My name is Kate Hamre and I am a third-year Kinesiology student from Fredericton, New Brunswick. You might have seen me on campus, around Wolfville or know me through the various societies’ and volunteering programs I have been involved with during my time at Acadia such as: S.M.I.L.E, Kinderskills, ASK, Acadia Ambassadors and the House Council Executive. Now I want to take my involvement in Acadia’s community a step further by running to be your Equity Officer for the 2018-2019 academic year. I recognize the increasing diversity on our campus and wish to ensure that the Acadia Students’ Union is conscious, and accommodating to the students’ needs regarding equity and accessibility. If I am elected, I want to create a community where everyone can succeed, where individuals are not bound but celebrated by the things that make them unique and a community where everyone has a voice that is heard.
Tag: ASU
First Year Officer: Hunter Murchison-Doggart
My name is Hunter Murchison-Doggart, and I am a first year Politics major. I am extremely excited to be running for your 2018/2019 First Year Officer. I come from a town just outside of Toronto, where there are great schools. But I felt that I needed to go somewhere that would feel more like a family. I feel that I can bring a lot of ideas to help make sure that you first years, just like me have a great experience at Acadia. If I am elected First Year Officer, I hope to bring an experience to students, especially first year students like no other school. I wanna hear the student’s ideas on what they would like to see happen. With past experiences, I loved when I planned Relay for Life for my high school. It was a great opportunity I wish to share with everyone here, and much more.
First Year Officer: Blake Steeves
Blake is a first year business student living in Barrax house. Blake has perfected his now world-renowned dancing skills. In his free time, Blake enjoys performing his DJ skills, playing hockey and rocking his cowboy boots through the beautiful streets of Wolfville. Blake is running for the position of Acadia’s Student Union’s First Year Officer. He is very ambitious for the upcoming year and would love to put his mark on Acadia. As First Year Officer, he will be relentless in pursuing his ambitions. He will be the voice of Acadia’s first year population. Aiming to improve communication and student life, Blake will serve as a relations member and be sitting on councils to make your freshman year the best year here at Acadia. Blake Steeves is your best option for First Year Officer. Come out on September 27th and make the right choice. Vote Blake Steeves.
First Year Officer: Chantal Peng
Chantal Peng is a Bachelor of Music student majoring in Piano Performance who will not only listen to ideas and concerns, but also will voice and address any of your needs to ASU, the local community, and abroad. Having served many positions on various committees, currently including Kings Municipal Youth Council and as a Plan International Canada Gender Equality Youth Advocate, Chantal always strives to be a platform for encouraging involvement within the university community. An internationally acclaimed musician, she has performed for Justin Trudeau, and was featured on CBC Radio One speaking about involvement in Nova Scotia’s music scene. Past involvement in high-school Student Government and as NS ACT 4 Global Change Ambassador, Chantal understands that transparent, effective communication begins with creating unbiased, open dialogues. Hailing from Wolfville, NS, she has grown up immersed in the creative community that Acadia students continue to build. Vote #Chantal4FirstYear.
First Year Officer: Kristi Stewart
My name is Kristi Stewart, I am a first-year student majoring in Political Science, born and raised in Prince Edward Island. Growing up in such a small province with a population of 146,000 people, I am very familiar with the lifestyle of living in such a concentrated town such as Wolfville. Due to this, being involved in my community has always been a top priority for me, from volunteering to working for the PEI Legislature. I am constantly advocating for our voices to be heard. I plan to continue this passion of mine and share it with students here at Acadia. I hope with this election the students of Acadia University will allow me to grow with them, I have many great ideas and am excited to explore the interests of our University! Vote for experience; a voice for first-year students. Vote me, Kristi Stewart as your First Year Officer.
SRC Decoded: What You Missed April 10th
Every week, your elected student government meets on a Tuesday night to talk about issues concerning the ASU. Agenda items can seem long, mysterious and confusing without the proper background, making it difficult to see how these issues affect students. Here’s what happened at the last meeting on April 10th:
New Council
This was the first meeting of the 2018-19 SRC. Power was delegated by the previous Council to ensure the first meeting was legitimate and that their authority holds for the summer meeting, as the Executive Board has authority until the first day of the Academic Year.
