The Athenaeum

Tag: SRC

  • SRC Decoded: What You Missed March 4th

    SRC Decoded: What You Missed March 4th

    The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is a council composed of a body of students elected by their peers, who are tasked with running the Acadia Students’ Union (ASU). The SRC meets every Wednesday at 5:30 PM in the Beveridge Forum located off the Michener Lounge in the Students’ Union Building (SUB). Each meeting is open to the public and students are welcome to attend meetings to learn more about the decisions being made on their behalf.

    This week’s meeting consisted of a discussion revolving around the ASU Code of Conduct and Recall System, the finalization of the ASU Investment Policy and the release of the Wet’suwet’en solidarity statement on behalf of the ASU.

    Code of Conduct and Recall System

    Councilor Jonah van Driesum brought forward the ASU’s Code of Conduct to discuss with the council. The Code of Conduct has not been changed. It has been recommended that the specificity of misconduct be improved and implemented right away. Councilor Driesum proposed that an independent position within the Code of Conduct be created to enhance the investigation in such matters. This position would allow for a thorough and proper investigation of situations involving misconduct to incur, and as a result, ensure that the SRC could merit punishment based on the report from the hired outside investigator.

    Councilor Jonah van Driesum explained that the SRC Recall System is held in high regard, however, more details have been added into section 10. The new addition states:

    “Recall election initiation and campaigns could not occur during the Winter Break or Summer Break, and any relevant materials for potential ongoing or future recall elections would have to handed over to the CRO for the course of the break.”

    The addition should help restrict the period of time between when the recall period begins and ends. In turn, the restriction will ensure that people are not forced to campaign during study breaks and/or holidays.

    Investment Policy

    VP Finance and Operations Brendan MacNeil announced that the final amendment made to the Investment Policy is that the ASU will also be divesting from metals and mining companies alongside oils and gas because of the environmental and social risk affiliated with them. Metals and mining are just as harmful and as the ASU only holds one share in metal and mining companies, it is better to boycott them now as well.

    The council questioned whether any technological companies that associate with metal companies will be included in the divestment of metal and mining companies. MacNeil assured the council that the new policy is extremely specific in stating that technology was not included in the divestment.

    The council then celebrated a successful close to the long and well-thought out process of updating of the ASU Investment Policy and the new finalized version.

    ASU Statement Release

    President Kyle Vandertoorn shared with council the final draft of a statement that will be released on behalf of the ASU concerning support for Acadia University’s indigenous students. Vandertoorn acknowledged all the people that have helped put this statement together and reiterated the amount of thought and research that went into it. After having heard the letter read out loud by Vandertoorn, council agreed that it will hopefully do some good in showing support from the student union perspective.

    It was also acknowledged from multiple members that the neutral and supportive tone of this statement is very appropriate to the timing of its release, in contrast to other student unions that released well-pointed letters when the situation was at its peak.

    On the other hand, concern was raised by Councilor Jonah van Driesum that the statement failed to address the opinions of students who may be opposed to the situation. He says that while he is not in opposition to the statement, he acknowledges that some people who have different views on the matter on campus and in the community want to feel like they are being included in the conversation. While he understands that as much as we want to show our support for Acadia’s indigenous students, it is important that all people feel comfortable coming to the SRC and are included. President Vandertoorn says that the letter focuses on addressing the people who are affected and that there was no need previously expressed about addressing any opposition.

    Lastly, Diversity and Inclusion Representative Soyini Edwards states that the letter appears to be perfect because all that needs to be said to show support is that the ASU stands with the students and violence is never necessary.

  • SRC Decoded: What You Missed February 26th

    SRC Decoded: What You Missed February 26th

    The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is a council composed of a body of students elected by their peers, who are tasked with running the Acadia Students’ Union (ASU). The SRC meets every Wednesday at 5:30 PM in the Beveridge Forum located off the Michener Lounge in the Students’ Union Building (SUB). Each meeting is open to the public and students are welcome to attend meetings to learn more about the decisions being made on their behalf.

    This week, council met to discuss further the details of the ASU Investment Policy, reflect on climate change events being held on campus and recent progress with the federal government, as well as talk about support surrounding Indigenous students and the protests and the blockades happening in British Columbia.

    Divesting for the Future

    Brendan MacNeil, Vice President Finance and Operations, has been working alongside Sustainability Officer Max Abu-Laban to ensure the ASU Investment Policy is renewed to a standard that reflects Acadia University’s values.

    Currently, one of Acadia’s mission statements is: “True to its institutional mission and vision, Acadia University will become one of Canada’s most environmentally and sustainability-focused universities”; however, MacNeil pointed out that most scholarships paid to students are currently funded by the oil and gas industry. MacNeil questioned whether this will be Acadia’s legacy in the future.

    In order to give further context, MacNeil informed council of a statement that was made by NASA which says: “Humans have increased atmospheric CO2 concentration by more than 30% since the industrial revolution began. This is the most important long-lived forcing of climate change.”

    MacNeil then added that 27% of carbon dioxide emissions come from oil and gasoline. While MacNeil fully recognizes the pushback that may be received from relocating funds from oil and gas companies. Currently, the biggest argument against divestment is the worry that if Acadia takes their investments out of the oil and gas industry it will increase the risk of our portfolio and decrease our returns; however, if you look at the annualized volatility of oil prices it’s actually 36%. To put this number into context MacNeil shared that the annual volatility of banks through two recessions (2001 and 2008) is only 28% which means that oil prices are 50% higher than that of banks through two recessions.

    Councillor Jonah van Driesum applauds MacNeil and Abu-Laban for the work they are doing to make the university more environmentally friendly but asks if funds will also be taken out of mineral companies. Brendan MacNeil replied stating that the University would still have shares in Canadian Natural Resources. Additionally, Councillor van Driesum adds his worry about whether or not divestment will prevent the school from investing short term in individual companies [who’s programs could benefit us] that are working to become greener. MacNeil responded honestly stating, “The answer to that is yes. As long as the [company’s] main matter is oil and gas. However, all funds will be reinvested into renewable resources companies.”

    Abu-Laban delicately raised the controversial matter of investing in military supply companies, sharing that divestment of oil and gas companies provides the opportunity to invest in these military supply companies. Abu-Laban asked council if they could see Acadia University in ammunitions. Councillor van Driesum commented in response, that he personally would not want his own company investing in selling arms, and as the SRC is advocates for morality, he cannot agree with Abu-Laban’s point. Gabrielle Bailey, VP Events and Promotions, diffused the conversation by suggesting the council take one thing at a time and the divestment plan will be brought to a vote next meeting.

    MacNeil closed the presentation by asking council, “Do we want to be able to say Acadia University was one of the first Atlantic Canadian universities to divest from fossil fuels? That our scholarships are fossil fuel free? That we were a leader in environmentally sustainability endowment funds?”.

    Let’s Talk About Climate Change

    Sustainability Officer Max Abu-Laban reflected on the Let’s Talk About Climate Change event which he organized with the help of the town of Wolfville that took place on February 4th. Abu-Laban shared that the quality of the conversation was uplifting and inspiring and added that he appreciated the SRC council members who were able to show their support at the event. Around 25 people showed up to the event and they discussed in groups the different actions that can be taken as a community to limit climate change, any barriers that may prevent us from doing so and ways around them. Abu-Laban continued discussing that the discussion also talked about next steps and where else the community can direct all this fantastic energy surrounding climate change. After reflection, Abu-Laban concludes that the event was a success and the movement is always looking for continuous support from interested students and members of the community.

