheese, fermented pickles, sauces, kombucha, among other things. He even knows how make vinegar from scratch. He also loves preserving produce by making jams, vinegar pickles, and Cheong-style preserves (Cheongs are Korean syrups made with zero-heat). His four food obsessions are tea, yogurt, olive oil, and vinegar. He’s also obsessed with pasta.

Mateusz Salmassi grew up in Los Angeles, California. His parents moved to the United States seeking a better life, where they met as coworkers. He was a reserved kid who liked to read, before becoming obsessed with playing soccer.

Mateusz’s upbringing heavily influenced his interest in advocacy, and grassroots organizing. Whether it was the international factors that drove his parents to move to the US, or how policies like the minimum wage impacted the family, Mateusz realized that people and politics could explain so much.

His first job was canvassing for Greenpeace; the role connected his passion for politics with an understanding of the power of face-to-face conversation. Mateusz then campaigned for a public health care system in the state of California. He brought his political outlook with him when he moved to Calgary.

As president of the Faculty of Arts Students’ Association (FASA), Mateusz took a lead role in helping to defeat the privatization of the UCalgary bookstore.

Mateusz decided to run for SU VP External once he understood how the position could do more than lobby, but mobilize students around the major issues we face. His experiences with the challenges of being an international student,along with rent and food insecurity, make him like a dog with a bone when it comes to advocacy.

Mateusz is studying Psychology under the Faculty of Arts, completing a certificate in Sustainability Studies. While he originally wanted to become a counseling therapist, the love he developed for advocacy and grassroots organizing has pushed his interests toward work where he can pursue both.

In his free time, Mateusz likes to garden and spend time with friends and family. When he goes back to visit Los Angeles, Mateusz loves to eat Mexican and Persian cuisine, and dance.