Meet your new FSU president Carlie Forsythe

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: KERRA SEAY
Current FSU president Alan Bushell will be passing on his office to the newly elected president Carlie Forsythe on May 1.

Carlie Forsythe refuses to sit in the president's office chair. She said she's holding out on it to build the anticipation.

“Alan [Bushell] has always suggested that I save one thing for my first day of presidency and that's my one thing,” Forsythe said. “I'm hoping it feels symbolic, but I think the real symbolic thing will be decorating the office how I want and working with my team.”

Forsythe spent the last few months as VP finance before deciding to run for Fanshawe Student Union (FSU) president. She claimed the title in an election battle that had an unprecedented number of candidates running for the top spot.

With four other competitors, Forsythe said she was shocked when she heard that she won.

“I was weirdly surprised, I don't think I should have been as surprised, I was out there working really, really hard,” Forsythe said. “It caught me off guard… it was a big moment.”

Forsythe spent her campaign week meeting students around campus and listening to their suggestions. She also held the door open for students at the T building entrance and handed out candies. She wore a sandwich board while doing this which she said got a lot of attention from students.

“People like the nice token. I was there to make peoples' day.”

Forsythe said her hard work definitely paid off.

“The president who gets in usually gets it because they worked the hardest,” Forsythe said. She added that her other competitors worked hard too, and said she is incredibly proud of those she faced in this competition, particularly Heather Bailey.

Bailey took second place, which Forsythe said was impressive due to the fact that she was the only one out of the five competitors who was not a previous member of FSU or the Student Administrative Council (SAC).

Forsythe already has big plans to shake up the FSU. Though many of the changes won't come into effect during her time as president, she said she thinks her presidency will have a lasting impact on the college.

She plans to cut ties with the College Student Alliance (CSA), to increase representation through clubs and launch SAC and clubs training, to continue with the implementation of the reorganization of the governance structure of the FSU VP system and much more.

“[I plan to] make good on my promises I made to students while campaigning,” she said.

This year, the 49th year with an FSU president, will be the final year with vice presidents. The new change will be in the style of a board of directors, which Forsythe said will be more efficient.

“I've been able to see what has and hasn't worked this year and now I'm able to address those deficiencies,” she said. “This year will be a bridging year.”

Forsythe said she wants to be remembered as a president who brought the FSU together and made Fanshawe a better place for everyone.

“I want to be remembered for really bringing a lot of cohesiveness to the team and also bringing together various areas of the college by uniting and collaborating with them,” she said.

Forsythe's term as president begins on May 1.