    Viewing of The Office

    First-Year Representative Menat Tahoun excitedly announced a stress-relieving activity happening on March 6th. She proposed a viewing of selected episodes of the TV show The Office for all students, noting that the event is not exclusive to first-year students. The event will take place in the KCIC auditorium from 7:00PM to 9:00PM. Tahoun informs council that snacks will be available, and students will be able to come and go as they please.

    Additionally, there will be a button making activity to fit the theme of The Office with all materials and craft supplies provided.

    Indigenous Student Society of Acadia (ISSA) Letter

    Soyini Edwards, Diversity and Inclusion Representative, voiced the concerns of the Indigenous students at Acadia regarding releasing a statement surrounding the blockade protests. The letter provided from the ISSA, which was addressed to ASU President Kyle Vandertoorn, discussed that a few other universities across Canada, such as Dalhousie University, University of Victoria and UNBC have sent out statements to say they stand with indigenous students, and the ISSA is asking the SRC to do the same. Edwards gave ISSA support by stating that Acadia does start every meeting and every event on campus with the acknowledgement that Acadia University is located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq nation.

    Edwards stressed, “It is necessary to stand in solidarity with people whose land is being taken away.”

    President Vandertoorn informed the council that she has been in contact with the Coordinator of Indigenous Affairs, Sabrina Whitman, who has advised that since the Chiefs in the valley have not released a statement taking a position yet, so it may be a good idea to remain neutral and find out what other universities are doing within the province first. The President adds that a meeting with the Chiefs will be held next week to conduct further conversations about what the appropriate actions are to take. Vandertoorn continued sharing that the SRC will always support the indigenous students at Acadia, and are taking Sabrina’s advice on what she would do in our position very seriously.

    Councillor Jonah van Driesum encouraged council to not take a position yet for fear of complicating the relationship with the Chiefs of the valley. The majority of people he has talked to on campus about the protests do not support the blockades and van Driesum sees it as unwise to be putting out a view that disagrees with the view of the students. Van Driesum stressed that he is not dismissing the importance of the event, he is simply split on the issue and thinks a lot of people are as well. In response, Vandertoorn stressed that when taking an action such as this, it is wise to do as much research as possible and reiterated that a decision will only be made after the meeting with the Chiefs next week.

    Sustainability officer Max Abu-Laban rebutted van Driesums stance respectfully stating, “There is an expression, ‘We are all treated people’. We come here as settlers and it is our duty as settlers to stand in solidarity […] and I don’t know how many of you know what is going on in BC, but it is quite bad and there’s people being forcibly removed by the RCMP.”

    Abu-Laban continued offering examples of student support at DAL and other major institutions that are hosting sit-ins and teach-ins in an effort to stand in solidarity with their fellow students. Finally, Abu-Laban shared that he understands there’s a lot of other complex things happening and we don’t necessarily want to implicate the Students Union, but the issue is something that we should all be thinking about as Canadian students.

    Advocacy Asks for Parliament

    Last week, President Kyle Vandertoorn travelled to Ottawa with CASA, an organization that represents students in post-secondary education. This was the fourth conference at Parliament Hill that Acadia has attended, and they were able to bring forward 6 advocacy asks. Vandertoorn shares exciting news with council that not even 24 hours after the last meeting, the inclusion council member of parliament live-streamed the participants, promising them that 3 of their advocacy asks are already being invested in on behalf of the Federal Government. These asks include:

    • Increasing the Canadian student grant by 40%
    • Resigning a loan repayment grace period post-grad from 6 months to 24 months.
    • Implementing a pause on loaner payment for new parent grads with existing student debt until their children reach the age of 5.

    Vandertoorn shared with council that it was a really great opportunity for everyone involved. She is extremely grateful that the Federal Government is considering some of the asks. Vandertoorn also stated that this is a really big accomplishment as this rarely happens, and she encourages the council to share the details on social media or any way they can because it is important for Acadia students to know that the ASU played a major role.

    Announcements

    The Axe will be hosting a lip-sync battle next Thursday, March 5th at 8:00PM. Historically, it has been a very fun event and students can buy tickets in advance or pay at the door. Any students who wish to participate should contact VP Events and Promotions Gabrielle Bailey right away as there are only 3 or 4 spots left.

    Leadership awards are being held on April 1st. Nominations are open now! A list of descriptions for each award was sent out to every students’ Acadia email. Get your nominations in as soon as possible to Gabrielle Bailey.

    Lastly, Max Abu-Laban will be leading a student walk-out on March 4th from 10:45AM to 11:45AM with the Acadia Climate Action Club.

     

  • SRC Decoded: What You Missed February 5th

    SRC Decoded: What You Missed February 5th

    The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is a council composed of a body of students elected by their peers, who are tasked with running the Acadia Students’ Union (ASU). The SRC meets every Wednesday at 5:30 PM in the Beverage Forum located off the Michener Lounge in the Students’ Union Building (SUB). Each meeting is open to the public and students are welcome to attend meetings to learn more about the decisions being made on their behalf.

    Council met this week to discuss the Black, Indigenous, People of Colour Caucus (BIPOCUS) Proposed Budget, the updated Acadia Students’ Union Travel Policy, and the Vice President of Finance’s Position Report. All in all, this week’s council meeting proved to be very informative.

    Black, Indigenous, People of Colour Caucus (BIPOCUS)

    The Black, Indigenous, People of Color Caucus (BIPOCUS) is an organization within the Acadia Students’ Union created by Acadia students. The group focuses on equity on campus, including any issues that may impact a person’s experience or education at Acadia University.

    Makenzie O’Quinn and Soyini Edwards are co-presidents of the Black Students Association and the Indigenous Students’ Society of Acadia. The BIPOCUS Working Document states, “O’Quinn and Edwards were being asked to work and provide insight on items which fell largely outside of the mandate of their societies. This has resulted over the past several years with labour far exceeding the labour experienced by other clubs under the ASU.” BIPOCUS is the result of the need of an assisting organization to help the two presidents balance all of their duties.

    According to the BIPOCUS Constitution 2019/2020, the organization’s mission is:

    1.     To provide solidarity between Black, Indigenous, or students of colour at Acadia University.
    2.     To increase advocacy capacity for members of the Black Students’ Association and the Indigenous Students’ Society of Acadia, as well as Black, Indigenous, and students of colour at large.
    3.     To begin breaking down systemic and historical barriers between Indigenous and Black students and the Acadia Students’ Union.
    4.     To increase the availability of student leadership opportunities for Black, Indigenous and students of colour at Acadia University.

    The group plans to fulfill its mandate by hosting weekly meetings and attending conferences. Additionally, BIPOCUS aims to increase the representation of students as well as the diversity of the council’s members by sitting on Senate. The caucus will be working closely alongside Edwards, who is also the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion officer of the ASU, as well as with the Black Student Advisor, the Office of Indigenous Affairs the Equity Office, Welkaqnik and the Wong International Centre.

    While BIPOCUS does accept membership of individuals who are not black, indigenous, or students of colour, only members who are within the listed categories above will be granted voting rights in accordance with the Human Rights Act Section 6, Subsection c (ii). This being said, BIPOCUS welcomes everybody’s support.

    ASU Travel Policy

    ASU President Kyle Vandertoorn brought to council the ASU travel policy which includes conferences or board meetings that take place outside of Wolfville. Kyle began the discussion by announcing some exciting new changes to the policy.

    Firstly, the changes addressed that in regard to travelling to places where meals are not otherwise provided, the previous budget was $7.00 for breakfast, $10.00 for lunch and $15.00 for dinner. ASU president, Kyle, comments, “it is embarrassing that people often cannot afford to tip or even afford their entire meal under this budget and they often have to dip into their own pockets”.