Executive Goal Documents
Council Members adopted the goal documents of the Executive Board, comprised of the President, VP Finance & Operations, VP Student Life, VP Events & Promotions, and VP Academic & External. The goal document of the Chairperson was also adopted, emphasizing the ongoing ASU Bylaw revision as an important goal for the upcoming year.
Committee Appointments
Council entertained appointments to standing committees. These committees include:
- Presidential Affairs Committee: Tasked with handling issues pertaining to the Office of the President but meets rarely
- Events & Promotions Committee: Tasked to develop communication and promotion strategies over the year, including events like SuperSUB and Frost Week
- Academic Affairs Committee: Tasked with dealing with issues pertaining to the University and student life, including representation on the University Senate and running events like the Propylaeum Cup. This is a very active committee
- Student Life Committee: Deals with clubs, internal organizations, and general student affairs as chaired by the VP Student Life
- Financial Affairs Committee: Proposes the annual budget to Council and deals with other financial matters
- Campus Representation Committee: Ensures representation pertinent to diversity on campus
- House Presidents Committee: Composed of all House Presidents and the VP Student Life to discuss residence affairs
- Governance Committee: Tasked with ensuring that the ASU functions well. This is an active committee because of the persistent revisions to the ASU Constitution and bylaws
- Review Board: The only ASU Committee that has legal power. This committee deals with Council honoraria and payments to other ASU employees
- Student Funding Committee: Deals with approving transactions from the Student Activities Fund and Wellness Fund
- Environmental Sustainability Committee: Chaired by the Sustainability Officer and works with other environmentally inclined clubs and organizations on campus to promote sustainable practices
- Hiring Committee: Hires Union employees and members within the Office of the Chairperson
- SUB Renewal Committee: The most recent Standing Committee tasked with ensuring the process for redeveloping the Student Union Building stays on track
$10,000 ASU By-Law Review Financed by Wellness Fund
The ASU is meeting today on Tuesday, March 27th at 5:00pm in the Beveridge Forum (off of the Michener Lounge in the SUB) to discuss plans for an upcoming by-law revision.
The ASU, by way of the Student Funding Committee, has approved $10,000 from the Wellness Fund to revise ASU by-laws. Students contribute $30 annually to the Wellness Fund, which can be drawn upon by Acadia students and organisations with the purpose of “accommodat[ing] the individual needs of students and enhanc[ing] their overall sense of wellness through various initiatives.”
In the meeting, Council will hear a presentation on the by-law revision process from the ASU lawyer and provide input on the process. There is speculation that the ASU Executive team has already likely contributed extensively to the process.
The ASU plans to expedite this by-law revision, condensing the process to a couple of weeks in length. This would outpace previous changes made to the ASU by-laws: for example, the Elections by-law alone took months to revise. With this condensed timeline, it is a concern that there may not be adequate time or opportunity for comprehensive student consultation, resulting in the general student population having only a limited say in processes that impact them and that are being funded with their money.
Such large funding decisions need to have student input in the first place to ensure that the decisions represent the will of the students. If the ASU were to take the time to engage the student body in these processes, they may have access to individuals and services who can offer consultation or non-profit by-law revision expertise for free or at low cost.
The process is irregular in the way it is being done as the Governance Consultant retained by the ASU will not be used, and neither will the Governance Committee, which was set up for this very purpose and would be free of cost. It is concerning that regular processes are being sidestepped.
Although the $10,000 expenditure is irreversible, student engagement with this process is still imperative. By actively participating in upcoming meetings, we can demonstrate to the ASU that students are watching and are holding the ASU accountable–that we care about the outcome of this process, and how our valuable money is spent. Students should question this lack of transparency by the ASU, and should advocate for more sound decision making regarding funding.
