dalhousieuandu

[dalhousieuandu]

Communication, Social Media, and the New DSU.

Firstly, I would like to apologize for the slack nature of the posts. I meant to follow up with the last post properly but was unable to due to the preparation I was doing in order to take my school hiatus on the other side of the world. 

As many of you know I have taken time off from Dalhousie to pursue some personal items on my agenda, and never really found someone to take over my blog for me. However! With all that being said, I have attempted to keep abreast of the situation and on goings at Dalhousie to bring you my unbiased, as can be, views. 

Now, with that being said, I'm about to eat the words from a previous post. So, you can all do your "I told you so" dance. Feel free. Go on. 

Now that you've done that, let's begin. 

The new DSU Council has hit the ground running. Although I wasn't obviously there, the photos I could see on Facebook, and on the Gazette webpage, of Dalhousie Frosh Week looked absolutely astounding. It was the same great vibe as last year, bigger, and it seemed, dare I say it? Better. Not going to lie, the photos made me homesick for Halifax! 

I have heard from Mr. President of DSU himself that Dal Society Fair and Dalfest had it's highest attendance numbers ever. The new food venues in the SUB are a very big success, and are a new and very welcomed addition. The energy is high, and I can feel the excitement over the computer here in Australia. So the question is, can they keep this going?

My answer. I think they can, and I think that since they've hit the ground running so hard, it's going to be very easy to maintain this pace. Why? One word, communication. 

One of the things that Jamie had as a base of his campaign was student engagement and dialogue, and so far it seems like that's been the focus and it's been doing well. The opening of the website, as linked here - https://www.facebook.com/dalstudentunion/app_159233564087782 - called the SoapBox, has given students a platform to speak their idea's, thoughts, comments and frustrations about things they would like to see changed at Dal. The best part? Council members are taking the time to respond to some of these. 

This is important. It means that it isn't just a soap box for students to stand on. It's actually a platform for students and council members together to discuss issues. Although I am a big fan of one on one engagement, and face to face interaction, we have to face facts. That's a bit difficult to do when the student body is in the about 10,000 to 1 council member. So this helps to create an online space to discuss ideas and issues that should be, or need to be discussed. 

Continuing on with the theme of student engagement the DSU has learned the importance of having a presence online. They're searching for someone to live tweet/live blog the council meetings. The Dal Tiger has his own FB page, and he wishes people happy birthdays! DSU has their own Facebook page that keeps students up to date on events and has information, such as the National Student Food Charter, online. 

Now, I did mention before that I was worried about Jamie's platform because the idea of constant student engagement could mean a disregard of other important areas, such as our involvement with CASA and ANSSA in lobbying the government on our behalf for student issues. I'll admit, I still do have this fear but so far it's being appeased. Why? Because we need to know what the students want before we can go lobby for them. Student engagement through the help of Social Media tools gets students involved and starts a base to jump from in regards to working with our student organisations on our behalf. So, if nothing else, we're building the possible foundation for the betterment of our students. 

Let's face it. We've always had a problem in getting students engaged. It's one of the most talked about subjects. It's one of the most considered questions "How Do We Get Students Involved?". This seems to be a jumping off point. 

I don't want to say that there aren't concerns and possible problems with this tactic and approach. I can think of a few. Such as voices that aren't that strong and in the minority because their views are different from the majority of students being lost in the fray. Every student voice counts right? 

Yes, every student voice does count, and this could be a possible problem. However, if the DSU council is careful, this won't happen. They will take the steps necessary to make sure all voices are heard and all concerns, questions, and frustrations are properly addressed. Or, well, that's what we hope will happen. 

But, they've hit the ground running hard, so let's see if the momentum keeps them going! 

'Till Next Post! 

#Dalhousie #University Politics #Dalhousie U and U #Communication #Social Media

[dalhousieuandu]

<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=79f9cca6d4" data-mce-href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=79f9cca6d4">DSU COUNCIL</a>

[dalhousieuandu]

Mum, Dad, I have a bad case of Senioritus, and it's contagious.

It's that time of the year again. When we are so close, and yet so far from the end. When all the assignment's pile up on top of you and you can't seem to find your way out, no matter how inventive you become because you remember that episode of the Simpsons when Bart's accused of Skinner's Murder and Skinner...okay, well that episode. 

You're buried under piles of papers, books and articles at your desk and you're wondering if you will ever see daylight again. 

That time of year. The worst part? You get a paper back that has a C- and you simply...don't care. 

Four years is a long time to go through school, especially after you've already gone through twelve. You simply want to be done, just throw it all down and walk away. You don't really care what your final marks because you keep thinking "where is this going to get me in the real world?" and then the idea of real world comes up. Then you start thinking. You don't know what the real world entails. You don't know what you have to do to make it in the real world. You start getting scared, you start contemplating the idea of another year in school, but that stops you short when you suddenly realize that five years is to much when you're as sick of school as you are right now. 

Congratulations. If this has been your line of thinking, or anything even similar to this line of thinking, you have Senioritus. Don't worry, it's curable. Kind of. 

Let me first address the "Living in the Real World" issue. So. I've been in and out of college and University a lot in my life, and I've 'experienced' the real world. I've held steady jobs, not in retail, I've lived with a roommate and payed my bills on time, got insurance for the apartment, worked full time and had fun on weekend's with friends. I've done it. It's not that scary. 

Life on the other side isn't that bad at all, but you can't go into it if you aren't ready for it. So guess what, taking a year off after graduating is a very legit thing to do. Your parents probably, well maybe, will understand. Especially if this in turn gets you ready to go back to your masters. All and all though, working a full time job, learning how to play the connections game, and having fun on the weekends isn't a hard thing to do. So stop worrying, it will be okay. If you don't believe, search out a young professional and speak to them. I could probably refer several to you. They'll tell you that real life isn't that horrible, and it's actually quite liberating. 

Now, to get to the liberation of the real world without jumping ship. Senioritus can happen at anytime, and if it happens in your second year, you actually have a milder form called Sophomore-itus. This is more of a "Oh lord! What am I doing with my life in this degree!?" and so it is easier to cure. You just have to take some time to soul search, and figure out some things, like what is going to make you happy. Just remember, your parents are your parents, they love you. Find your own path if you have to. College, University, real life, some of things are better suited for some people than others. University can be overwhelming, and I am very glad I waited to go back, cause I wouldn't have handled it half as well as I have if I hadn't waited. 

Now, back to Senioritus. We are all there. Sick of school, tired of the same drudgery. I know. But you have to remember these very important things. 

1. The end IS in sight. You have only so many weeks left. You can get there.  2. Sometimes sacrificing a grade isn't a bad thing. Just try not to get into the habit of it, because, YOU ARE THAT CLOSE TO FINISHING! And remember, it's your overall grade that counts.  3. Your friends will always be you friends. You will always keep in touch, even after you graduate, or they graduate and you take another year, but that doesn't mean you should always sacrifice your social life for school or vise versa. Try to strike a balance, have fun, but remember to get that work done mid-week rather than last minute, that way you can have those last few weekends getting hammered, or just simply watching a movie, together. (4) (Only for Honours Students); Yes. Writing a thesis sucks. But think about it like this. You're basically making sure that should you choose to get your PhD (piled higher and deeper) in whatever field, you have the credentials to do so.  It may be tedious, but it will help you in your long term goals. (For those of you who, like me, didn't do Honours that's okay too. You're just destined for a different path is all). 

It's hard to get past this contagious problematic sickness sometimes, but you can do it. We are all tired, and just sick and tired of school work. But we can get through it. Why? Because the end result will be that much sweeter. So hang in there. You're not alone, you can do it, and even if you have Junior-itus, or Freshman-itus, or Sophomore-itus, just remember, it's normal, it happens to everyone, and it can be cured- how? Simple, by doing what you believe is best for you, and remember. It's never to late to go back. I went back at age 21, and I have good friends who are in their late 20's and are still in Undergrad or Grad School. So it's all okay. You'll get there. When you're ready. 