    The policy has been updated significantly to $10.00 for breakfast, $15.00 for lunch and $35.00 for dinner according to the ASU Travel Policy Section 2, Subsection a (i – ii). Vandertoorn explained that the budget for dinner was originally $25.00; however, incidental expenses were incorporated. This change means travellers will have an extra $10.00 to help pay for any unforeseen expenses, such as toothbrushes or medication.

    Secondly, students and employees who are commuting to conferences and other events in their own vehicles are now eligible for reimbursement for how far they travel. The ASU Travel Policy Section 5, Subsection c (iii) states, “employee may be reimbursed for mileage at a rate set by Nova Scotia Kilometrage and Transportation Allowance Rates for government and public-sector body employees”.

    This new addition to the travel policy is extremely helpful in preventing Acadia University students and staff from having to spend their own money to attend events that are mandatory for their position.

    Vice President of Finance Position Report

    Brendan MacNeil, VP of Finance and Operations, kept the council up to date today on the ASU’s revenue and expenses. He explains that there are three main contributors to the ASU’s revenue: alcoholic beverages and food sold at The Axe, health and dental plans, and the student union fees that students pay.

    While health and dental plans and student union fees each make up 25% of the ASU’s total revenue, MacNeil informs the council that retail sales are down, referring to Cajuns shop and the Union Market, which bring in about $40,000.00 to $50,000.00 per month. Additionally, The Axe is also experiencing a decrease in sales with a drop of approximately $30,000. This may seem like a rather large reduction, but MacNeil shared that labour expenses have decreased greatly as well which has helped the ASU to balance expenses. A full ASU budget will be out by the end of April.

    Nonetheless, the ASU appears to be in good shape. Sales have decreased but expenses have also decreased, and largely at that. As a result, the ASU income has increased significantly from $18,000.00 to $400,000.00.

    Moreover, the Investment Policy is in the process of being rewritten (it is due every 5 years to be revised and adjusted). On this, MacNeil is excited to announce, “I and the Sustainability Officer are exploring the possibility of adding a line that says our portfolio will not invest in fossil fuel companies.”  There is more to come in on the ASU’s investment account in the next few weeks.

    Announcements

    The only announcement this week was from Sustainability Officer, Max Abu-Laban who wants to thank everyone who was involved in his “Talk to Me About Climate Change” event for all of their support. The event, which took place Tuesday, February 4th, was a huge success.

    Abu-Laban announces to the council that there is another climate strike taking place this Friday, February 7th at the clock tower on Main Street, for anyone who is looking to get further involved. Abu-Laban also added that 10-year-old activist, Lily from Gloosecap, Nova Scotia, will be attending the event and will speak on U-Hall Hill. She has inspired students at Acadia with her passion for the environment twice already and will be back for a third time to do it again. 

  • SRC Decoded: What You Missed January 29th

    SRC Decoded: What You Missed January 29th

    The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is a council composed of a body of students elected by their peers, who tasked with running the Acadia Students’ Union (ASU). The SRC meets every Wednesday at 5:00 PM in the Beverage Forum located off the Michener Lounge in the Students’ Union Building (SUB). Each meeting is open to the public and students are welcome to attend meetings to learn more about the decisions being made on their behalf.

    Council met this week in order to hear ambitious and creative project proposals from each department. Needless to say, the meeting commenced with spirits high and ideas flowing.

    Advertising Events

    Council received feedback from the student body which informs the council that the many fun and new events that have been planned for this semester do not have enough advertisement; therefore, students who may have been interested in a certain event are unable to attend. Current advertising includes council members posting updates and information on events to social media. Feedback revealed the effectiveness of this method may be inadequate due to some posts being private and students not always following the particular council member who posts. On the other hand, council members pointed out weekly emails are delivered to students’ school email addresses informing them of upcoming events. In response to that point, often students are notified too close to the event and are unable to attend due to late notice.

    There was a brief discussion regarding an event calendar that was available to all students and updated regularly, and suggestions were flowing about adding the theoretical event calendar to Acadia’s ACORN page in an effort to make it more accessible to students. The SRC has set a goal to send in the details of events early enough that each student will have plenty of time to add it to their busy schedules.

    Arts Senator, Science Senator and Professional Studies Senator Project Proposal

    Science Senator Nicole Kirkpatrick informed the council [RM(6] of an opportunity for Acadia students where they can take the MCAT, LCAT and other tests on campus. The plan was discussed alongside Arts Senator Paige Stewardson and Professional Studies Senator Cassidy Churchill. The three senators included in their plan that they would be surveying the student body to gauge which exams students are interested in taking. There will be more details to come (depending on how many volunteers are able to assist with the long shifts during testing) but as of now, testing was proposed to happen on March 7th and 8th, or only March 8th.

    Sustainability Representative Project Proposal

    Sustainability Officer Max Abu-Laban shared his upcoming event, “Talk to Me About Climate Change”, with the council. The event will be a student body discussion about climate change held on the main level of the ASU February 4th from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. The event is sponsored by the town of Wolfville, who has helped with posters and advertising and will generously provide popcorn and catering at the event.

    Leading up to this event, Abu-Laban, along with other students who are passionate about the environment, surveyed people around the university town to gather what information people knew and don’t know about climate change. This event will be a big opportunity for an inspiring discussion among students about climate change. The goal is to start a dialogue about barriers and potential solutions to the very real environmental issues we face today. Abu-Laban states that drop-ins are always welcome – it’s just a big conversation!

    Acadia Food Committee

    The Acadia Food Committee is a group of students who evaluate the on-campus food, Wheelock Dining Hall. This committee is dedicated to overseeing food operations, ensuring good service for students and is always looking for ways to improve. In addition to current members of the Acadia Food Committee as of right now, they are looking to add one more member to sit on the committee.

    Thoughts circulated through the council about the new member being available only to Residence Assistants (RA), either by recommendation from a Senior Residence Assistant (SRA) or by application. If the council does not lean towards recommendations for the position, President Kyle Vandertoorn suggested that an announcement be posted on the Residence Life Facebook page, since all RAs are qualifiable. The SRC agreed that RAs were ideal for the position as they all live on campus and eat the meal hall food themselves. Additionally, RAs will hear truthful opinions about the food directly from the students themselves, as most students adore their Ras and will be able to effectively deliver any student suggestions of what food to add/take away to the Acadia Food Committee meetings. While the discussion about adding a new member to the Acadia Food Committee was progressive, it has been pushed for further discussion to next week’s meeting.

    Announcements

    Council members wrapped up Wednesday’s meeting by announcing many exciting upcoming events!

    First, Councilor Jonah van Driesum briefly addressed that a handful of Conservative Party leaders of the Federal Government have been contacted about visiting the Acadia campus, alongside a couple of Green Party representatives who have already responded with interest in visiting Acadia as well. Council is looking forward to updates in upcoming meetings.

    Acadia Men’s Hockey Team is playing UNB at home this Friday (January 31st). Face-off is at 7:00 PM. Council encourages students to come out and support the Axemen! Students should also expect advertising for Nationals to begin around this time. This year Acadia is hosting Nationals in Halifax March 13th to 15th at the Scotiabank Centre. Students will have the opportunity to purchase a package that includes merchandise, transportation to Halifax and tickets to Friday’s game. If Acadia wins on Friday, those who have purchased packages will receive tickets for all of Acadia’s games for the rest of the weekend. For those interested, Acadia is “bringing Wolfville to Halifax” and Dirty Nelly’s will be Acadia students’ “meet-up” or “home-base” for the event.

