Aidan Voigt

Hey! I’m Aidan and I’m starting in the new Bachelor of Cybersecurity program.

As a first year representative my primary goal will be to continue building the CCSS community by creating as many opportunities as possible for other first year students to engage with the society and make connections with their peers and upper year students alike. I’m especially interested in ensuring that the CCSS is able to host many events where members can learn, practice, and demonstrate programming and other technical skills. Additionally, I want to continue the society’s work in collecting and making accessible resources which can help members progress academically and professionally with confidence.

As a cybersecurity student, I have the right perspective to help the CCSS support and incorporate the new program and its students. I’ll be on the lookout for opportunities that allow both B.Cyber and Comp Sci students to dive deeper into their subject matter and develop skills outside of their classes.

Ultimately, I’m excited to foster a community that is not only welcoming to all new students, but also provides ample opportunity to become more engaged and receive support while we work through our first year of study.

I’m always happy to hear suggestions or just chat, so feel free to say hi in person or message me on Discord, where my username is csilarion.

Alvin Kapoor

First year CS may feel like being thrown into the deep end for a lot a people. You have assignments piling up like Jenga - COMP1405, MATH 1007, COMP1805, etc. and yet you are expected to maintain a social life? Yeah, but no thank you.

If I’m a first-year representative, I want the entire experience to be less about “why is this happening to me?” and more like, “y’know what… It’s not too bad…”

My goal is pretty simple: be the best representative for y’all and the guy who you can DM when you have a great idea that could make things better!

Here’s my game plan:

• Gamified First-Year Engagement: A leaderboard system, that updates every week with points earned from weekly coding challenges, attending events, and participating in hackathons! Top leaderboard finishers in first year will earn CCSS merch, gift cards and/or resume review priority!
• Monthly polls where everyone can say what’s working, what sucks, what events would you like to see, etc.
• Resume help system will help you further your career! In this economy, computer science jobs are hard to come by. Why not get ahead of the crowd and get super valuable advice on your resumes!?
• Chill events that aren’t just coding 24/7! - Board game nights, movie watch parties, maybe even have a FIFA World Cup watch party! (Go Canada!)
• I am YOUR representative! You have a grievance? Want suggest an idea? I’ll always be online to answer y’all queries!

I just don’t want first year to be about surviving until second year, and on and on and on! I want it to be fun, social and helpful for all! Everybody, especially first-year students, should progress with friends, connections, memories, and maybe even get an internship! (not just get a crippling caffeine addiction lol)

soo yeah - vote for ALVIN KAPOOR and let’s make this year a year we all thrive, and not just survive!

DJ (Durvish Joshi)

✨ Quick Synopsis (aka summary of why you should vote for me):

🎤 Q&A with seniors → real advice, not Google answers.

🎮 Fun events → game nights, coding jams, study squads.

💼 Co-op/internships → less stress, more confidence.

🚀 Hackathons & Recruiters → skills, networks, and building memories.

❤️ A first-year experience that’s not just about surviving but thriving.

Full Platform:

If elected as First-Year Representative, my priority would be to make sure that every first-year student feels heard, supported, and connected within the Computer Science community. Starting university can feel overwhelming, from navigating deadlines to understanding co-op and internships, and I want to be the bridge that ensures none of us face these challenges alone.

One of my first initiatives will be to organize an open Q&A with upper-year students who’ve successfully gone through what we’re starting. These sessions will let us ask candid questions about academics, co-op applications, career building, and even personal well-being. Think of it as “Office Hours: Unfiltered”, real stories, real advice.

Also, because I consider all of us to be one big family, at no point do I think I’m in charge! To have your voice heard, I’ll set up polls for voting, so you choose what happens and which events are held! Additionally, I’ll keep an open suggestion form for ideas you’d like done, and if possible, I’ll make them happen.

Furthermore, since community is at the heart of my platform, I want us to feel connected as people, beyond academics. I’d work with CCSS to create casual social events, game nights, coding challenges, and open drop-ins where friendships are built (because our first year should be full of memories). University is as much about relationships as it is about lectures, and I want to ensure every student finds their place here.

Another key goal is to make the co-op and internship process less intimidating. I’ll connect us with workshops, alumni, and resources on résumés, interviews, and finding roles that match our interests. I also want to spotlight opportunities like hackathons, coding competitions, and research projects, places to apply what we learn in class to real-world problems while building our skills and networks.