'Till Next Post! 

#dalhousie university #how to overcome the blues #school problems #school blues

[dalhousieuandu]

What’s wrong with this picture? Considering Disqualifications

First off, before I start I would like to make a disclaimer. I feel that all the Candidates in this year’s DSU Elections are amazing individuals and those I know personally are very wonderful people with their hearts in the right place. I also need to state that I believe that a charismatic personality a leader does not make. I wanted to keep my own personal opinions away from my posts, but at a time like this I feel that I cannot.  My opinions are my own, and if you take issue with them I request that you seek me out offline and speak to me in person about this post in a mature and respectable manner. Thank You.

Onwards.

First off, if you are looking for more information as to the process that the disqualified (DQ) candidates must go through to appeal the decision, please refer to Mike Smit’s post on Punditry.ca. Secondly, I appreciate everyone asking me if I knew the reason for the DQ’s. It shows that you think I know more than I do at times, and this humbles me. The reason I didn’t say anything, if I did know, which I really didn’t, is because I knew that the Elections Committee would be releasing, in due course, their official letter of reasons. So instead of repeating the rumours, I waited for the report so that rumors or speculations could be replaced with facts. Now that they are, I feel at liberty to speak my piece.

In the months that are to come there will be many debates, arguments, and questions about what has occurred.  Some facts should be considered. facts I consider to be very important when considering the fate of the two DQ Candidates. The disqualifications may be overturned by the Elections Committee when the Candidates  appeal the charges. If the EC chooses to rescind their fines enough to rescind the disqualification, it is very likely that Jamie, if not Aaron, will be re-instated, therefore allowing them to take office.

However, I feel that the following facts should be considered by the student body in wake of the DQ.  What does it say about the two candidates who were fined several times over for the same reason? Lots, and what it says is scarier than what it doesn’t. Why would you support someone who broke the constitutional rules several times over? Why would you be in support of someone who broke those rules and were aware that their actions were breaking the rules, but chose to continue to do so?

 All candidates are notified of their infractions and the fines levied upon them by the CRO. Therefore, this gives them no justifiable excuse for continuing to break the same rule. There is a chance that these infractions were only perceived as infractions by the EC and levied upon when they weren’t infractions. If this is the case they could have been contested at the time.If this is the case, then why didn’t the candidates  contest the penalties at the time being notified of the fine? Sure, you might have been busy with campaigning. But if the fine was that big of a deal, which it should have been for someone who is supposed to be running for a position where obeying the letter of the law is important and not a flippant matter, you would have appealed to the EC at the time of the infraction.

Now here is where I throw my own opinion in, and here is where you are not going to like it.

I don’t know the story behind Aaron, nor do I know him well enough to personally state one way or another if he would have been bad for the student body in the position of Vice President Academic External. However, considering his actions and the state of affairs at this time, he was either acting as Jamie’s lackey or, having no mind of his own, following Jamie’s bad example. If he wasn’t just being a shepp then he may have believed that the infractions didn’t matter and that he could continue to break the constitutional rules for the sake of winning. In either scenario, ask yourself, do I really want that type of person running my student union???

In the case of Jamie; I have a stronger opinion to give.

Firstly, there were several things said to me that bothered me. A few people I spoke to, who had interacted with him on several occasions, or worked with him, felt that every time, when the time came to do something and they needed him to help get them done, he was nowhere to be found. Secondly, from my personal experience, I witnessed the following behavior from Jamie over the past two months. I volunteered to participate in the Brains for Change for the second year in a row. After about the third week of planning in, (in January), I chose to not participate anymore. I chose this not only because I had major things going on in my personal life which needed attention, but I felt excluded from the group beyond words, particularly after the following instance; I was more than willing to spearhead the B4C promotion team having helped do it in the past. I had expressed this several times. I knew that one of the goals of this year was to attract more and different types of students meaning that promotion on the other two campuses was critical. However, it wasn’t until I asked about promoting on Sexton, Carleton and in the Residences that the idea was even remotely considered by Jamie, and even though I offered my time for promotions despite my  heavy schedule, showing my willingness to give my all, the offer was ignored. I was ignored, completely. It appeared that Jamie was intent on retaining control over the whole process. I had never in my life felt more ostracized than I had then, well not since High School at least, which was  seven years ago. I heard later on that they only went to Sexton once, didn’t go to Carleton and only considered Residence seriously when someone else in the meeting i backed up my suggestion. Suggestions that didn’t meet with Jamie’s vision for B4C  needed support from two or more people at the planning meetings to be given any consideration by Jamie.

*edit: B4C was promoted on Carleton. My mistake, hence why it has now be crossed off.

The second issue I have, which made me realize how awful a president Jamie would have (and might be) been is his own letter on Facebook to the Charity Ball planning group about his reasoning for not wanting to do Charity Ball this year. The letter is now gone from the group, but because it was an open letter I am sure if you ask someone for it you would be able to get it. Jamie, as VPSL has a constitutional requirement to run Charity Ball. He clearly, in his letter, fobbed off the work to the VP of Financial Operations because he had not wanted to do it.  Every word in that letter was not a reason but an excuse. Jamie stated that he felt that the TEDx event would have been a better investment and by the time the planning went ahead for the program he was so involved that he was unable to plan the Charity Ball. That says to me that he was unable to plan his time effectively and willingly chose to disregard his constitutional requirement to run the Charity Ball for another program which he felt was more valuable. He also makes a point, albeit valid, about how the cost of a Charity Ball is often more than what they can raise for the Charity. My answer to that is this may be the case, but then you take the time to figure out where to cut costs and how to make it work to your advantage so that you can raise more money for the Charity. I recently had to do this as President of a Society for an event, and lo and behold, I managed to turn a profit (because the event wasn’t for Charity). It’s hard, but it’s not impossible, it can be done. Giving excuses for the matter because you don’t want to do it, is not a reason to pass on the duty to someone else no matter how willing they are to take it on. If he is doing this now as VPSL, what will he do as President?

The last point I feel the need to mention is his idea of what advocacy should consist of. In his platform, which can be found here (http://votejamiearron.ca/ under platform) the last point makes a comment about what Chris has done this year for CASA, and how he felt his time split between taking the position of chair and president of the DSU. Jamie’s point is that this role was too much for Chris and therefore, the role of advocacy should fall solely to the person in the position of VP Academic External. I would feel much more at peace with this issue if I felt that Jamie was taking Chris’s experience this past year and learning from it. Instead, I feel that he is using it as justification for fobbing off the full role of advocacy to External because he simply doesn’t want to do it. (See Charity Ball event point). This is unacceptable. As a president of a society, company or group, you must work to support the people who you work with. This means delegating the work properly knowing their strengths and weaknesses and know where they might fail before they do so that you can help them to complete their tasks successfully. I have learned this as president of a society this past year, and I feel that Jamie doesn’t understand this and would fail to do this as President of the DSU.

I know that you are probably thinking, but they got the most votes, they won! My only response to that is this, if they were post campaigning as hard as they were, then how many of those votes were won over ‘illegally’. And like I said, if the are willing to break constitutional rules now, then what will they do when in position of power?

Keep tuned for my next post which will discuss my personal problems, both good and bad, with this year’s EC and the fines they levied.

Till Next Post

#Dalhousie Univeristy #Dalhousie Student Politics #Dalhousie Student Union #Disqualifaction #Candidates

[dalhousieuandu]

Grab Your Cowboy Hat's Boy's and Girl's, it's Election Time in the DSU!

Okay firstly, I apologize for my lack of posts up until now. Life has been sadly hectic and I haven't been able to find time to write more about the going-on's of Dalhousie Political Life. So, on that note, once again I would like to open the floor to submissions from outsiders. If you're interested please email me or contact me via Facebook. Thanks. 

Now, on-wards. 

There has been a lot of hectic frenzy leading up to the elections this year. This is due, in part, to the fact that the time of elections have changed. When once they were done in March, now they're being done end of January early February. The reasoning behind this is actually quite simple. Put them earlier before mid-term hell that most students experience and you'll have more voter turn out. 