Participate in the Council meeting this evening, or otherwise let the ASU know how you feel. It is important to have student voices heard. The meeting is at 5:00pm, Tuesday, March 27th in the Beveridge Forum, off of the Michener Lounge in the SUB.
Ellie Valle is a 4th Year Community Development major and the current SRA of Crowell Tower.
Why I Resigned: Former CRO Speaks Out
The Honest Truth Behind the 2018 ASU General Election
We live in a world where election corruption and lying are a way of life in politics. But who would have ever thought that this same lying and the corruption would be seen within the ASU. I’m here to share the truth about how the ASU operates and how it actively destroys those who are truly committed to making it better.
Let me first say who I am. My name is Harrison Paul and I am an Indigenous Person of Canada. I am a 4th year Politics student who is heavily engaged in politics from the local all the way to the international scale. I have worked on many provincial and federal campaigns. I was the Chief Returning Officer for the ASU. Basically, I know my election shit.
The Chief Returning Officer is an appointed position for the Students’ Representative Council to make sure that Union Elections are running smoothly and effectively. They are hired to handle everything to do with elections. This also means that Council should not get involved in any form or way with Union Elections. This is explicitly described in By-Law Three (Union Elections Act).
However, Council failed to maintain this separation in the 2018 ASU General Election, unlike every other Council in recent memory. Members of the current Council acted on their own to influence election officials and the electoral process, calling into question the validity of the election itself.
The problem with the election started in October 2017 when the ASU Governance Committee began reviewing the Election By-law. They proposed changes to make the By-Law more fair and equitable for candidates. They passed the changes and sent them to Council with 100% support of the committee membership, including the President of the ASU. The President sits on this Committee and was given a lengthy briefing on the proposed changes before the committee met, as she would be away. She asked a few questions and said that she was happy with the proposed changes when everything was clarified, stating that “everything looks great, I like it”. But this all changed when the proposed changes came to Council in November 2017.
This is where things began to go south. There were teams that formed during the discussions. There was what I would call “Team Them”, which was comprised of the President, VP Academic and External, VP Events and Promotions, VP Student Life, Sustainability Officer and one Councillor. The other side, which I will call “Team Us”, was composed of the rest of the Governance Committee, the Student Board of Governors Representative, the Chairperson of Council, at least one regular student member and myself, both as Chief Returning Officer and a regular student.
The Team Us versus Team Them began when the President completely flip-flopped on the proposed changes and claimed that she did not know about the changes and that she was not happy with what was being put in place. She basically caved to the loudest Members and turned against the committee itself. This caused an uproar at Council. Some Members around the table saw this as an attack on Council, acting as if to say we don’t trust them or that we don’t think that things are fair. Consideration of the proposed changes took almost three and a half Council meetings. Near the end of the first meeting, Council started attacking Team Us by saying that Governance Committee had no idea what they were doing, specifically targeting me.
I thought that the Winter Break would allow for the tensions to die down. Things actually got worse when we returned in January 2018. Council was not asking any questions about the General Election until it was too late. The By-law cannot be changed once the campaign period began after the All Candidates Meeting. Once the campaign period began, Council started to talk about how I was making decisions that went against their ideas even though the rules that I was putting in place were in the spirit of fairness for all candidates.
The VP Academic and External openly stated that my “Authority needs to be checked” referring to the idea that Council should look at taking away power from the CRO. This would prevent me from being able to ensure a free and fair election. Some Members of Council wanted to squash the very rules that made Union elections fair and equal for everyone, rather than just certain “preferred” candidates.
Council started as a democratic group of bright-eyed student leaders full of optimism and enthusiasm. This quickly turned into an Executive Dictatorship, where the President and certain VPs acted as though their perspectives were far superior to those of everyone else and the student body at large.
In the coming days, things got worse. We saw several members of the Executive and a couple of Non-Executive Members who actively sought to break the Constitution and its By-Laws. This brought in the ASU lawyer to explain the repercussions of their unconstitutional proposals. Unfortunately, this did not change their minds and they continued to advocate against the election rules and regulations.