     

     

  • SRC Decoded: What You Missed October 23rd

    SRC Decoded: What You Missed October 23rd

    The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is a council composed of a body of students elected by their peers, who are in charge of running the Acadia Students’ Union. The Council meets weekly on Wednesdays at 5:00 PM in the Beveridge Forum which is located off of the Michener Lounge in the old Students’ Union Building (SUB). Every meeting is open to the public and students are encouraged to attend the meetings to learn more about the decisions being made on their behalf.

    On October 23rd the SRC met primarily to receive an update on both the Indigenous Society Incident and the UPass Moratorium proposed by President Kyle Vandertoorn, as a notice of motion, during the previous meeting. There were a couple of announcements that closed out the meeting.

    Moratorium on Upass Referendums Update

     During the previous SRC meeting Kyle Vandertoorn, ASU President, proposed the idea of an immediate moratorium on Upass referendums unless there is an outstanding amount of evidence that if the UPass goes to referendum it will for sure be passed. She suggested the moratorium will be in place for a period of about ten years unless it is repealed by a future council. The council agreed to send this proposal to the Governance Committee in order to discuss specifics.

    Governance reportedly proposed a four-year UPass moratorium with a two-year review point contrary to the original ten-year period previously offered by Vandertoorn. The Governance Committee will have another meeting on the proposed moratorium before it goes to council for a vote.

    Sustainability Representative Max Abu-Laban asked why this moratorium is necessary when under recent changes to Bylaw 3 it already makes it harder for students to move things to a referendum anyway. In response to this question, Jonah van Driesum said that the moratorium does not stop anybody from talking about the UPass or bringing it up but the ASU has used a lot of resources towards the UPass and largely rejected it and so the moratorium is more of a statement that it is time to move on. Additionally, van Driesum states that this moratorium creates time for new students to come in and see this Upass idea with different opinions but for now the students here have rejected it.

    Vandertoorn wanted to clarify that she is speaking to the fact that there was no opt-out for students when proposing this UPass moratorium and perhaps if a UPass was suggested in the future with this option and the appropriate number of signatures on the petition, it may be considered.

    Responding with another question, Abu-Laban asked if there were records of the money and time spent on the UPass by the ASU and Vandertoorn promptly replied saying yes there was an extensive list of all expenditures, work and efforts of the ASU and she could provide it for the next meeting.

    Indigenous Society Incident

    Last meeting Soyini Edwards, Diversity & Inclusion Representative, had spoken to the council about the Indigenous Students’ Society of Acadia’s (ISSA) tipi which was unusable due to vandalism and had been brought to her attention. Vandertoorn had promised to discuss with the Executive Director of Student Services, James Sanford, to inquire about what the University is doing in regard to the situation and what the ASU can do.

    After discussing the incident with Sanford, Vandertoorn shared with council that Sanford said the tipi had been vandalized in 2017 and not properly put away in storage. When the tipi came out of storage it had already been vandalized in the past and due to the bad storage, the tipi was further destroyed.

    Vandertoorn received confirmation from three other individuals on campus that the tipi had not been recently vandalized, however, she emphasized that it does not make the 2017 vandalization okay. Sanford advised Vandertoorn against sending out a letter to update the student body as the incident was far in the past.

    The University is looking into better storage and preventative measures for the future. Vandertoorn said she would check back with Sanford in two weeks in order to see what is happening with the tipi (will it be replaced?).

    Announcements 

    There were plenty of announcements following the two major updates:

    Councillor van Driesum is hosting a panel discussion on the aftermath of the federal election on November 12th at 7:30pm. This discussion will talk about why Canadians voted the way they did, how this will affect students and the community they live in and how is the government going to move forward. The heads of the Sociology and Women and Gender Studies departments, as well as Politics professors, will all be participating and additionally will talk about western alienation. Van Driesum hopes to bring in someone from the energy sector to help explain how the west is feeling after the election.

    The Get Out The Vote Campaign concluded with the federal election. Acadia managed to come in 8th place out of 15 and had an impressive amount of pledges.

    Science Senator, Nicole Kirkpatrick briefly mentioned her plans for an event. This event will feature research presentations from science faculty and students and present it for students who are considering doing honours in their upper years. Kirkpatrick is in contact with the Science Departments and will have more details later.

  • SRC Decoded: What You Missed October 2nd

    SRC Decoded: What You Missed October 2nd

    The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is a council composed of a body of students elected by their peers, who are in charge of running the Acadia Students’ Union. The Council meets weekly on Wednesdays at 5:00 PM in the Beveridge Forum which is located off of the Michener Lounge in the old Students’ Union Building (SUB). Every meeting is open to the public and students are encouraged to attend the meetings to learn more about the decisions being made on their behalf.

    On October 2nd the council held a meeting primarily to discuss some matters in a closed session. Before the council entered closed session, members made a few announcements and then the public portion of the meeting came to a close

    Announcements

     VP Academic & External, Mackenzie Jarvin, made several announcements; the first being the Kings-Hants Federal Candidates Environmental Debate. This event will be taking place in the KCIC from 5:30-7:30 on October 3rd. Candidates from the Peoples Party, Green Party and Liberal Party will be there to debate on questions provided by students regarding the environment. It will be an awesome opportunity to see where candidates align on this important public policy issue.

    Secondly, Jarvin announced to the council that Acadia’s current Get Out the Vote pledge count is sitting at 394. She explained that the ranking system takes into account the total student population. This means that Acadia’s pledge count is in the top 5 across the country for the highest amount of pledges.

    Jarvin lastly reminded the council of Pints with Politicians, where students can go to the Axe and have some food and drinks with one of the Kings-Hants candidates. There are still a few candidates left to have pints with and the schedule can be found on the ASU Facebook page.

    Soyini Edwards, the Diversity and Inclusivity Representative, announced that she was hosting her first event on October 3rd at 7:00 pm at the KCIC. This event will be a time to de-stress by a bonfire and hang out for a bit during this busy time.

    Voting for the by-election starts on Sunday, October 6, and ASU President Kyle Vandertoorn explained to council that all members will be required to take shifts, that will count towards office hours, in order to man the polling stations. Vandertoorn mentioned that she would get Chairperson Sulaman Qureshi to make a spreadsheet and advised council members to watch their SRC Facebook group in order to sign up for polling stations.

     

  • SRC Decoded: What You Missed September 18th

    SRC Decoded: What You Missed September 18th

    The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is a council composed of a body of students elected by their peers, who are in charge of running the Acadia Students’ Union. The Council meets weekly on Wednesdays at 5:00 PM in the Beveridge Forum which is located off of the Michener Lounge in the old Students’ Union Building (SUB). Every meeting is open to the public and students are encouraged to attend the meetings to learn more about the decisions being made on their behalf.

    On September 18th the council held their first meeting of the new academic year. During this meeting council primarily went over the requirements of each position as it pertains to committees and other obligations. Kyle Vandertoorn, ASU President, gave council an update regarding the Vice President Finance and Operations position and also proposed a change in the SRC bi-weekly meetings. Additionally, there were a few announcements made that closed out the meeting.

    Students’ Representative Council Meetings

    At the start of the meeting ASU President, Kyle Vandertoorn, proposed to move the SRC meetings from bi-weekly to weekly. Vandertoorn told the council that the bi-weekly system was fairly new and while it does work, the council has quite a lot on their plates this semester and weekly meetings will enable all members of council to stay up to date on relevant matters as well as to become fully engaged in them as well. While weekly meetings may mean that some are quite short, Vandertoorn admits, it will also provide more accessibility for students concerned about matters and will help all members of the council to effectively tackle their responsibilities sooner than bi-weekly meetings would allow. Vandertoorn then opened it up for discussion at the table.

    Theology Senator, Zachary Goldsmith, suggested that if one of the reasons why weekly meetings were being proposed is because of increased accessibility to the students, then the council needs to effectively share with the student body that the meetings are open to the public. Vandertoorn immediately agreed with Goldsmith and discussed that student awareness is something the ASU wants to promote this year.