It's a good theory, but it's exactly that, a theory. When the voter turn out results are in I will turn my attention to an post steeped in Theory Put to Practice, how it worked/failed when the time comes. In the mean time I would like throw down some of my thoughts/worries/contemplation about Candidates and Elections this year. 

Although I know some of you are dying for me to put my weight behind a Candidate or two, I'm not going to, not here anyways. If you would like to ask me who I am voting for, please feel free to take me for coffee or beer and we shall discuss my choices for whom I would like to see win. In the mean time, let's discuss the plethora of Candidates and the way I see things as of now. 

First off, a Candidate list can be found on the DSU Elections website, which is www.dsuelections.ca and of course check out Punditry.ca for a list of Candidates and commentary about websites and posters.

President-  Jamie A and Sarah B were both on the board this year, Sarah was VPAE and Jamie was VPSL. Now they have both chosen to run for Presidency. I kind of find that very interesting, and I truly wonder how the dynamic in the office is right at this moment...

I have two comments in regards to both of them. The first is that I feel like Jamie is that fun loving buddy you can go have a beer with, hang out the back yard of a friends place and play croquet with (which I did). He's got the personality to be relaxed and serious at the same time.  On the other hand I see Sarah as a serious driver some who simply just GETS SHIT DONE. She's serious and to the point while being all cute and just a downright plain delight.

My second comment is about their posters. Sarah's is just two awkwardly plain while Jamie's is just too full. This is the same for their websites. I also feel a bit awkward and uneasy with Jamie's poster. It's all the points about what he's achieved this year as a VPSL, which is amazing, but I feel like that doesn't fully suit the role of President. So I'm worried.

VP Internal;

JD Hutton- I know little to nothing about this person, other then that someone pointed him out to me recently. I'm a little worried about what his lack of poster says about him...is he serious? What happened? I haven't checked his website, so I'll leave it alone, for now.

Alyssa Phillips- I met recently this year and haven't gotten to know her terribly well. Although I do say she is a very nice young lady and because we both felt awkward at the DSU Staff party in December we had a few drinks together, while doing that -I know no one here, oh hell- look around the room. I feel like we bonded. S'All good. A note on her poster- I love the three faces of herself at the bottom. If you're staring at it briefly you probably wouldn't catch it, but when you look at it the second time you truly do giggle. 

Becky Richter- I met through DSU Brains for Change when I was involved in the planning stages this year (unfortunately I had to remove myself from the program due to my very hectic life) and did have some interaction with her. She's like a very lovely person and a go- get it done- no nonsense attitude. Although I enjoyed her poster, I felt like Jamie's it was cluttered but having said that, I liked her little blurb on it. I found it amusing. 

Aaron Wolf- No idea who he is, never met him. The poster made me giggle though, but it's a bit- well not really truly campaigny I feel, and is that Spanish on the bottom? He's reaching out...interesting. His second poster I like more, and has a different language under it. Very smart. 

ARE WE ONLY VP STUDENT LIFE NOW??? Yup.

So I've met/know none of the candidates for this years, but if the posters are any indication. I'm worried. Very. Very. Worried. They don't seem to have an element of fun, more like, I'm groaning here. I think Jamie last year did some music video's or something? I feel like for VPSL they should be more creative, and more outgoing in their posters alone. This is not felt. Sorry guys. 

VPAE:

Richard Clark: Okay, so this kid I know pretty well. He's a serious dude, and he's been serious about this position since he was commissioner for LeForte when he was VPAE. His poster is alright, not a big fan, not gonna lie. He does good with the colours though and I know that scarf is going to be a running joke among every Pundit soon. (I think a crack was already made on Punditry.ca) But his video's rock. Amazingly so.

Aaron Beale- Okay. So I know of him. He's a good guy, seems to have a huge heart. I know he does work with Loaded Ladle, so props to that. But I just feel like he's running for the wrong position or something. I think it has to do with the food options thing on his poster. I feel like the poster is just stark in all the wrong ways. I don't know, and also I'm not a huge fan on the play on words. Cute, but I'm not huge on it. 

Senate:

Re-Elect Jon Magill. 'Nuff said. This guy has done amazing work on Senate, and alright I'm biased. I was in res with him and he was super nice and sweet when I came cause I came in January and knew no one. Since then I've gotten to know him. He's a serious guy when it comes to serious topics but totally willing to hang out and have fun.

As for every other Candidate for Senate- I know nothing about them and have never met them. And since there is three and I'm getting lazy I won't go through the poster's one by one. I will say though, I like Zainab's poster the best. 

Board of Governor's:

Curtis, Curtis, Curtis. You're running uncontested! What shit is this!? While every other position has like ten candidates, you have Curtis. And that's it. Alright. Well I know Curtis personally, good kid, good guy. No comment on the poster, just...a suit? Always. A Suit.

And I think I'm going to end there for the time being. That's my two cent's currently and as things progress I'm sure to add more. Watch for me on Punditry, and of course just all around. If you wish to contact me, please do so at [email protected]. 

Til next post!

#DSU elections #Candidate Post 1

[dalhousieuandu]

It's not just Eric Clapton whose "Tearing Us Apart"

So I had been meaning to write about this for a while now, but unfortunately life and school got in the way, so now that I have a brief moment to discuss this I will place this down on paper for your eyes. 

(On another note altogether, I hope you are enjoying my very witty Headlines, cause there is sure to be more to come. Oh stop groaning.)

As you know I took the post of Member at Large this year on council. The position is supposed to be the voice of the student body, the voice of all those individuals who may not be accounted for otherwise. A Member at Large is the voice of many, and sometimes the voice of reason. 

This year, as opposed to other years in the past I am told, have been quite. Nondescript. The year has been trucking along happily, nothing to complain about, nothing to say really. But I think that's not true at all. In fact. I think that there has been an underlying constant feeling of something...dissatisfaction perhaps that is now finally surfacing, and it's not looking pretty. 

So you're asking yourself - what in the wide wide world of sports is this girl going on about? Simple. I'm talking about our disregard for rules, our ability to misunderstand and our inability to communicate - as a board.

Alright, so let's take this one step at a time. 

First off, disregard for rules. To be honest I'm not talking about a true disregard for rules, I'm talking more about a misunderstanding, small abuse, and disregard for the constitutional rules of the DSU. When I say small abuse, I do mean small abuse. We've been abusing some of the small rules that say an Agenda must be sent prior to 48 hours before the meeting of the Council (something to that affect, I'm not quoting directly here but the main point is, it is supposed to be 48 hours). But that hasn't really happened all year. The Agenda has been sent out 12 to 6 hours in advance, not 48. In my mind that constitutes a small abuse of rules.  When I speak about misunderstanding rules, I'm speaking out the lack of knowledge of most members about Roberts Rules and therefore the, what can I do, how can I say this, what is the proper format for this, actions at a meeting. We have gained many different council members through out the year, and  not all of us are familiar with Roberts Rules- or for that matter, these types of formal meetings. Although the first council meeting gave us a handbook, which is somewhere in my black hole of a room, they've never been refreshed for the incoming council members. When corrections have needed to take place there hasn't been a moment when someone has said, hey wait, perhaps we should make sure this person has a guide to how these meetings truly work. Seemingly, the misunderstandings that have occurred, haven't always been rectified.  

I'm not sure where to put this one so I'll place it as a second point to it's own. 

The overall feeling by all council members, executive included in this, that I can't sit here in a meeting from 6:30-10. We need to be done by 8. So I'm going to vote yes on everything. Now, there isn't anything anyone can do about this, other then slapping everyone upside the head and calling telling them they're moron's who need to get their priorities straight. But let's face it, that wouldn't be received at all well, from anyone.  Yet this feeling, this need to be done a meeting by 8:30 at the latest, has lead to some very rash acts that should have taken time. I.E the Budget. (That's a different rant so I'll leave that for another post later). So instead of scrutinizing things as they come through council, asking questions, we just raise our hands, vote a yes and let it go.  This apparently was seen at last meeting when a Referendum vote was put through, (a vote to allow a referendum in this years elections I should say) to go through to the next stage before coming back to Council to be voted on was just pushed through rather anyone asking any questions. Where as everyone jumped up at a motion that was a recommendation of a motion not a full motion. Which leads me to another point, but hold on we will get there. 

