Chestnut Residence Council 

The Chestnut Residence Council (CRC) is a student governing body comprised of Chestnut residents. They are your peers that have been elected into their roles usually by the previous year’s community through a general election. The CRC plans social events for the community such as an annual Semi Formal and athletic intramurals. It also coordinates the purchasing of things like instruments, video and board games, and other equipment used for fun programming. Lastly, they act as a representative for Chestnut students on various committees that make decisions related to building operations. CRC holds regular meetings that are open to all students where anyone can ask questions, see the budget, and share ideas for programming.

CRC Elections

CRC elections will take place in September 2021. Please check back in August for more details. Below is a list of available positions.

Meet your 2020 – 21 Residence Council 

President

Alice Xu

Hello there, welcome to Chestnut! My name is Alice, and I am in my third year studying Molecular Genetics and Neuroscience. I am a domestic student from the town of Richmond Hill (somewhere north of Toronto). I chose UofT because I wanted to live in the city and attend a world-renowned school. My favourite thing about Toronto is the diverse food options and bustling atmosphere.

My favourite thing about Chestnut is the location: close to NPS, the Eaton Center, as well as the Harbourfront. As president, I chair all council meetings, act as a liaison between the CRC and the Residence Life Office, and support the VPs. I look forward to exploring new avenues to build community in this unprecedented year.

VP External

Jack Lewandowski

Hey Chestnut! I’m Jack Lewandowski, an international student from Detroit, Michigan. I am in my first year of study, planning to major in mathematics. I chose University of Toronto because I wanted to be closer to my family who live in the Toronto area. Also, I have been living in the US for 16 years and wanted to get away from home and meet new people! My favorite thing about Toronto is St. Lawrence Market, I make a habit to go there every Saturday morning. My favorite thing about chestnut is the 27th floor. I can’t study in my room so it great to have the 27th floor so accessible for a quiet place to study with a great view! My role in the CRC is VP of external, I plan events with a focus around community service and I am the representative on the council for the clubs in the building. This year I hope to get some groups together to get out into the city and help make a difference.

VP Communcations

Jenna Borden

Hi there! My name is Jenna. I am a first-year domestic student from Newmarket, Ontario, studying math, drama, and education. UofT is number one in Canada for math, as well as education, and it is also number one in Canada just in general. As an aspiring math teacher, it only made perfect sense for me to come here. What I love most about being in Toronto is that there is always something to do (Covid permitting). As someone who gets bored easily, I love that there are so many places to keep me intrigued and entertained. My favourite thing about Chestnut by far has got to be all the amenities, especially the music rooms. I am a singer-songwriter, so it is great to have a place to be able to work on my music. As VP Communications, I am responsible for creating all posters, as well as managing our Instagram platform (@chestnutrescouncil). I am really excited to be able to help bring people together this year through CRC events. I know we could all really use some social engagement!

VP Athletics

Cole Stotland

Hi everyone, my name is Cole Stotland. I am a first-year student studying industrial engineering. I grew up in Vaughan, a suburb of Toronto, so after getting accepted into the University of Toronto it became an easy choice for me! The mix of a good education and living in a fun vibrant city was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Toronto truly has so much to offer. Although this may sound like a pastime at this point, it has an exciting night life, an enthusiastic fan base for sports, and is truly a beautiful city come spring and summer. For everyone who’s first year it is here, I hope you get to experience all this sooner rather than later! Chestnut itself is great as well. For me, having the opportunity to live with other engineers has been extremely valuable in order to learn alongside my peers, and Chestnut also has a great community of people. I am the VP Athletics, making me responsible for planning athletic based events. Unfortunately, COVID-19 is making it exceptionally difficult to plan engaging athletic events. My goal through the year is to encourage the residence to stay active in order to stay physically, emotionally, and mentally healthy. Looking forward to a great year!

VP Social

Ellie Zhang

Hello Chestnut residents! My name is Ellie Zhang, and I am your VP social. I am currently in my first year of the Kinesiology program as a domestic student. I chose to study at UofT because I have always wanted to be a part of the city life, and Toronto is also quite close to home. My favourite thing about Toronto would probably be the variety of dance studios, since I am a dancer and choreographer who aspires to become deeply involved within the dance community. My favourite thing about our Chestnut residence would have to be the dining hall, because I am a huge foodie and will literally eat everything. As your VP social, my main objective is to bring our residents together through fun and safe interactive activities. The one goal I will strive to accomplish is to have every single resident on Chestnut build at least one long term friendship through our events!

VP Internal

Emma Robins

Hi, I’m Emma Robins, your VP Internal for CRC 2020/21! I am 1st year Humanities student from Grande Prairie, Alberta. I chose the University of Toronto because of its higher level of and focus on academia. I chose Chestnut because of its welcome atmosphere and combination of various colleges and faculties. My favourite thing of both Toronto and Chestnut is all the new people I’ve gotten to meet and the brand-new start in a new province! My role as VP Internal is to oversee the upkeep and standards of student spaces and experiences, as well as acting as a liaison between students and Chestnut staff. This year I’m hoping to do my best to keep a cheerful and entertaining atmosphere in all our student spaces, and to help give as many Chestnut experiences as I can within COVID restrictions.

VP Finance

Vanessa Ndirangu

My name is Vanessa Ndirangu and I am a second-year student doing an Economics and Political Science double-major but also looking to also pursue my love for tech through a Computer Science minor. Before moving to Toronto, I lived in Nairobi, Kenya, which often leads people to question how I moved from the ever-dazzling weather to the penetrating cold in Toronto. I chose UofT as it presented me with the kind of research, mentorship, and financial aid opportunities that I desired. On top of that, with some of my closest friends and relatives being in Toronto, I could not give up the opportunity to strengthen those bonds even as I build new ones. So far in my time at UofT, what I have come to appreciate the most is the community. I have come to learn of so many clubs and groups. I have been able to find “my people” for just about anything, and those social groups have helped me to feel connected to UofT despite being UofZoom. Part of that connection comes from living in Chestnut. Besides the friends at Chestnut, I love the convenience of the proximity to Nathan Phillips Square and Eaton Center.

For more information, contact chestnut.life@utoronto.ca or the.chestnut.residence.council@gmail.com