I saw candidates trying to impeach me because I was making them follow the rules. The then-Deputy Chief Returning Officer, who is now Acting CRO, was going against his obligation to be impartial and objective by telling candidates that they should and need to appeal all of my decisions. This is particularly striking as he had agreed with all of the decisions that I had made when candidates were found to have broken the established rules.
Some Members of the then-Elections Sub-Committee of the Review Board and other Members of Council started to favour the Executive “Slate” that had formed, even though slates are not allowed. Some candidates felt I was being unfair, although the rules were all laid out and every candidate had access to the election rules and regulations. They were given to them by email and I was always open to questions for clarification.
By this point, the Teams that I referred to had grown to include almost every Member of Council. Team Us started to include the candidates not being favoured as part of the “slate” by the then-Elections Sub-Committee of the Review Board, the Chairperson, a couple Members of Council and me.
The end of January was the time I realized that I needed to resign.
I had lost the ability to confidently serve as CRO. I knew that I could fairly enforce the election rules but I could not handle an ASU leadership that tried to disrupt and interfere with my work at every turn.
Now we are in February 2018. I am no longer Chief Returning Officer and things have continued to descend into darkness. The Acting CRO has been making decisions that are going against the By-laws and the then-Elections Sub-Committee of the Review Board had begun to uphold all of the Acting CRO’s unconstitutional decisions. At a Special Meeting of Council on Tuesday, February 6th, 2018, Council created a new Elections Committee which sought to remove people who had a perceived bias from the committee. However, from what I have seen, Council has decided to retain the most biased member of the old committee: the President. Clear cut complaints are being deemed invalid by the Acting CRO and are going to the Elections Committee which has upheld these decisions.
All I was trying to do as CRO was to make this election more accountable and fair for everyone. Several people, including both candidates and Members of Council (and those who are both), did not like this idea so they decided to go against the By-law. They even sought to remove me and the few other people who were the last remaining people trying to enforce the rules and ensure a fair and free election. It got to the point where I could not handle doing this job anymore.
I was losing my mind. I kept pushing myself harder when people were not satisfied with my work but it still wasn’t enough for them. I was being attacked constantly by Executive Members, Non-Executive Members and candidates at every corner. I had to do the right thing for me. I didn’t want to keep having my decisions overturned every time someone was unhappy with the fair enforcement of the rules, especially those on the “slate”. I didn’t want to have people going around talking about how I was being ‘unfair’.
My role as CRO was to make sure that the election rules and regulations were fairly enforced and understood by candidates, Council and the regular student body. I believe that I did my job well until I could not handle it anymore. It’s a shame that the negativity and personal attacks that were directed at me while I was CRO have now altered into downright corrupt decision-making body that may indeed call the very result of this election into question.
Perks of Being an Executive
Every February, members of the Acadia Students’ Union elect their new representatives on the Students’ Representative Council (SRC). There are 23 members of SRC, five designated as Executives. The five Executives- President, Vice President Academic & External (VPAE), Vice President Events & Promotions (VPEP), Vice President Student Life (VPSL), and Vice President Finance & Operations (VPFO)- make up the Executive Board.
As per the Constitution of the ASU, the Executive Board is charged with maintaining the day-to-day operations of the Union. All authority is delegated to Executives during the Christmas break and from the last day of exams until the first day of the academic year, unless Council passes a motion to the contrary or a special meeting is called during the summer.
Executive members are considered full-time employees of the ASU during their term. During the summer, all Executive members are required to hold 37.5 office hours from Monday-Friday between 7AM and 6:00PM, with holidays as paid time off. Executives are entitled to two weeks or ten days of paid vacation during the summer period, provided the Chairperson of Council is informed.
According to Bylaw 1 detailing SRC positions, the President is required to hold a minimum of twenty office hours per week during the academic year and enroll in no more than three courses during the fall or winter semester. This is in addition to their responsibilities sitting on SRC, the University Senate, Board of Governors, Town & Gown Committee, and representing the ASU externally.