    The matter was opened to a vote and it was passed that meetings will now be Wednesday 5-7 every week.

    Committees  

    Council was alerted by Vandertoorn that each member was required to serve on different committees as stated within the bylaws. Members then committed to various committees including Hiring Committee, Student Life Committee, Events and Promotions Committee, Elections Committee along with a few others. Several committees were deferred until the first meeting after the by-election due to there being many committees requiring SRC members and current members already being over committed.

    VP Student Life, Robbie Holmes, will be taking over as chair of the Financial Affairs Committee in the absence of VP Finance and Operations so that the money sitting in their accounts can be approved and sent out to the student groups that it belongs to. Holmes assured the council that the annual budget would not be assessed by him and instead will wait until the role of VP Finance and Operations has been filled.

    Office Hours 

    Every council member is required to hold office hours each week, with the amount of time differing depending on the position. It was made aware to council that they are not required to hold their office hours in the same place constantly. Instead, council members can help the community by volunteering to help with events and that too can count as office hours.

    Zachary Goldsmith asked how it will be communicated to students if he decides to deviate from the original office hours he submits. VP Events and Promotions, Gabrielle Bailey, answered this concern by telling Goldsmith that the Chairperson will be made aware so that he can effectively tell students when and where they can meet council members. She suggested that she can investigate how they could potentially use the website to let students know as well.

    Vandertoorn then requested that every member submit their hours to the Chairperson as soon as they figure them out.

    VP Finance and Operations Update

     As was previously made aware to the student body, former VP Finance and Operations, Yoram Schroll was having some issues with his visa. These complications reached a point where he could no longer fulfill his duties on the executive team and unfortunately had to resign. The SRC plans to fill this position in the upcoming by-election. Until then the tasks of VP Finance and Operations have been delegated amongst other members of the council.

    Announcements

    Mackenzie Jarvin, VP Academic and External, announced nominations for the positions of: Vice President Finance & Operations, Professional Studies Senator, Community Relations Representative, First-Year Representative and Councilor in the fall by-election opened yesterday and will close Friday, September 27th. There will be an all-candidates meeting the following Monday the 30th and campaigning will be beginning Tuesday, October 1st.

    SMILE is on the lookout for instructors for Saturday mornings. In addition, they require male volunteers across programming for all days and welcome all volunteers.

    Charity day has been moved to Saturday, September 21st due to Hurricane Dorian and will be from 9-1 in condensed locations throughout Wolfville and neighbouring towns. There will be a bus that will take people to these neighbouring towns. Poster making will be the morning of starting around 8:00 am and there will be fundraising taking place throughout the day and the Athletic Complex.

  • SRC Decoded: What You Missed March 26th

    SRC Decoded: What You Missed March 26th

    The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is a council composed of a body of students elected by their peers, who are in charge of running the Acadia Students’ Union. The Council meets bi-weekly on Tuesdays at 5:15 PM in the Beveridge Forum which is located off of the Michener Lounge in the old Students’ Union Building (SUB). Every meeting is open to the public and students are encouraged to attend the meetings to learn more about the decisions being made on their behalf.

    On March 26th the council met in order to vote on the budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year. During the meeting, a project proposal was received and George Philp, President, presented three notice of motions to the council. The council spent the majority of the meeting discussing the proposed Kings Transit UPass Agreement.

    Budget

    Jared Craig, VP Finance and Operations, presented the budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year at the council’s last meeting on March 19th. The meeting was primarily called today in order to vote upon the budget, which needs to be passed before April 1st. The council had no comments or questions for Craig and the budget was passed unanimously.

    Notice of Motions

    There were several notices of motions that were presented to the council by President George Philp, in preparation for next week. Philp first presented Operating Procedure #3: Policy Development, which underwent minor changes. Chairperson was added under the responsibility of policies and the language was cleaned up and made more direct regarding policy ratification. The changes additionally clarified that if a policy is ratified then it is in action for 5 years and after that period, the Policy will be deemed inactive.

    The Student Organization Registration Procedure was also presented by Philp at this meeting. Philp noted to the council that there were slight issues earlier this year regarding the registration procedures for student organizations and the procedure document lays out any and all procedures clearly for any student organizations in the future. Philp encouraged council to read over the procedure document before the vote next week.

    Lastly, Philp presented the Student Organization Funding and Services Procedure which details how student clubs apply for funding and who qualifies for that funding. The document outlines and clarifies what student organization events the ASU is capable and willing to give money towards and what student organization events it isn’t.

    Project Proposal

    A Pop-up Shop was proposed to the council during this meeting. The purpose of the pop-up shop is to promote healthy and safe, sex education by offering students resources that may not be otherwise available to them. Acadia Women’s Health Center will be partnering with the ASU to execute this pop-up shop which will be hosted somewhere in the Student Union Building (SUB). Details regarding the time and date of the event are not yet confirmed.

    Kings Transit University Bus Pass

    There were multiple audience members, including Meg Hodges, an elected Councillor for the Municipality of Kings and Board Chair for King’s Transit Authority, who showed up in anticipation of the SRC voting on the Kings Transit UPass Agreement that was proposed to the council last week. As the agreement was opened up to a discussion, multiple council members expressed concern from students that the UPass is to be ‘mandatory’ and noted that multiple students whom they have discussed the UPass with, would rather buy into the service for a higher price than have to pay a mandatory fee. Hodges responded to these concerns by assuring the council that if the student body does not want the UPass than it will not be voted in by the students in the fall.

    “I ask that you please have open minds and open hearts” Hodges urged the council, going on to explain that if the agreement gets shut down in this room by the council, students will not even have the opportunity to share their opinions by voting on the matter themselves.

    Philp suggested the council focus on the MOU on the table and the specifics of the agreement. It was also made clear that resources will be made available for the student body to become accurately informed of all the facts if the Upass makes it to a student election.

    A large discussion took place as council debated the matter at hand and it concluded with any changes or approval of the MOU being deferred to the next meeting due to the low number of council members who were able to attend today’s meeting. This decision was made so missing council members can also voice their opinions and concerns regarding the UPass.

    Rylie Moscato is a first year English student and Columnist for The Athenaeum

  • SRC Decoded: What you Missed March 19th

    SRC Decoded: What you Missed March 19th

    The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is a council composed of a body of students elected by their peers, who are in charge of running the Acadia Students’ Union. The Council meets bi-weekly on Tuesdays at 5:15 PM in the Beveridge Forum which is located off of the Michener Lounge in the old Students’ Union Building (SUB). Every meeting is open to the public and students are encouraged to attend the meetings to learn more about the decisions being made on their behalf.

    On March 19th the council met primarily to be presented with and discuss the Kings Transit UPass Agreement, presented by ASU General Manager, Ian Morrison and Kings Transit General Manager, Glen Bannon. Additionally, the Council received updates from the Student Life Committee and on the Hours of Work Policy followed by the proposal for the new budget by Jared Craig, VP Finance and Operations. The meeting received various project proposals from committee members along with a look at the Acadia Athletics Complex’s future projections.

    Kings Transit University Bus Pass

    The Council spent the first part of the meeting discussing the details of the Kings Transit University Bus Pass (UPass) agreement and service. As Ian Morrison, ASU General Manager, began to show the proposed agreement to Council he noted that he, along with Kings Transit, feel as though this agreement is a solid first step towards the process of implementing a UPass as well as being fully transparent with the Council. The agreement presented dictates the UPass fee will be $180 and can change by maximum 5% year to year for all full-time university students and any part-time or co-op students will have the ability to opt out of the fee if they like.