In short, if elected, I’ll make our first year not just manageable but meaningful. I’ll be an advocate for clarity in academics and career pathways, a voice for our concerns, and a leader who fosters community and inclusivity.

Together, we can make this year, one where we not only learn computer science but also discover how strong we can be as a community ❤ ️.

Jack Gibbons

🙋 Who am I?

Hey! I’m Jack, a first-year Computer Science student in the Cybersecurity stream running to be your representative. To be brief, my goal is to make our first year more connected by creating opportunities to meet new people, build friendships, and support each other academically. I want to foster a community where students feel included, engaged, and able to grow together.

Below are some highlights from my platform. If you want a more detailed copy, please reference my manifesto.

🤜🤛 Promoting Community

I will organize friendly events like coffee chats, social activities, and game nights including activities such as laser tag and capture the flag. These events will give students the chance to connect outside of class, form friendships, and make the transition to university life easier. A stronger community also leads to stronger academics, since it’s easier to study together, share resources, and collaborate with each other.

💦🌱 Academic Support

Instead of solely relying on mentorship from upper years, my goal is to move towards a more accessible peer support-based system. This includes creating a first-year tutoring system where students who are confident in certain subjects can volunteer to help others, forming regular study groups, as well as organizing drop-in study sessions before midterms and exams. I also want to connect students with existing resources such as academic advisors, TA office hours, and online communities.

🕸️ Networking

Building connections is as important as personal connections. Putting your foot in the door as early as possible is a strong step to take towards building your career. I will organize events that professionally connect us with alumni and industry professionals. The events will include alumni panels, workshops, and resume clinics.

✊ Pledge to Action

As your representative, I pledge to listen to your ideas and bring forth an ever-adapting plan of action built to strengthen our community.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please reach out to me below:

📷 Instagram: jack_d_h_gibbons
📬 Email: jackgibbons@cmail.carleton.ca

Karthi Kanthavel

Why I’m Running 🏃💨:

• First year is exciting… and slightly terrifying.
• Five classes, 300-page lecture slides, and trying to make friends? Yeah, it’s chaos.
• I don’t want anyone going through this alone.

Your Voice Matters 🎤:

• If there’s one thing I care about besides a 12.0 GPA , it’s making sure you’re heard.
• Heavy workloads? Confusing assignments?
• Or just praying for a “For Dummies” version of the course content—I got you.

Building Community 🐐:

• Lecture halls are packed and awkward, its difficult to meet smart nerds like us
• Thats where I swoop in faster then LEBRONN and I’ll create study groups, night coding sessions, and chill hangouts and etc.
• Basically, spaces where we can rant about assignments or just… not talk about coding for once.(yay :D)

Approachable & Supportive 😎🦸:

• A rep shouldn’t just sit in meetings—they should be there for you.
• Struggling, lost, or want to spend three hours talking about… idk man?
• I’m your guy.

My Promise 🧞🫖:

• Keep everyone in the loop.
• Make our first year smoother, more fun, and way less stressful.
• Help us survive COMP 1805… with at least some sanity left.

For more information, Holla at ya brother,

Karthi Kanthavel

Krisha Patel

Hey everyone!! If I am elected, I promise to give it my all to debug the first-year issues, because problems deserve solutions, not crashes (we get enough of those writing code anyways). My name is Krisha and I’m super excited to be running for your First-Year Representative for the Carleton Computer Science Society!

ACADEMIC SUPPORT AND FUTURE EVENTS:

Even within our first month, tests and assignments are already piling up, which can feel really overwhelming. I swear my CS lecture feels like people are scared to sit within a 10-foot radius of each other. Let’s break that anti-social CS student stereotype.

We can host fun social events and create spaces to meet new people, and build friendships outside the classroom.

• Weekly study groups
• Game nights
• Movie nights
• Coding competitions
• Hangouts

All of this would help make the workload a little easier, and by sharing updates through Email, Discord, and Instagram no one will miss out on anything.

MY EXPERIENCE:

3 years as captain of my school’s dance team taught me how to lead and motivate others. Likewise, being president of my school’s Athletic Council made me responsible for organizing events and activities for the whole student body, similar to what the CCSS does.

These roles have taught me all the skills I need to represent your voices, plan fun and useful events, and foster community here at Carleton.

CONTACT:

I am always willing to hear feedback and new ideas from you! Feel free to email me at krishapatel3@cmail.carleton.ca or dm @kri5ha_ on Instagram.