Vice Presidents vary in their responsibilities. Each must hold a minimum of fifteen office hours a week through the academic year and propose goal documents to achieve the various demands of their positions. The demands of the Executive board are immense, with unforeseen circumstances challenging the students that serve. In September 2015, ASU President Liam Murphy unexpectedly resigned, elevating Suzanne Grey into the interim Presidency to which she was elected shortly after. Keeping students informed strained both Executive and non-Executive members during collective bargaining in November 2017.
Executive members are entitled to various benefits upon commencement of their term. During the summer term the President is paid $2291 per month and VPs are paid $2239 per month. During the academic year, the President earns $1010.63 per month while VPs earn $564 per month . Each Executive has a computer in their office and a limited budget for office supplies.
In terms of benefits from the university, compensation for Executives is generous. Each Executive position receives a ¾ tuition waiver from Acadia. This waiver covers only on-campus courses taken during the academic year or summer semester. There is also an unspecified residence benefit for the Executives that live in residence, provided by the university.
In addition to a compensation package, all Executives are entitled to free entrance to all ASU sponsored events from the Union. Executive members are also admitted into the Axe Bar & Grill without having to wait in line by showing their Executive pass card. For concerts, Executive members are either issued a ticket or their name is placed on the guest list.
The ASU also provides a cell phone allowance for Executive members. The allowance is $600 per year for the President and $350 for VPs. Each Executive is also entitled to an ASU mailbox free of charge for the remainder of their time at Acadia should they desire one. Cajun’s currently sells mailboxes for $45 each.
Per diem meal expenses are also issued to Executives who are travelling to conferences. These conferences have included Canadian Alliance of Student Association meetings in Alberta, Students Nova Scotia meetings in Halifax, and advocacy efforts in Ottawa, where the ASU advocates on behalf of students. The allowance is $7 for breakfast, $13 for lunch, and $20 for dinner, which can be claimed before or after the trip. Mileage expenses of $0.32 per kilometre can be claimed. These expenses are accounted for in the annual budget.
On March 12th VPFO Liam Schreiter brought the 2018-19 Budget to SRC, where compensation was discussed. The next budget included a pay increase of $200 per year ($100 per semester) for non-executive members of SRC. This was meant to address the lack of change over the past 12 years in salaries. Executive members will not see the same immediate increase, despite the lack of competitive salaries and broad scope of work.
A plebiscite will be held in the near future on the subject of pay equity for all full-time staff, including employees at The Axe, Cajun’s, and Union Market. This is meant to address pay equity issues endemic within the Union.
Our Commitment
Thank you! Thank you to all students who voted, and particularly to those students who put themselves forward as candidates – we are grateful for your advocacy, hard work and participation in student democracy. From the Executive team (excluding the VP Finance and Operations whom has yet to be hired), we look forward to the year ahead and to continuing on the great work of the current ASU President, Executive Team, and Council.
Speaking on behalf of the elected 2018/2019 ASU Executive team I say, we are here for you – we are here to listen, we are here to learn, and we are here to make sure that the ASU and Acadia provides you with the academic, social, and extracurricular supports that promote all students’ wellbeing, now and beyond all of our experiences at Acadia. We are here for you – whether you have an issue with the Axe lineups, the need for microwaves in the BAC, the lack of supports for Inuit, Metis, and First Nations students across Canada, or any other matter – we are here to listen to and work with you to make Acadia more accessible, affordable, and supportive.
Now, the work begins. My commitment is to enhance the services that all of us as students depend on – to ensure the academic, social, and personal success of the student body. My focus throughout the year ahead will be on you – improving the social and medical supports that we depend on, promoting the environmental sustainability of the ASU and university, enhancing the food security of the student body, and ensuring that the Executive team is listening and responding to you.
