add first year rep platforms

content/elections/fyr/2024-2025/afaq.md

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+---
+title: "Afaq's Platform"
+date: 2024-09-17T00:00:00Z
+draft: false
+name: "Afaq Virk"
+position: "First Year Representative"
+year: "2024-2025"
+---
+
+I've worked on all sides of education - as a computer science tutor, student, and school board trustee representing 27000 peers in Eastern Ontario. I've always had a strong focus on making CS education more accessible, extensive, and enjoyable! 
+
+As a first year rep, I'd hope to take advantage of my connections in the field to expand the current resources available to CCSS students - be it academic supports, or funds to create cool projects and plans to organize exciting events. One way I plan to do this is by strengthening connections between the CCSS and the rest of the campus as a whole, helping get our name out further while allowing us to take on bigger, better endeavours. I'd also try to connect us to external sources of funding (because who doesn't like money) by collaborating with organizations who share similar values. 
+
+All of this is with all of your voices in mind - making sure we are adequately represented and able to make strong contributions to this program at Carleton! 

content/elections/fyr/2024-2025/alex.md

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+---
+title: "Alex's Platform"
+date: 2024-09-17T00:00:00Z
+draft: false
+name: "Alex Prasad"
+position: "First Year Representative"
+year: "2024-2025"
+---
+
+YOUR SUCCESS is my priority, and I mean it. Whether you're looking to build your resume, network, make new friends, learn new skills, or even hit diamond in Valorant I am here to help you achieve your goals—okay, maybe not the Valorant one, but you get the idea! 
+
+### LEARN INDUSTRY SKILLS: 
+
+Want to get ahead of the game? Imagine having access to workshops on essential industry skills like GitHub, PowerShell, and more. I’m committed to bringing you these valuable learning opportunities that will set you apart from the competition. With my dedication to facilitating these practical training sessions you’ll be equipped with the skills co-op employers are searching for. I will provide experiences which will not only enhance your knowledge but also boost your confidence as you enter the job market. 
+
+### ENGAGE WITH ON-CAMPUS RESOURCES: 
+
+University life can be overwhelming, especially in the beginning, but you don’t have to do it alone. I’ll help you tap into our resources to support your success. Whether it’s a study group or mental health support, I’m here to make it more available. My goal is to ensure you have the backing you need to thrive both academically and personally. 
+
+### BUILD A COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY: 
+
+University is more than just classes—it's about connecting with peers and building a network. I will foster collaborative events where you can easily engage with fellow students, share ideas, and work together on projects. Through organizing study groups and informal meetups. I’ll help you find your community and create meaningful connections. 
+
+### EMPOWER STUDENT VOICE: 
+
+Your feedback is crucial, and I’m here to listen. I’ll make it a priority to gather your opinions and ideas through forms, and open discussions. Your voice will directly shape the future of the club, ensuring that our collective needs and interests are addressed. I am dedicated to being a approachable and responsive 1st year representative who advocates for what matters. 
+
+### MAKE YOUR UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE AMAZING: 
+
+Starting university is a big transition, and I want to make sure it’s as smooth and enjoyable as possible. My goal is to help you feel welcomed, supported, and excited about your time at Carleton. I’ll be a friendly face and a dedicated advocate, ensuring you have the resources and encouragement you need to make the most of this exciting journey. 
+
+In conclusion, I’m Alex, and although I’m also a first-year CS student, I’m passionate about making this your best year at Carleton. With my commitment to your success and my drive to support you, together we can make this year truly exceptional. Vote for me, and let’s make your university experience outstanding!