Megh Gajjar

Hey everyone! My name is Megh, and I’m a first year Computer Science Honours student. Starting university will be exciting as well as can be overwhelming, so I want to help make the first year fun and supportive for new students.

So, here’s what I plan to do if I am elected as a First Year Representative:

Study Sessions:

I’ll organize study sessions before midterms and final exams, so we can study in a group and discuss any problems and also will have study sessions with our peers so that we can connect with peers, learn some new things and share any tips.

Workshops/Bootcamps:

I’ll plan bootcamps in which we will learn different programming languages, git, linux and some basic fundamental concepts.

Event Updates:

I’ll share all the events updates weekly on discord, instagram and on the ccss website also so that you join and have fun.

Movie/Game Nights:

Learning is important I know but some fun is also necessary I will also organize movie nights, outdoor group walks, trivia nights and game nights with snacks.

Career talks:

I will also organize career talks by industry professionals and upper year students sharing their experience and how you can make the most of it.

Also if have questions or any suggestions, events ideas or proposals then feel free to reach out to me :)

via Email : meghgajjar@cmail.carleton.ca
via Instagram : meghgajjar251
via Discord : meghgajjar7

Omar Dahman

Hey everyone! My name is Omar, and I’m in the Bachelor of Cybersecurity. I’m super excited to run to be one of your First Year Representatives.

The transition from high school to university is one that is equal parts abrupt, hard and exciting. My goal is to smooth out that transition as best as I possibly could for all of us.

As your First Year Rep., here’s what I’ll do for you:

1. Serve as a direct point-of-contact between you and the CCSS, making sure any comments concerns or questions you have are heard and addressed by the Board of Directors.

2. Organize a social event for first years in Computer Science and Cybersecurity to meet each other, because I know how hard it is to break out of your bubble and make new friends.

3. Organize study sessions to prepare for midterms and exams, where we’re all able to share knowledge, receive feedback from each other and work together to solve more complex problems.

If you’d like to reach out to me regarding my campaign or if you’d just like to chat, feel free to reach out to me via email at OmarDahman@cmail.carleton.ca.

Rudraksh Sharma

Hi everyone, I am Rudraksh Sharma, a fellow first year at Carleton University. I am in the Bachelors in Comp Sci Program with an AI/ML Stream and am running for First Year Computer Science Rep!!

Now, I won’t ask for your votes (well not in the way everyone else does it), but rather, I just want some of your valuable time. Time, to read this and understand the vision I hold for our First Year memories that are yet to be made. Time, to communicate and let me know if there are changes you want to make in my plans, and then at last, time, to vote, only if you consider my ideas to be fruitful and interesting.

The reasons that you should vote for me (not to brag or anything), are many, but, rather than me going on for days on days, I would just list some of my ideas in a nutshell below –

🎤 First-Year Talent Show: “Fresher of the Week”

A platform for us to showcase our hidden talents — from music and dance to stand-up and spoken word or even your own coded fun projects. At the end, one performer will be crowned Fresher of the Year! There will be music, a chill place to hang out with friends, and LOADS of good vibes.

💬 A First-Year Community Hub

Whether it’s a Discord or group chat, I’ll create a space where first-years can stay connected, share resources, ask questions, and build friendships outside the classroom.

🎮 Bi-weekly/Monthly Board Games and Game Nights

Fresher’s mixers that will be arranged at places all over the campus with engaging games to get to know each other better and know people from our own program to chill out with and make connections with.

🎓 Specialised time with Seniors outside TA hours

Have doubts that need to be cleared? Or just don’t know what to do in that one assignment? You can ask the seniors who have been through the same classes just a year or few ago and get their opinions on your codes/problems!!

📚 Outdoor Activities, Walks, Sports

I’ll organise outdoor walks, sports tournaments and picnics whenever the weather suits it, so that everyone can chill and enjoy their time here at Carleton.

Simak Safwan

About Me

My name is Simak Safwan, and I’m running to be your CCSS First-Year Representative. I live in Ottawa and graduated from high school here.

Why You Should Vote For Me

• I bring leadership experience from high school as a Link Crew Leader, Vice-President of the MEDLIFE Club, and Yearbook Design Lead, as well as through involvement with other student groups where I represented my peers.

• I will ensure that first-year voices are heard in the CCSS and that your ideas, concerns, and interests are brought forward to the governing body of the society.