    Morrison stressed that this is a two-tier agreement, meaning that in order for the UPass to become permanent it needs to pass through two referendums, one in the fall and one in two years. The UPass requires 25% of the student body to vote it in and provided that happens, Section 2 of the agreement states the term of this agreement will last from 2020-22, at which point a referendum must take place before the agreement is up. The agreement also highlights the perks of students being able to add a dependent onto the program along with a refund mechanism that will be in place in case of circumstances on campus where students do not receive a service.

    Glen Bannon, Kings Transit General Manager, then took over the presentation as he showcased the service end of the UPass to Council. There are three main aims to this program: (1) Enhance student experience (2) Enhance distance and travel opportunities for a discounted price (3) Promote public transit to the students on campus. Bannon believes that the service will be able to successfully meet all three aims over the course of its run.

    There will be year-round unrestricted travel on new transit routes, and the one travelling to Kentville will have a bus leaving every 30 hours during the extended hours of 10pm-12am. UPass will additionally offer round trip transportation between August 15th – May 15th from Acadia University to downtown Halifax with a minimum of two departures every Friday afternoon and Sunday afternoon (Monday on the event of an extended holiday). Bannon also notes that four-day advanced booking is required and a stand by option will be available on the off-chance a student doesn’t show up.

    The SRC responded to the service and agreement with reasonable questions which were answered by Morrison and Bannon effectively and justifiably. The agreement will be voted upon at the next council meeting.

    Student Life Committee 

    Kyle Vandertoorn, VP Student Life and chair of the Student Life Committee (SLC) , provided the Council with an update of the ongoing SLC meetings that have been frequently taking place. Vandertoorn shared that the most recent meetings have revolved around preparing for the next year school year, particularly focusing on house council. Hiring for house council was supposed to take place Sunday, March 17th but due to a low number of applicants, the SLC has made the decision to reopen applications and to do interviews later on this month. The goal for the house council interviews is to make them more interactive so the applicants will have the opportunity to showcase their skills to the hiring committee. Additionally, the SLC went over the updated House Council Constitution and has been discussing that.

    Regarding Cheaton Cup the SLC has been discussing various ways to get all the residences on campus involved and not just Chipman and Eaton. There has been a Chipman fan club started as a way to get these other residences involved as well as events such as pancake breakfasts taking place. The SLC is striving for Cheaton Cup to be a campus focus event uniting everyone through a healthy rivalry and not a party focus.

    Hours for Work Policy

    The Hours to Work Policy underwent some significant changes that ASU President, George Philp, highlighted to Council. The definition ‘Mental health day’ got changed to ‘Personal day’ which encompasses needing a break from meetings and duties in order to take a break to rest, focus on schoolwork etc. Philp noted ‘Personal day’ was more reflective of what the definition actually said. The changes also included the possibility for a leave of absence in any of the roles along with the implementation of ‘Sick days’.

    Budget

    Jared Craig, VP Finance and Operations, presented the budget for the next fiscal year. This budget addressed the minimum wage raise in Nova Scotia and how it affects paid individuals in the ASU along with the full-time staff wage gap and decreasing the gap significantly. Craig noted that his team recognized how dated the ASU website is and created a budget specifically for improving and updating the website in cooperation with the University. Regarding student fees, Craig discussed how they kept all service fees that they deemed necessary to the University and student fees will only increase from $187.4 – $193.85. The goal was to keep student fees relatively low and Craig expressed his content with the final number.

    Craig stressed to the Council that as per usual, money is tight at Acadia and due to the amount of lost money from being closed during bar renovations at the end of last year and the ban that took place at the beginning of this year, we need to figure out how to address this loss. The goal for Craig is to have this new budget passed within the coming two weeks.

    Acadia Athletics Complex Future Projections

    It was announced to council that the Acadia Athletics Complex is looking into a 10+ year projection. Gabrielle Bailey, VP Events and Promotions, attended the original meeting regarding the projection and noted to council that the University views the pool as the biggest concern. It is currently very old and leaking and the University is looking for a good way to move forward with the concern. There is a push for the town to be paying more due to the fact that 75% of the individuals who use the pool are community members and not students.

    In addition to the pool, Bailey was tasked with asking council for any suggestions on how to improve the Complex. Councillor Christopher Vanderburgh suggested the track become a few lanes wider to limit traffic and run more efficiently. With the increased popularity Sustainability Officer, Hannah Machat suggested a bouldering wall would be a key addition and it was also noted the locker rooms be redone. An audience member commented that the workout facility is too small and it would be a good idea to expand the gym later down the line along with a studio space be built for dance, yoga etc.

    At the moment nothing is solidified and the 10+ year projection is currently just a ballpark estimate but could range anywhere from 5-15 years. The discussions are in their early stages and so far nothing regarding the Athletics Complex is set in stone.

    New Business

    All of the new business that was to be voted upon at this meeting was all projects and changes proposed at the last SRC meeting with the exception of Katie Winters’, Arts Senator, Culture Show which dealt with proposed changes discussed later in the meeting. Everything voted upon at this meeting was passed unanimously.

    Project Proposals

    The meeting dealt with numerous project proposals, the first coming from First Year Officer Blake Steeves who proposed Acadia’s First Annual Freshmen Games to be held in the Acadia Sports Complex. Each residence can enter as many teams of 5 people as they want although 4 students must be freshmen on the team. Teams are required to be made from within your residence, there will be no mixing residences. The games will consist of physical and mental challenges and prizes will be awarded to the winners.

    Hannah Machat, Sustainability Officer, proposed the implementation of lanterns in the Michener Lounge. These lanterns also serve as diffusers and it will spruce up along with providing light and comfort to the lounge. The money for these lanterns will be coming from the wellness budget.

    A charity dodgeball tournament was proposed to take place on March 31st between 8-10pm. It will cost $2 per person and all proceeds will be going towards an alzheimers disease rehabilitation initiative. There is hope for 8 teams to enter but there is the expectation for more teams. Any money donated towards this fund is highly encouraged.

    Rylie Moscato is a first year English student and Columnist for The Athenaeum

  • SRC Decoded: What You missed March 5th

    SRC Decoded: What You missed March 5th

    The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is a council composed of a body of students elected by their peers, who are in charge of running the Acadia Students’ Union. The Council meets bi-weekly on Tuesdays at 5:15 PM in the Beveridge Forum which is located off of the Michener Lounge in the old Students’ Union Building (SUB). Every meeting is open to the public and students are encouraged to attend the meetings to learn more about the decisions being made on their behalf.

    On March 5th Council met to discuss the financial update as of March 4th, Ad-Hoc Committee’s March report, Amendments to the Athenaeum Constitution, and House Council Committee. Sacha Russo presented Council with the general election re-cap long with an outline for the upcoming special election. In addition, the Council received numerous project proposals from members regarding various activities that will be held around campus.

    Financial Update

    Jared Craig, VP Finance and Operations, presented council with the ASU’s most recent financial update as of March 4th. Most services are performing at an expected average net income loss such as the Information Desk and Union Market, however, two areas took a much greater than anticipated loss in this update. Perkin’s net income loss came in around $15,220 which is $12,372 more than Perkin’s was expected to lose. Additionally, bar services only profited $19,847 during this past period which was a significant hit compared to the estimated profit of $59,404 that was expected. Craig attributes some of the bar’s loss to the fact that the bar can’t get enough people there on Saturdays and reached out to the Council in a request that they brainstorm ideas to increase the bars net income. Overall, Craig believes that the ASU is doing average financially with a total net income loss of $4,450 and is pleased with most of the ASU’s services.

