Meet Your 2023 VUWSA President: Jess Ye

Words by Maia Ingoe (she/her) and Francesca Pietkiewicz (she/they) 

Jessica Ye is the first asian woman to be VUWSA’s President, and one of 13 women who have led the student executive in its 124 years of existence. “I’ve had a lot of imposter syndrome,” Jess told ^Salient in her first interview of the year. Despite this, the new president has a courageous drive to increase engagement with VUWSA and to continue its work advocating for student concerns. 

A core aspect of Jess’s identity is being a first-generation Chinese immigrant. “I would not have been born if my parents didn't immigrate [to Aotearoa], because of the one child policy.” During our interview, Jess wears a jade ring on a necklace that was given to her by her Grandma. It’s a piece of her family history that survived immigration from China. 

Studying Law and Development Studies at VUW evolved Jess’s existing “anti-system and anti-capitalist thinking”. Determined to unpack the world further, Jess joined Salient Podcasts in her second year and founded Zeitgeist, a socio-critical show. 

Zeitgeist sought to cover three core questions: what is the world, what could it be, and if it can’t get better, how do we cope with that? “With these spaces, you hold a lot of anger. But at the same time, it's important to hold space for love,” she said.

As VUWSA President, Jess’s main priority is democratic participation. VUWSA has been struggling with record-low voter turnout in elections and the past two presidents have been elected unopposed. Jess plans to combat this by first looking at the demographics of those who do participate in VUWSA, and then engaging with different groups who aren’t involved. 

Jess said that many of VUWSA’s problems with engagement stem from the chronic underfunding of the association. “To increase engagement, we need to talk to the university and say, ‘if you want us to bring legitimate student perspectives into these conversations, you need to fund us so that we have more consistent engagement with students.’”

This conversation with the university has begun. Jess has met with new Vice Chancellor Nic Smith once already. She said Nic seemed more honest and open to accountability on issues like the failure of the university's new enrollment system. 

VUWSA will be continuing to campaign for a Universal Basic Income and for free education regardless of NZUSA’s stance, Jess told Salient. As a students’ association placed in the capital with a politically active student body, Jess said VUWSA had an “obligation” to engage with “systemic” issues. “I think, ultimately, a lot of the issues that students face go back to the beginning of privatisation of education,” she said. 

While campaigning last year, Jess told Salient she’d be keen on another referendum to leave NZUSA. The botched communication on the referendum to leave the national student body was a source of controversy for VUWSA last year. Talking to us in the new year, Jess confirmed that another referendum will not be on the agenda because of the current attitudes of the executive. 

Salient asked Jess what she thought of two ex-VUWSA Presidents who are notable candidates in the upcoming general election. Of Chris Hipkins, current Prime Minister and VUWSA President in 2000 and 2001, she said, “I think he needs to remember his roots.” As for Tamatha Paul, Green Party candidate for Wellington Central and 2019 VUWSA President, Jess said “I think she's got on the bag. And I think it’s a win for students.” 

Jess emphasised that VUWSA is here to be your advocacy agent and that students are welcome to reach out to her. “Just come into the office. I have no life. I'm always there.”