content/elections/fyr/2024-2025/chi.md

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+---
+title: "Chi's Platform"
+date: 2024-09-17T00:00:00Z
+draft: false
+name: "Chi McIsaac"
+position: "First Year Representative"
+year: "2024-2025"
+---
+
+![Chi](/images/first_year_reps/2024/chi.JPG)
+
+Hello everyone! My name is Chi, and I’m excited to run for the position of First-Year Representative. I’m passionate not only about technology but also about the community that comes with it. I’m from Ottawa so if you’d like some food and restaurant suggestions, feel free to reach out and say hi! :)
+
+As your first-year representative, here’s what I’d like to do for you:
+### 1. Build a stronger community 🌱
+
+- Organizing weekly meetups where we can work on projects, discuss coursework, or hang out.
+- Never been to a hackathon before? I would love to run a small-scale online hackathon to help you get the gist of it.
+
+### 2. Enhance academic support 📚 
+
+- Staying on top of your courses can be hard, let’s change that: 
+- I will host group study sessions, both online, as well as in person. Have others keep you accountable! 
+- Creating more resources to help you study and succeed.
+
+### 3. Worried about finding internships?📈
+
+Because it's not all about studying, I will:
+- Arrange talks from industry professionals and alumni about different CS career paths
+- Publish a database of resources that I’ve personally made to help you find internship and learning opportunities.
+- Run workshops by upper year students to help guide you. I know that the industry is overwhelming and I’d like to make things a little less so.
+
+### 4. Meet some new people!✨
+
+CS can be lonely a lot of the time when we’re holed up in our rooms working. Meeting new people can be intimidating. I would like to host events for you to connect with others:
+- Outdoor group walks (so we can touch grass)
+- Movie nights
+- Trivia nights with prizes!
+
+If there’s something specific that you’d like to see happen, feel free to reach out to me, I’d love to do my best to make it a reality!
+Here is my contact info!:
+
+via Email: [email protected]
+
+via Instagram: @chimcis
+
+via Discord: qimcis
+
+Thank you so much for checking out my platform! Looking forward to meeting everyone
+

content/elections/fyr/2024-2025/jon-luca.md

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+---
+title: "Jon-Luca's Platform"
+date: 2024-09-17T00:00:00Z
+draft: false
+name: "Jon-Luca Bernardo"
+position: "First Year Representative"
+year: "2024-2025"
+---
+
+![Jon-Luca](/images/first_year_reps/2024/jon-luca.PNG)
+
+Hey! 👋 My name is Jon-Luca, and I’m a first-year Computer Science student in the Cybersecurity stream.
+
+I’ll be hanging around the CCSS lounge often, so I’ll be easy to find if you want to chat! 😊
+
+I know university can be pretty overwhelming, and reaching out to a representative might feel a bit daunting. That’s why I want to make myself as approachable as possible.
+
+
+### 📢 Announcements & Visibility 📢
+
+I plan to make CCSS announcements more accessible to everyone. I’ll share updates on my Instagram and put up flyers and posters around campus so that even those who aren’t active on social media can stay informed.
+
+
+### 📚 First-Year Study Groups 📚
+
+Staying on top of course content can be challenging. That’s why I’ll host dedicated study group sessions for first-year students. Studying with peers at the same level allows us to strategize together, tackle problems in new ways, and learn more effectively.
+
+
+### 💻 First-Year Programming Workshops 💻
+
+I’ll organise programming workshops specifically for first years. While we’re all already learning Python this workshop can be about a different language, C++! I’ve learned quite a bit about C++ in Highschool and I’d love to share my knowledge on it with my fellow first years!
+
+
+### 🎨 Project Showcase Nights 🎨
+
+I’ll set up monthly “Project Showcases” where you can present your personal or class projects in a relaxed setting. It’s a great chance to get feedback from both peers and seniors and celebrate our work!
+
+
+### 🎉 Social Events 🎉
+
+First year can be a big adjustment, so I’ll organise fun social events to help us connect and unwind. From movie nights and game nights to Kahoots and more, these events will make it easier to meet new friends and enjoy our time here.
+
+
+### 📬 Contact Me 📬
+Feel free to reach out via email at [email protected] or drop me a text on Discord. 
+
+Discord username: _exodus29_ 
+
+Instagram :_jonluca29_
+
+Looking forward to getting to know you all and making this year awesome together! 

content/elections/fyr/2024-2025/maliha.md

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+---
+title: "Maliha's Platform"
+date: 2024-09-17T00:00:00Z
+draft: false
+name: "Maliha Ali"
+position: "First Year Representative"
+year: "2024-2025"
+---
+
+![Maliha](/images/first_year_reps/2024/maliha.JPG)
+
+
+As your first-year representative, I’ll ensure the voices of all first-year students feel heard while pushing to bridge gaps between all computer science students to foster a supportive, tight-knit community here at Carleton University.
+
+While coding is commonly seen as a solitary task, I believe true strength lies in collaboration! First-year can be a very stressful and overwhelming experience for many, so I find it very important for CCSS to host various types of events to support students coming together and connecting with others. By organising a diverse range of events–from casual meetups to collaborative workshops–we can ensure that students can not only find support through their peers, but feel as though they belong amongst a community.
+
+One of the most beneficial resources for a first-year student is the guidance of upper-year peers. While websites and brochures can tell you facts and recommendations, they can’t compare to the insights and personal experiences of someone who has previously been in your shoes. I’m dedicated to supporting more opportunities for first and upper-year students to connect and with their guidance, we can create a stronger community where everyone can thrive.
+
+Recognizing the strengths and achievements of women in computer science is a cause that resonates deeply with my own values and identity as a person. Navigating a male-dominated field can be intimidating, it’s crucial that we as a society can create an environment where all women can feel heard, seen and supported. I’m committed to ensuring that female voices aren’t just acknowledged, but amplified so that all women can not only succeed, but lead the world of computer science with confidence and strength.