Our inability to communicate is always a problem and always will be I could bet. It's a simple process of communication and transparency. The need to properly word things, properly speak things, and to be transparent in our actions, and the actions of the Executive. It could be argued that our transparency is helped along by my Live Tweeting, the Gazette live blogging, when they do, the council meetings, but that doesn't seem like it's good enough. And the lack of proper means of communication clearly showed itself during the Loaded Ladle conflict. However, in regards to all of this, this isn't as strong as the stuff I have mentioned above. 

Now to get to the real point. Fine you can quit reading here, but I'm just getting to the good stuff. 

Let's go back to the recommended motion (excuse me if I am really messing up my terms here, I will come back to fix it, in the mean time bare with me). This motion, and idea deeply divided the council, but there were a list of things that occurred before and afterwards that leaves us all a little, shall I say it, messed up. Please note I wasn't at the meeting but I heard about it through other council members. 

1. The proposed motion should have been brought forth ahead of time so that council members should have had time to think on it. Rebuttal- Yeah, and so should have everything else that has occurred this year. So why start now with this one? We've been (excuse my term here) F**king the (insert animal here) all year, why smarten up now?

2. A lack of communication and clarification made many people unaware that this was in fact a recommendation of a motion, not a motion. Therefore it was going through -mostly- proper procedure.  However, because many people didn't know that or understand that, and clearly did not communicate that to me, the cat started to try to eat the Dove before the Dove bit back. 

3. Qurom may not have been met at this point. There is a possibility, though no one is 100% sure, that we actually lost Qurom at this point. Therefore someone should have called it because that is of course, undemocratic. Why didn't we? Because something on the list down a ways needed to be passed by the council that evening and could not wait. Why didn't we table it then? We tried (or so I am told) but the motion to table it was put down. However, it is fair to say that probably no realized they lost Qurom at this point. And even if they did, all these factors and the "get it done now before 8:30 I'm tired of this crap" mentality probably prevailed. 

So where does that leave us?

Interestingly enough, I think this leaves us with an elephant in the room. Not only that. I think this leaves us with an interesting, but very enlightening problem and solution. 

What I mean to say. I think there is a quiet discord in the room, and an elephant that needs to be addressed. In the mean time, the enlightening solution is the elections. Everyone is aware on some level of what's occurring, and therefore, they want change. This change may result in a very interesting election. 

People may be aware of this, not just council. This awareness may spread, and this demand may make it harder for the candidates to be able to comply with the demand, or seem capable of complying with the demand therefore losing their position as a valid candidate. 

Now let me face it here. I could be really really wrong here. It could be a whole other matter that throws the board off in another direction and has us running to water cause our pants are on fire. For this instance, this second, this is how I'm seeing it. 

It will be interesting to see if I'm right or simply just blowing gas out of- well one orifice for certain. You guess which one. In the mean time, consider it, and if you as an Undergraduate would like to speak out more, and have me speak out more on issues in council feel free to email me and we shall speak more in depth about the problems of council. 

Till Next Post. 

#Dalhousie Politics #Dalhousie Student Union #Dalhousie Elections

[dalhousieuandu]

I don't think we're in the Primaries anymore Toto.

Alright, so I'm being a bit cutesy with my title there, but at least I get my point across. In case you're still looking at my strangely wondering what I am on about; the topic of this blog post is, Elections!

So I'm not to go in depth here, but I will throw out a few things worth taking note of, and a few things I am sure you are confused about. Like, wasn't elections later last year? Why are you talking about election nominations in January? I mean, last year that guy didn't come into my class until like March right? So what gives? 

Yes, we have chosen to shake the boat a bit here. DSU council was given a proposal, which we obviously accepted, to hold the elections earlier in the year for two main reasons. 

The first reason was of course biting the bud of student apathy and encouraging more student voter turn out. This is always a big issue on campuses, and Dal is of no exception. Although we had a better turn out at last years elections then previous years, it still wasn't a very high turn out. The reasoning of having it earlier was the hope that students would be less overwhelmed with mid-terms and be more involved in the election process. 

To that end, reason two was simply timing. If elections were earlier, more professors might be more inclined to let candidates into their class rooms, it might be easier for the candidates to engage less stressed out students, and without midterms looming overhead more people would step forward to be candidates. 

The question is, will it work? 

That is a good question, and one that will only revel itself to us as this unfolds. In the mean time if you are considering putting yourself up as a candidate just head on over to www.dsuelections.ca for more information. Also, for some up to date news from some pundits, check out punditry.ca. They haven't started the ball rolling on writing yet but they will soon. 

And on that note, I shall leave you with this lovely tidbit, there may be only person seeking re-election this year. So things could get very interesting very quickly. 

Right-O, till next post!

#dalhousie university #student elections 2012 #dsu elections

[dalhousieuandu]

Sustainable- Subway?

So the other day I was sitting in the library, close to the new Subway and as I stood to leave I looked over at the trash can. It was in this trash can that I saw the plastic bags that subway slips their sandwiches into piled high. Along with all the napkins, and double wrappings they put around the sandwich itself. You know, the white little paper and THEN the Subway logo paper. 

The trash can was piled like a little mountain and suddenly I was disgusted. 

I started to think about the image Dal attempts to give itself. We have a Dalhousie Sustainability Office, we have a huge image of being sustainable. We have different types of garbage cans on campus for recyclables and organics. We attempt to be as 'clean' as possible. Yet, here we are putting in fast-food restaurants that are hardly sustainable. 

Alright, let's take a step back shall we. I'm focusing only on Subway, but let's face it. Tim Horton's is not any better. 

When Roll up the Rim to Win comes along you can bet your twonnie to the loonie that the garbage's are piled high with Tim Horton's cups. Although the cups can be recycled, they aren't accepted for recycling every where. This is something that Tim's is working on, (stated on their website), but I am not sure if Dal's bins can take the cups.On the other hand, as far as I know, Tim Horton's paper wrappings for their bagels, donuts and other products are a wax like paper which can't be recycled. 

So, let's look at it from this perspective then. Is the food outlets at Dalhousie really all that sustainable? 

Consider Booster Juice. 

It's great to have them on campus, for when you need a meal replacement because you've been sitting in the stacks depriving yourself of fresh air, sunlight, and everything that's holy, but the packaging isn't exactly recyclable either. Although Boost Juice supports a healthy life style, and a bit of a healthy way of life appearance, they are anything but healthy to the environment. Think about it like this. 

The cups are Styrofoam, so they are neither recyclable nor compost-able.  The straws are covered in a little wrapping that sports the Booster Juice Label. (Which as always boggled my mind, overt advertising to the extreme I'd say). This creates extra paper that most people, myself included, don't consider as recyclable. I am pretty sure that the only thing sustainable about the place is how they store and make their product. I believe, though I could be mistaken, they use plastic tupperware containers for the mixes for the drinks and simply wash them to reuse them. 

Quizno's is a bit better then subway because they only use one wrapping instead of six, but I think you get my point here. That wrapping can only be slated for the garbage bin, not another bin labelled recycling. 

We know that it was Dal that put in the Subway, and the DSU chose the Quizno's. And for that I clap because at least one is a bit better over the other. But let's face it. Isn't it a bit hypocritical of Dal to say that they are Sustainable when they're food outlets aren't? 

I know there are other food outlets on campus that I haven't touched on, like the one in the LSC and the one in the Mona Campbell, and the ROWE. Some of those are better than other's, easily. But I can't comment on the one in the Campbell cause I've never actually tired it. 

So I question it. I really do. Is there any way for this to change? Or is it because of the fact that these are corporations and therefore they have their own way of doing things. So perhaps then we shouldn't allow them on to campus. 