• I will be committed to building a stronger community by creating opportunities for first-years to connect with each other and with upper-year students through CCSS events and initiatives tailored for first-years specifically, making our transition to university smoother, more exciting, and more engaging.

I would be honoured to serve as your First-Year Representative! Feel free to reach out to me on my socials if you have any questions.

Instagram and discord: @simxk.mov

Sofia Alhennawi

Introduction

Hey everyone!!! I’m Sofia, and I’m a first-year student here at Carleton! I’m studying computer science, stream: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. AI to me is really interesting and I would love to learn more about it. As you may all know, AI might have unpleasant consequences on our future, however, I believe that it has the power to change the world for the better and I would like to be part of that change!

First-Year Experience

As a CCSS first-year representative candidate, I deeply understand how confusing and overwhelming, yet exciting, this new stage of our lives is. As a first year, many things are very different: lecture styles, lessons, campus life, meeting new people, professors’ teaching styles, living in residence, managing finances, time management, and many many more.

Priorities and Ideas

That being said, it would be my priority to make sure that every first-year student’s voice is heard and their needs are met. Some of my many ideas include:

• learning how to manage your time
• how to stay organized
• how to achieve the best grades in your classes

This would best be achieved by connecting with upper-year peers. My goal is to connect as many first-year students to upper-year students who are in computer science as well. Another event is having a meet and greet with CS professors. This would not only make you have a deeper connection with your professor but could also benefit you in the long run, like in research projects or in becoming a teaching assistant (TA).

Women in CS

Moreover, as a woman, I understand how male-dominated the CS field is. With that in mind, some activities that I would make to foster a good, encouraging, environment for women in STEM include having a panel for women where profs and industry women share their journeys with everyone. As well as have a fun Q&A + snacks in order to get useful tips and advice. I’m committed to ensuring that women’s voices are heard and acknowledged through the various opportunities that would take place.

Co-op Support

Furthermore, Co-op is another huge step in your life. I know how confusing and frustrating it could sound. Where do you start? Where do you look? How to get prepared? All of these questions would guarantee an answer through attending my meetups where you could further expand your communication and networking skills.

Excited to Meet Everyone!

I will always be more than happy to hear from you! Whether it’s suggestions for events, seeking connections, or if you simply just want someone that shares your interests in CS!

We, as first-year’s CS students, will rock this year and all the years to come!

🥳 VoteSofia4FYR 🥳

Insta: votesofia4fyr

Stephen Sun

Hi, I’m Stephen.

As your representative, I will help organize events featuring math-based coding challenges. These will be similar to Math Olympiad questions but less difficult, making them very interesting for anyone who enjoys coding and mathematics.

Introducing you to Coding Challenges

If you are familiar with LeetCode, you can expect questions in a similar style. I also draw inspiration from platforms like Codeforces and AtCoder, which tend to be more math-heavy. LeetCode is known for technical interview preparation, whereas these other platforms are better for developing strong mathematical problem-solving skills. Below are some links to example problems. Take a look to see if you enjoy them! (Note: These can be very hard for beginners, but problems are ranked by difficulty.)

1. Problem - 2148A - Codeforces
   Solution: Codeforces Round 1050 (Div. 4) Editorial - Codeforces
2. Problem - 2139B - Codeforces
   Solution: Codeforces Round 1048 (Div. 1, Div. 2) Editorial - Codeforces
3. Climbing Stairs - LeetCode
   Solution: Climbing Stairs - Dynamic Programming - Leetcode 70 - Python

Why This is Important For You

This type of coding challenge is often called competitive programming. It is highly beneficial and can help you advance in two key areas:

1. Conquering FAANG-style interviews: The five FAANG companies popularized this interview format, which has become a standard in the software engineering industry.
2. Admission to world-renowned institutions: The University of Waterloo, which has one of the best computer science programs in Canada, considers performance in contests like the Euclidean Contest and the Canadian Computing Contest during its enrollment process.

My Qualifications

I have solved approximately 1,300 questions on LeetCode, with the average problem being more complex than the examples above. My current LeetCode contest rating is 2114, which places me in the top 1.42% of competitive programmers worldwide.

Check out my profile here: stephen-moon - LeetCode Profile

If this interests you and you want to learn more about these coding challenges, please vote for me in the election. Feel free to contact me to discuss them further at StephenSun@cmail.carleton.ca. I look forward to connecting with others who share the same passion!