Acadia means so much to all of us, there are few universities across Canada that provide the amazing personalized and unique undergraduate experience quite like Acadia. We are blessed with an engaged student body and this election has been a test to that, with a nearly 35% voter turnout, we succeeded again in achieving one of the highest voter turnouts of any student union in the nation. I am proud of this institution, I am proud of us as a student body, and I beyond excited to work with you to build a more inclusive, diverse, and supportive campus community. From the incoming elected executive team, all the best to everyone for an amazing reading week and many thanks for your participation in the democratic process.
Cheers and thanks for voting,
George & the 2018/19 ASU Executive
George Philp wins race for ASU President
George Philp has won the race for ASU President.
He won with 67% of the ballot for a total of 934 votes. In a statement provided to The Athenaeum, George noted that his major commitments are to “enhance the services that all of us as students depend on – to ensure the academic, social, and personal success of the student body. My focus throughout the year ahead will be on you – improving the social and medical supports that we depend on, promoting the environmental sustainability of the ASU and university, enhancing the food security of the student body, and ensuring that the Executive team is listening and responding to you.”
Voter turnout was approximately 35%, with approximately 1400 students voting online.
George will start his term on May 1.
SRC Decoded: What You Missed February 13th
Every week, your elected student government meets on a Tuesday night to talk about issues concerning the ASU. Agenda items can seem long, mysterious and confusing without the proper background, making it difficult to see how these issues affect students. Here’s what happened at the last meeting on February 13th:
Changes to House Council Constitutions
There have been some changes made to the hiring process for executive members on House Councils, including the inclusion of a VP Events and VP Communications. There have been some slight changes to the elected representatives on House Council, mostly regarding titles.
SUB Renewal Proposal
The SUB Renewal Committee Proposal was tabled to the next regular meeting of Council.
Appointment to the Policy and Research Advisory Committee
VP Finance & Operations Liam Schreiter was appointed Vice Chair of the new Policy and Research Advisory Committee aimed to come out by the end of this academic year. His appointment was confirmed along with 2 non-executive members to sit on the committee alongside Liam.
Nova Scotia Heritage Day Speaker
This Saturday, February 17th, at 3:00pm in the KCIC, there will be a talk discussing Mona Parsons who is this year’s Nova Scotia 2018 Honouree, with speaker Andria Hill-Lehr, author and play wright, who will be leading the discussion.
Madison Hathaway is the Student Politics Correspondent for The Athenaeum and a third year Honours student in Politics & French
Opinion: It’s Time for a New SUB
Our Student Union Building has failed.
In its heyday it was the central non-academic social space on campus. It brought together students from all residences, programs, and years. It had a games room, a TV lounge, an art gallery, and services used by all. The first form of the Wolfville Children’s Centre made its home in the New SUB.
The Old and New SUB, opened in 1949 and 1972 respectively, were the product of student activism. It was students who banded together and demanded a dedicated space on campus. In 1939, an editorial in The Athenaeum wrote of the possibilities of a co-educational student space. A week later the idea of a student union building was pitched.
The original Old SUB was opened in 1949, after the Board of Governors and Students’ Union approved the $40,000 plan. Harrison McCain, of McCain frozen food glory, was the chair of the building committee when it opened on November 10th, 1949. Services like an older version of the Student Resource Centre and Residence Life made it their home soon after.
The building was expanded in 1962 following an increase in postwar Acadia students. This cost approximately $100,000 funded by a referendum, with an increase from a $5 yearly fee to $10. Adjusted for inflation it would be $85.23 in 2017. This was based on a plebiscite where 529 of 711 eligible voters (74.5%) cast their ballots and voted in favour of a larger SUB. A committee was then formed to determine exactly what was needed, with their final recommendation becoming the floorplan for the expansion of the Old SUB.
Originally the Old SUB was to be torn down after the New SUB was finished, but money ran out before the entirety of the plan was realized. Funding for the project operated on “10 cent dollars”- for every 10 cents put forward by students, 90 would be put forward by the university and government. The New SUB as we know it opened in 1972, promising a new age for Acadia students.