I think we need to take a long hard look at ourselves, and our "sustainable" ways before we start calling ourselves a truly sustainable campus, because I am sure there are much better options out there. 

In the mean time I ask you to help cut down on waste. Don't ask for the bag at Subway, if you do get one, remember that it can be recycled. So can the paper that your sandwich is wrapped in. Tell Subway that the bag is not needed, and throw the rest in the proper bins, not the garbage bin. Don't buy Booster Juice if you can help it, or if you can't don't use their straws, find another one that doesn't have a paper wrapping. As for Tim Horton's, I don't think our bins can recycle them, but it would be good check. If they can't be then perhaps avoid purchasing Tim's and save yourself some money. 

Til Next Post. 

Author's Side Note: I am sitting in the Commons of the library, its 930 am, and I am smelling Subway bread. Letter of Complaint to the University for screwing this one up coming soon. Promise. 

Another Side Note: Infromation is available on the Tim Horton's page, but not Subway or Booster Juice. 

#Sustainable Campus #Subway #Sustainability #Dalhousie University

[dalhousieuandu]

The Loaded Issue. Why I voted NO.

Hello everyone; I know it has been a while since I have discussed with you the issues of University Politics on Campus, and so I apologize. School life has caught up with me and I have a few more commitments this year then previous and so I have been struggling a bit more to keep onto of everything, including this blog. So once more I would like to open up the floor to guest writers for the blog, and to that end I can be reached at [email protected]. 

Now, before I dive head first into the Loaded Ladle discussion and "issue", I need to make a clarification on facts from my previous post about the Subway and Quizno's debacle on campus. The DSU president, Chris S has stated that DSU had no idea about the idea of Subway because anything outside of the SUB is not their jurisdiction and the University kept that information hidden from the DSU. Most likely to create competition. 

Now, on wards. 

So there is a lot information in regards to the Loaded Ladle, (LL) issue with the DSU. I will state this right from the start that I do not have all the information, and where there are gaps in it I will make sure to state that I don't know. With that in mind I will attempt to find out, and I will be seeking clarification on a few things, as well I will hopefully be receiving a copy of the amendment that was past last night in council meeting to hopefully clarify a few things. Sorry for any miscommuncations, and I appericate it if you do correct me by either messaging me on twitter @sarahestrin or emailing me at [email protected]. Thanks. 

To start with, the LL does not have ratification. The LL was never ratified at the start of the year, however, they were still allowed to serve so long as they did do under the guidelines provided.

Second. The Levy that was voted in last year does not get released unless the society in question is ratified.

Those are the two important parts you need to know. So as many people know there was a letter that became dubbed as "Chris's Ultimatum to the Loaded Ladle" by the Gazette. Point of Information- Chris never actually called it that himself. It was dubbed by the paper, not him. 

However, there was other letters sent to the Loaded Ladle from the DSU that two previous servings on campus occurred without DSU approval. Following this a meeting with the LL and the DSU was set up to ensure the successful serving on Sept 27th. This meeting established that a bake sale would be organized. However, the LL moved outside of the building where they were supposed to serve onto city property. This became an issue for insurance reasons, among other reasons, along with being disruptive to classes ongoing at the time. 

Another meeting was held on the 30th and everyone left with positive feelings, another bake sale was organized for Oct 4th. However, this serving also included a beer workshop which included the use of a burner, which was not cleared previously. As well there was an issue with space, and the booking of space, among other things.

After this last serving, the letter became more of an "Ultimatum" in that the only way in which the LL could continue to serve would be if they adhered to the all rules and regulations stated in the letter by the DSU. 

In the mean time the SRC and DSU (Society Review Committee) had no obligation to ratify them and would withhold ratification until January when they would be under review to be ratified properly. 

So, at the first council meeting we reviewed the letter that was sent by Chris to the LL and choose to send it on to the SRC to await their response. I missed the second meeting when I am assuming that the letter came back? But that ratification, and therefore the levy, would be withheld until they would be ratified in January, pending conditions. To what those are I am not sure if they changed from the letter given to the LL by Chris or if they were or are different.

Last nights meeting was discussing the appeal that was being made by the LL to the DSU for the decision made about ratification of the LL and therefore the release of the Levy. 

Now, I'm about to put myself under the gun here, and you're allowed to yell at me, but do it after you finish reading please. I voted no to the amendment made on the appeal by Ryan for the LL. I came in late to this meeting as I was attending and speaking at the Dignity Day Ceremony that evening so I came to council half an hour late, by the time I arrived things were well under way. 

So from my understanding Ryan put a proposal forward listing a few rules and regulations, however, the main intent behind the amendment was to have it so that the LL could be refunded the money that they have in-cured in start up fees. 

Okay, here is where I stand under the gun. Seriously? We want to get them their levy fees, to help them repay their debt, they in-cured out of stupidity, because they bought the house before they could pay for it? Are you kidding me???? Not only that, cause that really isn't all that big of a fact, but that you want to refund this money before, BEFORE, they have a budget set out and approved by the DSU? So wait, we're just refunding them the money on grounds that the money spent was spent on reasonable things for the society. 

I understand that these are students that had managed to rack up 9,000 dollars in debt. I understand they wanted to get the ball rolling and started to serving students. But, uh, no offense, they shouldn't have spent the money if they didn't have it in their bank account. 

Because of this debt they lost an 'employee' who was forced to go look for work else where. Because of this debt they lost the drive and momentum to really even want to continue serving students. 

I want to clarify, I had no issue with the rest of the amendment. However, I was not comfortable with them being refunded the money before they had a clear budget. I was also still questioning why we were giving them the money when it really as their own dumbassery that got them in that situation in the first place. I mean, lets face it, we are all students. As a student you tend to watch your money, and watch your savings, and you tend not spend if you don't have the money, so why did they spend it when they didn't have it??

Alright, I do realize I sound like a cold hearted bitch there, quite aware. But let's remember, I wasn't for this levy to begin with. I didn't want to give my money out to another levied society that had the potential to only feed a certain group of students. And lets face it. I supported the group otherwise, and I mean, yea it's great and it gets school spirit going like no one's business.

I know there was other board members who were cautious and wary of this clause as well. So it wasn't just me.

However, when the time came to vote, I was the only person in the room to hold my hand up when they asked if anyone was against the motion.

I did not have my vote noted.

Why do I think this happened? Simple. I think we all got tired, and we where weary to the bone. We just wanted this to be over and done with, so most of the people who were weary of the clause just gave up and threw their towel in. Yea. I realize I look like a total bitch, but I'm still saying this. I don't approve. 

I appreciate the fact that the LL apologized for their erratic behaviour that created these incidents to being with. I appreciate the fact that they are good people trying to just serve students. I appreciate the fact that they are just trying to continue to do so and that they create a sense of pride on campus. 

However, I feel that the precedent this sets for societies in the future is far from healthy, or good. I also feel that NOT refunding them the money WITHOUT having a set budget approved before hand would NOT have been a BAD precedent for the DSU, and rather our actions this time are. 

Alright, I've rambled enough.

In the mean time, one more clarification to my readers. I am sorry that those students have that debt, they don't need it, and I do understand that it's en-cumbersome and can create issues for them in the future. I am glad that they did get the money back, however, I think it's bloody stupid of them to have spent the money in the first place without having the money from the Levy. And I wouldn't have right cared if they hadn't gotten the money to relieve those expenses. However, as it stands they will get the money and so I am glad for them. 

You may now have at me. Attached are the Gazette Links for the meeting Live Blogged and the Article. Feel free to check out my tweets on twitter. 

Til Next Post. 

http://dalgazette.com/news/campus/live-dsu-council-meeting-3/

http://dalgazette.com/news/campus/loaded-ladle-wins-appeal/

[dalhousieuandu]

Wait, we have a Subway in the Library???

So firstly, I feel the need to apologize profusely. I have been overwhelmed this year more then I thought I would be so these Blog Posts are few and far in between. 