    Ad-hoc Committee Report

    As per requirement the Ad-hoc Committee, which was established in order to respond and propose changes to the new bylaws, must give an interim report of their progress as of the first Council meeting in March. Molly Anderson, SRC and bylaw committee chairperson, presented Council with a report update updating them on the work that has been done within the Ad-hoc committee to address the concerns of students about the newly implemented bylaw 3 regarding impeachment and referendum. Through research, the committee has discovered variety across institutions regarding the procedures of impeachment and referendum. There have been student members appointed the the committee and Anderson believes that wider consultations will begin within the coming weeks. Anderson stressed that the committee is aware of the time constraints and will be meeting o a regular basis to accomplish what is needed.

    Amendments to The Athenaeum Constitution

    Council discussed the recommended suggested amendments (2019-03-04) to the current Operating Procedure 11 of The Athenaeum Constitution. It is recommended that all hired personnel of The Athenaeum ‘shall attend all required meetings of The Athenaeum unless excused by the Editor-in-Chief or Managing Editor’. There were no questions nor arguments to the proposed changes which will be voted upon in the next meeting.

    House Council Hiring Committee

    Applications have been distributed for the 2019-2020 house council positions Kyle Vandertoorn, VP Student Life, announced at the meeting. Vandertoorn is hoping to do interviews on Sunday, March 17th (St. Patrick’s Day) and requested two people from the Council help to conduct the interviews on that day. All candidates will be brought to the SUB and the interview will be an interactive group one, in order for the hiring committee to acknowledge the candidates potential and talents. Vandertoorn emphasized that it was an amazing experience to have, and the Council then voted on the two volunteered members that will join her.

    Election News

    Sacha Russo was present at the recent SRC meeting in order to provide the Council with a recapitulation of the 2019 General Election and Winter By-Election, as well as to discuss the upcoming special election. Regarding the past election, all positions were open and a total of 23 candidates were running in both elections. There were four acclaimed positions, one withdrawal and one disqualification. The election followed Russo’s timeline which was proposed in January and commenced with the results first being distributed to the candidates and then the general student body. There was also a total of seven complaints concerned with campaign violations against three candidates that triggered two Elections Committee meetings during this election.

    Regarding the upcoming Special Election for the 2019-2020 school year, Russo explained that the VP Finance and Operations position was not filled by a candidate in the past election and it is required a student fill this role before May 1st, 2019. The nomination period will open March 5th and close March 8th with an All-Candidates meeting taking place in the Michener Lounge at 5pm. There will be the usual candidate’s debate along with candidates written statements being published in The Ath. Voting Period will last from March 14th to March 19th and the results will be distributed in an all students email shortly after voting concludes.

    Project Proposals

    There were several projects proposed by council members in the recent meeting. The first project proposed was from Katie Winters, Arts Senator. Winter proposed a Culture Show that will take place in the Mackeen Room sometime in late March/early April. The Culture show carries the same premise of a traditional talent show and emphasis’ encouraging students of all cultures to perform. Winters believes this event will allow students to celebrate the variety of talent and diversity we have at Acadia.

    Jared Craig, VP Finance and Operations proposed an event that will focus on the financial considerations for students before and after university. Partnering with Investors group, there will be a presentation on budgeting along with a question period for any lost or confused students. Craig is currently unsure of when this will take place but wants students to have the resources required to make financially stable choices.

    The third proposal came from Councillors Christopher Vanderburgh and Jonah Van Driesum. The two proposed an open discussion regarding the state of politics in Canada at the various levels of government. The discussion will take place April 1st at 7:30pm in the KCIC Auditorium featuring engagement from students and professors on campus. Vanderburgh and Driesum will be the moderators of this discussion and hope it will provide an ‘analysis of what politics in Canada might look like in the near future’.

    Mackenzie Jarvin, incoming VP Academic and External and Dahlia Chahine, Student Board of Governors Representative proposed a mock LSAT and MCAT which will be provided by Princeton Review. The LSAT is currently scheduled for March 20th 4:30pm-8:30pm (4h) in BAC 132 but Jarvin and Chahine are thinking about changing it to the following Sunday instead. The MCAT will take place March 23rd 9:30am-5:00pm (7.5h) in BAC 132. Both tests will be proctored by Jarvin and Chahine and scantrons will be sent off to get marked.

    Rylie Moscato is a first year English student and columnist for The Athenaeum

  • Kyle Vandertoorn wins race for ASU President

    Kyle Vandertoorn wins race for ASU President

    Kyle Vandertoorn has won the race for ASU President.

    She won with 48.4% of the ballot for a total of 726 votes. In a statement provided to The Athenaeum, noted that her major commitments are to “improve student life on all fronts through advocating for enhanced and increased student services, by supporting a diverse and opportunistic ASU, and ensuring a transparent, engaged, and communicative SRC. I aim to work in strengthening the community that we share here by prioritizing student needs and representing our students effectively.”

    Voter turnout was approximately 39.5%, with 1564 students voting online.

    Kyle will start her term on May 1.

  • SRC Decoded: What You Missed February 12th

    SRC Decoded: What You Missed February 12th

    The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is a council composed of a body of students elected by their peers, who are in charge of running the Acadia Students’ Union. The Council meets bi-weekly on Tuesdays at 5:15 PM in the Beveridge Forum which is located off of the Michener Lounge in the old Students’ Union Building (SUB). Every meeting is open to the public and students are encouraged to attend the meetings to learn more about the decisions being made on their behalf.

    On February 12th, SRC met very briefly to discuss changes to the Acadia Mental Health Initiative Constitution, the status of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Student-Initiated Petitions, and the final voting days of the current General Election.

    AMHI Constitutional Amendments

    Vice-President Student Life Kyle Vandertoorn outlined some of the changes being made to the constitution of the Acadia Mental Health Initiative (AMHI). She stated that she and AMHI Coordinator Jenna Purkis have been developing these for a while now. Changes include adjusting the name within the Operating Procedures document to refer to the AMHI as an Internal Organization (it is currently incorrectly referred to as a committee), the addition of a clause through which to impeach officers, and the addition of a Community Outreach Officer.

    Ad-Hoc Bylaw Committee Update

    Acting Chairperson Evan Shergold shared that the Council members of the committee had met, and had been assigned tasks to complete over the break to ensure that everything is on track to commence regular meetings. He also shared that they had received 6 applications for the 3 general student positions on the committee, and that they hoped to finalize those appointments as soon as possible.

    New Business

    President George Philp announced a new ASU policy draft that would include changes to the Operating Procedures, a new House Council Constitution, and changes to student organization funding and registration. The House Council Constitution changes will be discussed in the House Council Presidents committee, and the changes to student organization funding and registration will be discussed in the Student Life committee.

    Announcements

    Community Relations Officer Gordon McLaughlin reminded Council of the upcoming Relay For Life (March 23rd) and expressed interest in putting together an SRC team.

    Arts Senator Katie Winters reminded Council of the open mic night planned by the Black Students Association (February 12th at 6pm in the Axe).

    Theology Senator Zach Goldsmith reminded Council of his upcoming “God and Science” talk (February 27th at 6pm in Fountain Commons). He stated that the projected turnout is greater than he originally anticipated and thanked Council members for their help in promoting the event.

    President George Philp reminded Council of the need for poll clerks for the final two days of the 2019 General Election voting period, and of the results announcement event at the Axe on  Thursday the 14th at 5:30pm.

    Rylie Moscato is a first year English student and Columnist for The Athenaeum

  • ASU General Election 2019: What You Need to Know

    ASU General Election 2019: What You Need to Know

    The 2019 ASU General Election has begun, promising two weeks of exciting campaigning. The entire Students’ Representative Council is up for election for the 2019-20 academic year, with changes in the dynamic of our student government expected.