46 years later things have changed. Our SUB no longer serves our needs. It’s too hot or too cold. Vital services like Safety and Security or Pregnancy Support are inaccessible. Few students know where our student government meets weekly. Concerts are difficult to host. We spend incredible amounts of money each year on paying for wasted heat and deferred maintenance. Our campus no longer has a spot where students from all walks of life can converge and relax away from the constant furor of academic work.
Our SUB has failed us.
It’s time to build a new one.
As the Student Board of Governors Representative and an elected member on the Students’ Representative Council, I believe that we should make the lives of our students better. That means those past and present who will make Acadia a great place long after we’ve graduated. We owe it not just to ourselves, but to our peers, to think big. We owe it to them to think of the future.
Weeks ago, I introduced a motion in the ASU Students’ Representative Council to create a SUB Renewal Committee. I’ve based the process off a similar one conducted at UBC when they transformed their old student union building into the brand new AMS Nest. We are not UBC, nor do we aspire to be, but we are dreamers. We are visionaries. We are, above all else, Acadia students.
This is a monumental task that will undoubtedly spur hundreds of questions. What do we do with this space? What works in the building? Can we pay off The Axe? What’s the future of The Ath? Axe Radio? How would we design a building? Who would design the building? Do we even want a building? What would the building be for?
Thinking about these questions is the first step. To move boldly into the future of our student union we must start thinking about our needs as students in the 21st century. The days are gone where brutalist pragmatism was aesthetically pleasing. The days of sustainability, accessibility, and equity are upon us.
This will not be cheap. Expanding, renovating, or rebuilding the SUB will costs tens of millions of dollars and take many years. This will suck, but it will be necessary. Either we invest now and reap the rewards or wait until it’s too late and pay the consequences.
Our future must have room for all of us.
Redesigning our home must be democratic. Every student must have a say. This SUB Renewal Committee would be held in the hands of students, with our elected representatives deciding how we go forward. There will be representatives from the Board of Governors, faculty, and Town Council on the committee, but only students must have a vote. We must write the future of our home together.
Reimagining our home must be sustainable. Each member of the Acadia community has a part to play in this grand exercise of collective action. By working together to explore environmentally and financially sustainable solutions we can create something great.
Rebuilding our home must be visionary. We need to create a SUB that lasts the next 100 years. We must create a building that centralizes our services, from the clinic to the print shop, and reinforces the values of our student union. Integrity, excellence, respect, fun, community spirit, and tradition have a place in determining our collective future.
Let this be a call to arms for all students. It’s time to come together and demand better. Demand better from the university and from the ASU. Each of you must put pressure on your elected representatives, like me, to start building our future. Show up to SRC meetings, send emails, make your voices heard. Each of these may seem inconsequential, but starting the process now will be invaluable.
Students have the power to make change. Together we can build a new SUB and build a new future.
I believe in Acadia students.
You should too.
Colin Mitchell is a 3rd year Politics (Honours) student from Vancouver, BC. He is also the News Editor of The Athenaeum and the ASU Student Board of Governors Representative.
Dear Acadia Student Leadership
Dear Acadia Student Leadership,
We know Acadia students started this weekend with the imminent strike on their minds. Our professors have spoken to us in class, content about it is circulating on social media, and the ASU has been keeping us informed via emails and Q&A’s throughout the week. As the party perhaps most invested in the wellbeing of this campus, students have a right and obligation to be aware of current negotiations and advocate for our interests. However, doing so takes a mental and emotional toll on us: one that we’re already beginning to feel.
A strike has not even begun yet, but we can all sense palpable tension on campus—not only the political friction we’re all acutely aware of between the Acadia administration and AUFA, but also the apprehension from students whose last few weeks this semester are uncertain. We all feel on some level the instability, uncertainty and lack of cohesion that the imminent strike has brought with it into our community.
Students have a right and obligation to own their role as critical stakeholders in the proceedings that are unfolding before us between AUFA and the administration. However, doing so inevitably gives emphasis in all of our minds to a serious fracture in the integrity of our community. In the face of this, we also have a right and obligation to preserve and protect the integrity of our campus community in every way that we can: we must continue to care, connect and come together as a community.