So with that in mind, I am opening the floor to a few contributors. If you have an editorial you would like to write, something to say about what's going on around campus, or perhaps something that might "grind your gears", then please email me at the address down at the bottom of the page. I would be happy to look over and post some work that is not my own. 

Now on to my next topic. 

So as I am sure some of you might have noticed, or heard rather, plenty of construction has been occurring on and around campus. Some of it has been to help restore the older buildings, some of it has been to place some new food outlets on campus while re-vamping, some of our older ones. 

The SUB has seen the new Quizno's stand slipped in to the corner on your left hand side next to the little Fair Trade Coffee Shop, which it's name escapes me at the moment, and a Subway has been placed in the Library Atrium where part of the fountain was. 

They have also added and lengthened the Second Cup and the Bistro in the Library. 

Now I've been hearing a lot of interesting comments about these new additions to campus, but first let's go over why they have suddenly sprung up. 

In case you were unaware, the Sodexo and Dalhousie contract expired near the end of last year (don't quote me on the date), and has opened up the floor to new possibilities, since Sodexo did in fact hold a monopoly over the Food outlets at Dal. When this happened the door was opened for new opportunities, like using your Debit Card at Tim Hortons, for example. 

Now we have the option of new Food outlets, so Quizno's and Subway have moved in. 

And while they have been in the process of moving in, I've heard some very interesting comments I'd like to share with you.

"Why are we getting two sandwich places? Why not make it more ethnically diverse on campus for food, like Indian cuisine, or Chinese?"

"Why did they have to take out the fountain? It's just going to ruin the library now, couldn't they have found a better spot?"

"The SUB already doesn't have a lot of seating, why are we losing more for a sub place?" 

"Do you know how unhealthy Quizno's actually is?" 

"The library is just going to smell of Subway all the time now, gross." 

All of these comments make good/interesting points. We've taken away some of the seating area in the atrium as well as the SUB, and why have we ended up with two Sub joints. Isn't that a bit redundant? 

The renovations to the Bistro and the Second Cup were much needed. But was the addition of the Subway and Quizno's? 

We are still in the process of seeing how we can maximize the Food outlets at Dal, and seeing how we can get things like the Loaded Ladle inside and in their own space, but it's a long process. 

So the question is why did do we go about it this way? And what was the reasoning behind putting a Subway in the library out of all places... 

Perhaps the Subway won't smell up the library all the time, but there are other questions that come up with the edition of these two places. We have gone through budget cuts around and on campus, like removing student hires for one. So then have we not had to hire more staff for these two outlets, or have they come to us as part of the restaurants themselves? Did it cost us anything to put them in, will we gain some of that revenue back? 

I am sure that these are all questions easily answered, and if I have time I will search the answers out. But for the moment I leave them to you to consider. 

Till next post. 

------

Email me at [email protected] if you are interested in contributing an article. 

#Food Outlets #Dalhousie U #What's going on here?

[dalhousieuandu]

Are we doing it right? Rocking the O-Week.

Just before classes start in September, new students come to the dorms. 

Their parents drive up, get them signed in, moved in and then say their goodbyes as the students get prepared for a week of student oriented activities that makes them more comfortable with the strangers their living with, the city of Halifax and the Campus that is their new home for several months. 

Every year it's a struggle to choose to what to do for O-week. What will make this O-week stand out over the other ones. What will make the students excited about their new home. 

For myself, I would have no idea what that would be. I've never been a Frosh at Dal, coming to the school in January rather then September. And when I was a Frosh at Algonquin College, I was a bit of angst ridden teenager who was only in school to be in school, not because I wanted to enjoy it. 

So for myself it's hard to give a view on what O-Week should be, but this years Student Life VP knew what it should be, and he made it exactly that. 

Although he reminded me of a wandering Bedouin -of the desert, not the band- on Sunday which was the day of the field BBQ and the first day of O-week, our Student Life VP, Jamie, was wandering around with a Dal scarf tied around him like a sash and what I think was a t-shirt? tied around his head. Jamie and his amazing team of O-Week Committee members were running around with him making sure things were running as smoothly as possible. 

The atmosphere of the Quad, and just the University in general was amazing. Some of my own team members of the JSA- Jewish Students Association- commented that they wished their Frosh Week had been as good as this years. Even though it was only the first day, it is promising to be a good week. 

The field party included Yurts, impromptu water fights, planned water fight, music from two different spots, Societies handing out food, fire spinners, dancers, a bouncy castle, Kiddie pools and more. The place was full of energy and the vibe was truly showcasing what the Halifax Community and Dalhousie University had to offer.

The place was full of high energy, excitement and yet this cool laid back feel that it was okay to just stop for a moment and sit down on the grass. 

Just the field party on Sunday showed that Jamie and his team of Committee members, who spent time over the summer planning O-week, showed that they had achieved a vibe in the air, in the community, worth noting. 

It makes me wish I was a Frosh this week, so I could see what else this week has in store, but none the less, the kick off event was a great way to introduce the vibe of Halifax to the new students of Dalhousie University. 

Well done guys. Hat's off to you. 

Till Next Post. 

#O-Week #Hat's Off #Rocking the O-Week #Rocking the Socks off of Frosh

[dalhousieuandu]

The Fall Term; a new beginning.

It's September 1, 2011 and that means- for Halifax- it's National Moving. 

I joke about National Moving day a lot, mostly with my father, who brought the day to my attention. In Montreal, National Moving day happens on the 1st of July. That is when most- if not close to all- leases expire and moving commences across the city. In Halifax, National Moving day means there is an influx of students moving in their new homes for the first time, sub-letters moving out, and roommates who were away for the summer are moving in. 

National Moving day signals the end of summer in the city, and a new fresh year. 

Although summer months are quiet at Dal, there is much to be done. There is generally less people on campus, more children wandering in groups with bright colour coded t-shirts. Residences are rented out to tourists from all over the world, and repairs to the older buildings is a normal sight. In reality, Dal in the summer is far from quite. 

The DSU changes hands, and the new and returning bodies are sworn in at the start of summer. Projects are started and continued through the summer months. Planning for O-Week begins. We gear up to get organized to great you, and to welcome you back. 

That's not to say that we haven't taken holidays of our own, because well we have, but we've also worked to make sure you're coming back to a welcome, familiar, Dalhousie University Campus. 

This year is promising to be a good one. With new fresh faces on the DSU, and a more active community on Campus - or so it seems to me- we're looking forward to welcoming back, and welcoming, the new and returning students. 

As for myself, I am now a Member at Large on the Dalhousie Student Union, so I will be able to live tweet meetings - when we aren't in camera- and give you a first hand impression of the going on's of the University. As well, I hope to be able to blog about some of the changes the city is undergoing. Keeping my opinion forward and hopefully giving you a fresh view of events. 

If you are looking to follow me on Twitter, just look for @SarahEstrin

We'll be seeing you!

Till next post. 

#Dalhousie University #New Year #Dal Student #Blog about Uni

[dalhousieuandu]

Results; what do they mean!!?

Alright everyone, the verdict is in and my Conservative friends are saying "Told you so". We have a Conservative Majority for Government with the official opposition being the NDP. The Bloc Party is no longer an official party and the Liberals are at the lowest point, number of seats, they've ever been. So the question becomes, what now?

Well there are a lot of different ways I could answer that, but since I discuss students and their role in the general scheme of things I'm going to turn my attention this question; What does the Conservative Majority in power mean for a University Student like myself?

The Answer; good question. We...aren't sure. 

Conservatives will be doing a lot of things, a lot of things people don't want to have happen, other then those who voted for the Party. Things like taking out the Long Gun Registry, cutting funding for Planned Parenthood, cutting a lot of jobs, reducing pensions, well-there's a list. Fiscally the Con's are probably the best party for the job, for everything else...not so much. (That is in my personal opinion, but I also have other thoughts to that as well). The problem is; where does that leave the University Student?