content/elections/fyr/2024-2025/muhammad.md

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+---
+title: "Muhammad's Platform"
+date: 2024-09-17T00:00:00Z
+draft: false
+name: "Muhammad Ibrahim Asif"
+position: "First Year Representative"
+year: "2024-2025"
+---
+The word limit is 500 I don't need that let me keep it simple. If I was elected First-Year Representative best believe I'm going to make sure that first year student voices are heard by the board of the CCSS. 
+
+Being a first year student is crazy because more often than not we don't really know what we're getting ourselves into and if you are an international student like me we're going in totally blind. As your rep I'm going to make sure that we know exactly what we're doing, that's important. On top of that I'm going to make sure that we get our recognition and have our impact on the board and the decisions that are made. I use the plural tense in these examples because this position will not be my position it will be OUR position. 
+
+I'm not going to make any crazy promises like some other candidates might because chances are the crazy dreams they are telling are probably just dreams, I will make one promise though, I promise that no matter what I as the representative will do the very best I possibly can to make sure with certainty that the first year students' voices are heard. In short if you have understood nothing I said so far understand this I will do what you need me to do. 
+
+Thank you for reading and I wish everybody applying for this position the very best of luck. I hope to address you guys again as your representative. 

content/elections/fyr/2024-2025/randiv.md

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+---
+title: "Randiv's Platform"
+date: 2024-09-17T00:00:00Z
+draft: false
+name: "Randiv Waduge"
+position: "First Year Representative"
+year: "2024-2025"
+---
+
+![Randiv](/images/first_year_reps/2024/randiv.PNG)
+
+
+If I were elected as the First-Year Representative, my top priority would be to create a strong connection between first-year students and the CCSS. To guarantee that your voices are heard, I want to ensure all communication channels to the CCSS are clear and easily accessible. Staying informed about what the Society is hosting can sometimes feel overwhelming, so I focus on creating digestible updates, through social media, email, or even short video clips. By actively collecting your feedback, I can ensure that CCSS is doing what you want! Whether you have ideas for events, suggestions for improvement, or concerns that need addressing, there will always be open lines of communication through drop-in sessions and constructive feedback forms where you can share your thoughts directly.
+
+Through this position, I am committed to creating an environment where all the first-years feel supported and included by having clear access to society resources. I believe the CCSS should prioritize helping students excel through various opportunities such as networking events with upper-year students. Ultimately, I aim to ensure that the CCSS becomes a space where everyone can thrive academically and socially so that you can have the best first-year experience possible! 

content/news/2024-2025/2024-08-06-computer-science-questions-repository.md

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ preview: "images/news/2024-2025/computer-science-question-repository.jpg"
 background: "images/orientation2018-min.jpeg"
 excerpt: "DiscreteMath.ca is now the Computer Science Question Repository."
 hideBanner: false
-featured: true
+featured: false
 author: John Lu, Matthew MacRae-Bovell, and Nguyen-Hanh Nong
 url: /news/computer-science-question-repository
 categories:

content/news/2024-2025/2024-09-18-first-year-representative-platforms.md

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+---
+title: "First Year Representative Platforms"
+date: 2024-09-18T00:00:00Z
+draft: false
+layout: first-year-platforms
+preview: "/images/news/2024-2025/fyr_poster_2024.jpg"
+background: "images/orientation2018-min.jpeg"
+excerpt: "Our first year representative campaigning period has begun!"
+hideBanner: false
+featured: true
+author: Aditya "Jacc" Padmakar
+url: /news/first-year-rep-platforms-2024
+year: 2024-2025
+categories:
+- annoucement
+
+---
+
+![First Year Representative Nominations](/images/news/2024-2025/fyr_poster_2024.jpg)
+
+We are excited to introduce you to this year's First Year Representative candidates. Campaigning will last from **September 18th - 24th** and voting will take place **September 25th - 27th**!
+
+<span style="color:red"><i>Platforms on this page are ordered at random on refresh to ensure fairness.</i></span>