Though this coming week may begin with a strike, the rest of the week is filled with an astronomical amount of student programming that presents an opportunity to connect and engage with one another in a way that builds Acadia up, not that emphasizes its failings. We have a week’s worth of events for Chill Week next week; a cookie handout from Community Outreach Acadia on Monday; Sex Toy Bingo on Tuesday; Acadia Gets Checked Wednesday; the Peer Support Coffeehouse on Friday, and more. All of these events promote involvement, wellness, and connectedness amongst the Acadia student body. That is what we should be emphasizing in the face of a strike this week.
Acadia’s current situation, as troubling as it is, has a silver lining: we are being presented with an opportunity to form stronger ties to our community and to each other in the face of a shared difficulty, and show that, despite the deep concern and apprehension we all feel, the connectedness within our community is stronger.
The outcome of these negotiations will be decided eventually. As we’re all aware, a strike could damage the university’s reputation and student enrolment, among many other things. The concern over the fiscal damage this could cause is certainly great, but should not overshadow the concern for community morale and cohesion, which we should address just as rigorously. Regardless of the outcome of the negotiations and any fiscal impact it may or may not have on the university, our sense of community would still suffer if we meet this fracture with anything less than active efforts to build it back up.
As student leaders, we have a renewed purpose to, more than ever, deliberately and conscientiously promote care and connection in the midst of a difficult time for the Acadia community. Some concrete steps to take:
Promote student engagement opportunities. This is something all students can do regardless of role. RAs and House Councils particularly can share upcoming events with your residents, or arrange to attend as a group.
Be prepared to answer questions about negotiations and the strike. Students will have questions about what’s going to happen next week. Make sure to have as much concrete and factual information on hand as possible to avoid sensationalizing or exaggerating ongoing tension.
Host or help out with an event. Even if you don’t host one yourself, the IOs and clubs with events coming up this week could certainly use all the help we can get!
We hope AUFA and the administration come to a speedy resolution. In the meantime, we know what we need to do.
Thoughtfully,
Jenna Purkis, Coordinator, Acadia Mental Health Initiative
Paige Krentz, Coordinator, Acadia Women’s Centre
SRC Decoded: What You Missed October 31st
Every week, your elected student government meets on a Tuesday night to talk about issues concerning the ASU. Agenda items can seem long, mysterious and confusing without the proper background, making it difficult to see how these issues affect students. Here’s what happened at the last meeting on October 31st:
CASA/SNS
Sam Nixon, VP Academic and External, discussed the work she has been doing with the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) and Students Nova Scotia (SNS). SNS is the provincial advocacy organization comprised of 6 schools, 3 of which are universities and the other 3 are NSCC. Sam Nixon is the Vice Chair for Nova Scotia students this year. The organization works to advocate student needs to the province, such as financial aid.
CASA is the federal organization which voices the Nova Scotia students’ voices on a national level. It is made up of 22 schools, along with five full time staff members. This organization has a main focus on research and policy.
Alumni Mentorship Network Proposal
Colin Mitchell, the Student Board of Governor Rep, and Chris Saulnier, Community Relations Officer, have passed their proposal for an Alumni Mentorship Network. Council was updated by Sam Nixon and Oliver Jacob, Chairperson, as the proposal had been sent to their respective committees, Academic Affairs and Governance. The proposal was passed with amendments. The proposal is a plan to create a network between Acadia Graduates and Acadia Alumni to create potential career connections.
ASU Green Food Services and Retail Procedures Proposal
George Philp, Sustainability Officer, wants to create guidelines to make campus greener by investing in Fair Trade Coffee, reducing the use of plastic bags, and investing in items like reusable cups and glasses to reduce the use of straws. He wants Chartwells to have stricter guidelines to follow and work with ASU staff as well as Executive members to make way towards these changes.
Madison Hathaway is the Student Politics Correspondent for The Athenaeum and a third year Honours student in Politics & French