The answer is; we don't know because truthfully, it hasn't come up...yet. There could be a lot of funding cuts, there could be none. There could be loss of grants but no funding to the University themselves. There could be funding cuts to scholarships and Post Secondary Education Loans, but there could be no rise of tuition overall. (Which is the probable scenario in truth. Tuition rises because the Provincial Government chooses to raise them, the Federal Government has no jurisdiction, nor should it, in that area. Same with Post Secondary Loans that are provincial, the one which I am referring to would be the Canadian one, NOT the provincial). 

Which, when considered most Universities are under the Provinces, not the Federation, which makes it a bit different. Depending on what Harper does with the Provinces, and how close he sticks to the Constitution depends on how much there will be changes to Universities. In all likely hood the University will come under the Province and will be effected as such. 

So, in honesty....there's just a lot of uncertainty right now until we see Harper start to actually do things...and that can, and should, leave us wary. 

There are many other things that I could go into about what happens, and what conversations should happen now. However; this is not the place because this is a blog that focuses on the Student. Not my personal views. If you are interested, feel free to check out poliyouth.tumblr.com for good posts about the election results ext. 

Before I end this post, I would like to point one thing out. There was a mass amount of students who voted, most likely because of the Mob's- so I'll shut myself up and retract my previous statement slightly-but only slightly- but the numbers of those who voted will not be in for some time. When I have access to that information I will be sure to post it. 

Until Next Post. 

#Where do we go from here? #Election Results

[dalhousieuandu]

Wait. We're mobbing the vote???

So, wait, we're mobbing what?

It's a initiative that started on the heels of Rick Mercer's rant finale, for this years election, about the need to get the politicians to listen to students and the best way for students to get the politicians to listen, is to vote. And this initiative is picking up a lot of steam.

Started by students at the University of Guelph, the vote mob is a version of the flash mob. It gets a group of people together in one location and simultaneously, (in the case of Halifax at least) burst out singing Oh Canada! while being dressed in Canadian Colours. This is to show people that they are young, proud, and they're going to vote.

Really? No, seriously, really? And this is accomplishing what again? Oh it's showing the nation that the "youth" of this nation is going to show everyone up by creating these flash mob vote mobs to get everyone's blood pumping, and to get everyone overly excited at idea of voting. That's what this meant to do?

Alright, so if this does work that means a lot of "youth" will vote on voting day, and maybe turn the tables on the government, showing politicians that we will in fact vote, and we should not be ignored.

So then why am I so against this idea?

Simple, I think it's a waste of effort and a waste of time. As pointed out in a new article by the Ottawa Citizen, which will be linked in at the bottom of the page, it makes the point that the "youth" that are going to be voting might actually end up being more of the radical type, voting for fringe parties. This in turn doesn't provide stability for the nation, but gives us a bit of a topsy turvy style of government, and we could be back to square one coalition government with Harper still in charge.

I can agree with this statement, but only because I can take it one step further. Vote mobs get people together, and get them motivated to do something in the moment, but it doesn't really encourage the "youth" to learn more, to seek out the information needed to make an informed decision. Instead, they might just shrug their shoulders and say "I'm voting Green cause I don't like any of the other parties" without knowing what those other parties are truly about.

The question is, how many of us are going to follow through and up with our actions? In my experience students aren't going to seek out this information unless they have to. Generally we're like sheep. Lead us some where and we will following willingly. Tell us that we need to seek out that important information on our own and we just won't do it. We have better things to do. Alright, in fairness, that is a bit of a frank and slightly rude analogy, but it's also true. I don't say that out of spite, I say that out of experience having witnessed it on a few occasions when dealing with the student body. Our own Student Union elections were an occasion.

If this was done on May 2nd per say, and got a bunch of people together and went to the polling station as a group, lets say, in their Canadian Colours, stood around and chanted something like "we're young, under 21, and we're gonna vote" then that might have done more good then just these random mobs that get together to get people excited. There isn't a lot of follow through, and it makes them a bit pointless.

Their not completely pointless, however. There is still some good to be said of them, like actually getting people excited about the idea of voting, but because there is no good follow through its just an event that has jumped on the flash mob band wagon and isn't really doing anything productive for our country overall. If someone was smart, at the next vote mob event they would have information out, a table set up impromptu to style with information on the candidates, the parties, and how to vote. Or even perhaps, engage an interested MP from one of the parties, see if they want to come out for a bit and engage the "youth" in a discussion. But as it is, with just a bunch of "youth" storming an area, dancing around, and then leaving, well...there isn't much that's getting done. Other then maybe a few politicians raising eyebrows at the antics of the "young".

As a side note, in case you are wondering why I keep referring to the "youth" in quotation marks, its because I agree with the following blog post written by Political Science Student Graduate of Dalhousie University, Paige T. MacPherson, who wrote a blog for AIMS about calling it the Youth Vote, when we are in fact young adults. She also touches upon the Vote Mob, so I think it's worth a read even if you don't agree with us.

So the links are as follows, and once again I encourage you to seek that information and make an informed decision when voting this year. And perhaps consider before jumping on that band wagon...

Till Next Post.

http://aimsblog.wordpress.com/2011/04/13/youth-dont-vote-adults-do/

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/decision-canada/Opinion+Vote+mentality/4658160/story.html

#Dal University #Voting #Vote Mobs

[dalhousieuandu]

Lip Dubs = School Spirit?

As some of you may have noticed, there seems to be an abundance of Lip Dubs going around and Universities and College campuses are jumping in on the trend. 

Although this has been going on for a while, Dal did their lip dub to California Girls before the start of the school year, they're still going strong.

Algonquin College in Ottawa Ontario just released their lip dub, shortly after UBC released their ten minute Lip Dub that included two different songs, Raise Your Glass and something by Marina's Trench.  Not to mention a ton of people, and I do mean a ton. 

So what's the reasoning behind it, why are we doing so many Lip Dubs, and why do we keep doing them? 

It seems that the idea behind these Lip Dubs in to show off the school, and it looks like UBC did just that, but does it really inspire school spirit? Or is it just a competition between schools to see who can do what? After watching Algonquin College's Lip Dub, I'd assume that it's trying to inspire school spirit, but UBC makes me feel like that was a challenge, so all in all it's a hard call. 

I remember watching Dal's Lip Dub and being kind of proud of it, it was small, but it was cute, and they did it in the summer before school started so that was why there wasn't a lot of people in it, but after watching UBC's I got to thinking...do we really need all those people?

Do Lip Dub's really show off the school and inspire school spirit from with in? I think that they have the potential for both of these things, perhaps if UBC did their Lip Dub so that it aired during say, application time, and made sure it got out to potential students it would be really showing off the school, but I don't think that was the case (though I could be wrong). And inspiring school spirit? I don't know about you, but I felt that UBC didn't do it really. They just showed how many people they could get into a two song, 9 minute, Lip Dub, to say hey, we've got all this stuff you don't. Alright, maybe I'm a little miffed, but it felt like bragging. 

And then we come back to the main point. Do Lip Dubs work? I don't think so. I think they can, and the potential is there to use them as a tool for students considering the institution, saying Hey, Here We Are, this what we have this is what you can do! But then again, a Mock Quidditch Tournament on the soccer field thrown up on You Tube might do the same thing...

Regardless the potential to make these Dubs useful is there, the fact that they've picked up like wildfire and are being done by many schools is interesting. I don't know if there are any plans for Dal to do another one, maybe start a mini Lip Dub war with UBC, but if there are I think more students should be come involved and the whole Lip Dub be done a bit differently so that we are showing off the school, not just making a random cute video that has tons of people in it, or just moves around the SUB building rather than the rest of the school. 

Maybe I'm a bit harsh in all of this, but I think Lip Dubs are being a bit over done...just my thoughts though. I think if we can come up with something new, a new type of video that really snags at people, then I think we can start boosting about our videos...until then I don't think we have much going for us in the way of Lip Dub videos... but I guess UBC does?

Till Next Post

#Lip Dubs #School Spirit #Dalhousie University

[dalhousieuandu]

The Low Down; CASA and CFS.

I first want to apologize for my long hiatus from posting. I was pumped to do this article a week ago, but as some of you know, because of my twitter and Facebook page, I had a bit of an accident that left me unable to do much of anything for a few days. However, I am now back, and ready to rock. 

So I'm going to launch my next post, not about the campaign, or why students need to vote, but about Unions. Specifically, CASA and the CFS. There are a few reasons as to why I bring this up. The first was because the other day I was having a conversation about the importance of Union's. This was discussed after reading an article about them, and I got to thinking. I started to consider the importance of our own Student Union but then I started to consider CASA and the CFS, and exactly what they were, what they did, and how they helped students. So then I choose to speak to outgoing VP of Education for Dal Student Union, Rob Leforte, about what excatly these are, and why we belong to CASA over the CFS. 

I gathered a lot of notes covering CASA and a little bit of CFS, I will attempt to distill my notes into a readable, understandable format. 

So to start, CASA isn't a Union per-say, its a Lobby Group, and so is CFS. CASA, Canadian Alliance of Student Association's is an all encompassing lobbying group. It works with the Federal Government, not the lower levels, in attempts to lobby on the behalf of students that are associated with CASA, such as Dalhousie. It's lower level lobby group, is ANSSA, The Alliance of Nova Scotia Student's Association.  They take care of, you guessed it, provincial lobbying. CFS, Canadian Federation of Students, is all encompassing and unlike CASA does not have provincial lobby groups like CASA, but rather works under one large umbrella. 

CASA focuses solely on Post Secondary Education issues rather than Student Issues. Student Issues is a large term that can encompass many different things. By changing the term to Post Secondary Education, and those issues, CASA narrows down the issues that can pertain to students and focuses solely on these issues rather than going beyond them when it shouldn't because there is no need. 

CFS, however, does go beyond, and will be involved in different protests. They tend to go under one big encompassing term, such as Student Issues, that can mean anything. If you've ever noticed the NO means NO campaign, that would be them. They speak up about issues that may go under the radar for some students, but that are still important. 

So with all of this, what does CASA actually DO for us as students? They Lobby right? So what's that? Lobbying. Not all of us are political science students. So the term Lobbying can seem a little overwhelming. 

Lobbying is a specialized group that puts pressure on a government to change something they believe needs to be changed. So where does that come into CASA and affect us? Simple. CASA is the group that will, and has, lobbied the government on student issues such as tuition hikes. They've helped to create Scholarship Funds, and have lobbied the government for more money to help assistance students with Grants. It may seem like these little things are non-existent, but in truth these actions are vital.  Consider it like this, and yes I'm about to go into the government/elections speak again, but we'll understand in a moment. Alright, so consider this. Politicians often ignore students. We're considered but never targeted as a group in which to actually go for, attempt to convince or attempt to sway votes. If we didn't have a lobby group to put pressure on the government on behalf of students, for "student issues" then nothing would get done. Chances are our tuition would be very high, and we would be ignored. 

Having a lobby group, or being apart of one, might seem useless because not always do we understand the scope of actions of these groups, but consider. 

Yes, CFS was a big force in the Rally, and walk against tuition hikes, but ANSSA was also another big force in the letter writing campaign to the government and attempted to hold discussions with Political Leaders. CFS just came in and rallied the troops to protest. ANSSA attempted to create that important, much needed dialog. And although CASA has no strict jurisdiction over ANSSA, the actions of both groups ring clear. They're attempt to speak on behalf of students, to create those discussions, to have those talks, rather than just yelling at the doors of the government house expecting to be let in. 

All these groups are important, and for a lot of us, we consider CASA to be the better of the two, but that's for another post. 

Hopefully that gives a large over view and understanding of what CASA is, and why it's important that we belong to them. It's also important to note that not all schools are apart of either group and that they choose to join them. Dal joined in 95, and Mount Royal University of Calgary just joined CASA after it had been an Associate member. Pulling themselves up to full membership within CASA means that you pay about double for your membership, however, this gives you full voting rights which you don't have as an Associate member. Being an Associate member also means that if you choose not to become apart of CASA you can remove yourself from the process, or you can continue and become a full member. 

Lobby groups, Unions are still important in the big scheme of things. Most importantly when those Lobby Groups stand up for students. 

Till Next Post. 

#CASA #CFS #Student Lobbys

[dalhousieuandu]

The Liberals Want You! But should you heed that call?

Alright, now let’s get down to the facts. Yes, I consider myself a Liberal. I also, consider myself a left leaning Libertarian. However, I have a very diverse and wide range of views and I will be attempting to leave out as much personal bias of my feelings towards the Passport to Education promise of the Liberals, however, it is inevitable that some bias will arise through the tone of my writing. Therefore; I apologize for this in advance, and encourage you to seek the facts before making a decision. 

Now let’s get to it. 

We’re in about, what day five of the election campaigning? No sorry, day six. This morning walking to meet a friend for coffee I was listing to someone speak about the current debates going on about May, Harper and Iggy ext from two young men walking behind me who were heading towards the Sexton Campus. 

Twice today I heard the words “I’m not going to vote.” I immediately jumped to it, and started my schpeil that is probably as boring as a most politicians ties. But something new arose the other day that might change some minds and turn a few heads, as it was meant to.

What I’m referring to is the “Passport to Education” Promise by the Liberal Party.

Now a lot of students are probably asking in short “What does this have to do with me, and where does it leave me as a student?” Alright, so lets throw up some disclaimers before we start.

The plan has some kinks. Quite a few actually, that need to be ironed out. And it’s been said by the party, there are a few things that need working out. Easily.

The plan wouldn’t take affect until the Liberals are in power, and as far as I know the date isn’t set because well, it’s all just promises and ideas right now.

Also, this plan is at a cost of 1 Billion Dollars.

That money must come from somewhere, so students lose the Textbook Tax Credit as well as Education Tax Credits.

Ignatieff  says this money will come because the Corporations won’t get tax cuts, Layton says it won’t address rising tuition costs. Others say it’s good because it gives the students money up front rather than having to wait as one does with Tax Benefits. 

There’s a lot of rhetoric being tossed around. 

Yet one thing is clear. Liberals are doing this as a way in which to get the student vote. They want this vote. They think this plan is going to help them win votes. And well it might.

If you want my personal stance on this, well I’ll throw this out. I don’t agree with the plan at all, and I think it’s just a way to get students to vote. Will it get those students to vote? I don’t know. That is up to you guys. 

It comes down to the student, you, taking the time to suss out the information and seeing what you think. Below is two links I’ll provide on some of the information out there. But it’s up to you guys. 

I personally don’t think this addresses the real issues of the student, which I think it shows that we need to be come even more involved, and this gives us an even bigger push to actually get out and vote. I think this doesn’t win our votes, but wins parents votes. So I don’t think there really getting anywhere with this. 

However, I think this also shows the need for us to take charge and make a statement. This doesn’t address issues important to students, at least from what I’ve heard I don’t think so, and lets face it. 1 Billion is a lot of money. Where is that going to come from? Who benefits? What about students about to graduate? What about students currently enrolled? These are all important questions that shouldn’t be left hanging but they are. 

So again. I stress this. If you want your voice heard now is the time. Start talking to your MP, ask them. Ask a Liberal MP what the plan is, see what he knows. Ask, tell, make your voice heard. Vote. Now is the time. 

This plan could show a lot of potential, but it makes us question, are we really on anyones list for targeting during the election? 

There are a lot of other issues too, issues that we should care about. The environment, industry, economy. Now is the time to show the Government that we do care, and we need to speak up. 

So here are the links, take a look, search it up on Goggle, take some time to read it up and see what you get. Do some credible reading, make a choice. Take your time. We’ve got a lot more days left before the 2nd of May. There are going to be more announcements, and some of them are going to involve our interests, or things we should be interested in, and we got to listen, cause now is the time that they will listen to us. 

Links are as follows; http://ubyssey.ca/news/liberals-hope-to-woo-students-with-education-plan/

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Liberal+education+program+unveiled/4525241/story.html

Till Next Post.