    What is the Students’ Representative Council? 

    The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is the governing body of the Acadia Students’ Union, responsible for representing students across campus. All students are automatically members of the Union by virtue of paying student fees. SRC is responsible for determining major policy initiatives, such as referenda, the appointment of certain officials like the Diversity & Inclusion Representative, hosting programs, and sending recommendations to larger forums like the University Senate or the Board of Governors.

    Which positions are up for election? 

    The Executive Board, consisting of:

    • President
    • Vice President Student Life
    • Vice President Events & Promotions
    • Vice President Academic & External
    • Vice President Finance & Operations, now an elected position

    Non-executive positions include:

    • Community Relations Officer
    • Sustainability Officer
    • Arts Senator
    • Science Senator
    • Professional Studies Senator
    • Graduate Studies Senator
    • Councillor x2

    First Year Officer is elected in a by-election in the fall, along with any other unfilled positions. Diversity & Inclusion Representative is hired by the ASU Hiring Committee. Theology Senator is appointed separately within the Acadia Divinity College. 

    Are there debates? 

    Executive and non-executive candidates will debate on the Main Level of the SUB at 7:00 on Wednesday February 6th.  The Athenaeum is sponsoring a debate held on Facebook Live on Friday February 8th from 5:30-8:30. The schedule is as follows:

    • 5:30-6:15 VP Student Life
    • 6:15-7:00 VP Events & Promotions
    • 7:00-7:45 VP Academic & External
    • 7:45-8:30 President

    When can I vote? 

    Every student will receive an email on the morning of February 10th. Voting will commence at 8:30AM on the 10th and continue until 4:30PM on February 14th, with the official results announced by the Chief Returning Officer prior to 7PM.

    Where can I vote? 

    You can vote online at Acadia Central or at any of the six locations prescribed in the new bylaws, including the BAC, Huggins Science Hall, the Athletics Complex, Patterson Hall, SUB, and Wheelock Dining Hall.

  • SRC Decoded: What You missed January 29th

    SRC Decoded: What You missed January 29th

    The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is a council composed of a body of students elected by their peers, who are in charge of running the Acadia Students’ Union. The Council meets bi-weekly on Tuesdays at 5:15 PM in the Beveridge Forum which is located off of the Michener Lounge in the old Students’ Union Building (SUB). Every meeting is open to the public and students are encouraged to attend the meetings to learn more about the decisions being made on their behalf.

    On January 29th, Council primarily met to discuss the proposed Kings Transit UPass, presented by ASU general member and Councillor for the Municipality of Kings, Meg Hodges. In addition, two projects were proposed in the meeting, one presented by Councillor Sebastian Farkas and the other presented by Theology Senator, Zach Goldsmith. The meeting ended with a short announcement from George Philp, ASU President.

    Kings Transit University Bus Pass

    Council spent the majority of the meeting listening to and discussing the Kings Transit University Bus Pass (UPass). Meg Hodges, an elected Councillor for the Municipality of Kings and Board Chair for King’s Transit Authority, presented the UPass to Council with hopes that the pass will move forward to a referendum. The proposed UPass is a bus pass that allows students to ride transit between September 1st – April 30th for a small fee that will be added to yearly student fees, saving a regular transit rider a significant amount yearly. The UPass will increase access to various activities in neighbouring communities as well as increasing the potential for students access jobs outside of Wolfville. Hodges managed to get an impressive 10% of the population’s signatures within two days and is asking that the UPass petition moves forward to a referendum and that a vote for the UPass be issued on the general election ballot scheduled for February 10th – February 14th.

    Responding to Hodges proposal, George Philp, ASU President, announced that the ASU needs to deeply consider all proposals that will require student fees. In accordance with the consultation agreement between Acadia University and the ASU any requested fees must be brought to the attention of the University before December 31st of the previous fiscal year to be placed into effect for the next one. Due to the fact, the UPass requires student fees, it is too late for the UPass to come into effect for the 2019-20 fiscal year. Although Philp stressed the importance of nailing down the specifics regarding the UPass before it moves to a referendum, he assured Councillor Hodges that there will be a fall by-election and it is likely the UPass petition will move to a referendum with enough time for the UPass to be placed on the fall by-election ballot.

    The UPass will be taken over by the incoming executive team for the 2019-20 fiscal year. If things go according to Hodge’s plan and the UPass is approved in a referendum and by the majority of the students, then the UPass will be in effect for the 2020-21 fiscal year.

    Project Proposals

    Councillor Sebastian Farkas proposed a guest lecture by Dr. Victor Muniz-Fraticelli, associate professor of law at McGill University, titled “What is freedom of religion? A pluralist view”. This event will be co-hosted by the ASU and Acadia Pre-law Society in conjunction with the Institute for Liberal Studies. The event will take place in the KCIC Auditorium 6:00 March 21st. The Council accepted the proposal unanimously.

    Theology Senator Zachary Goldsmith proposed an organized panel discussion, that talks about the perceived conflict of Science and God. Goldsmith believes it will benefit students by providing an academic perspective on a public point of conflict. It will be moderated by three professors within the science and theology departments and there will be snacks provided at the discussion. The panel will be held on Wednesday, February 27th at 6:00pm in the Fountain Commons. The Council accepted the proposal unanimously.

    Announcements

    George Philp made one short announcement before the closed session, Zach Goldsmith has been appointed to continue to serve as Theology Senator. Goldsmith is the first official member of the 2019-20 Students’ Representative Council.

    Rylie Moscato is a first year English student and Columnist for The Athenaeum

  • SRC Decoded: What You Missed January 15th

    SRC Decoded: What You Missed January 15th

    The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) is a council composed of a body of students elected by their peers, who are in charge of running the Acadia Students’ Union. The Council meets bi-weekly on Tuesdays at 5:15 PM in the Beveridge Forum which is located off of the Michener Lounge in the old Students’ Union Building (SUB). Every meeting is open to the public and students are encouraged to attend the meetings to learn more about the decisions being made on their behalf.

    On January 15th Council met to discuss the upcoming general and by-election, Acadia University tuition increase, and the resignation of Alyssa Hall. Mackenzie Branch, VP Academic and External, informed Council of the University Senate’s decision to change the GPA grading system as well as changes to the upcoming academic calendars. Numerous announcements were also made by George Philp, ASU President.

    Upcoming General and By-elections

    Sacha Russo, Chief Returning Officer, has called both a general and by-election. Based on Bylaw 3 which discusses SRC elections, positions that will be elected in the general election include: President, Vice President Academic & External, Vice President Events & Promotions, Vice President Finance & Operations, Vice President Student Life, and other non-executive positions. The nomination period will take place between January 22nd and February 1st with a mandatory all-candidates meeting on the following Monday. The voting period will last from February 10th – February 14th. There will be multiple polling stations set up around campus with the results sent out shortly after by email.

    Acadia University Tuition Increase

    The majority of today’s meeting was spent on a discussion regarding Acadia’s proposed tuition increase. As per the tuition consultation agreement between Acadia University and the ASU, a schedule of fees for the 2019/20 fiscal year must be sent from the University to the SRC where the fees will be discussed and sent back to the University.

    The University is proposing a domestic and international tuition increase by 2-3%, most fees will stay at their current level. The income that goes towards the university from tuition will remain at 54% with the tuition increase in effect. The increase in tuition will go towards the Music Therapy practicum and English as a Second Language program. President George Philp noted that it is unlikely that the University will back off of the 2-3% tuition increase. President Philp noted he would like to see the University’s Equity Officer position increased from a two-day role to a three day a week job, an African Descent Student Advisor be hired, another person to be hired in Acadia Residence life, a full time position for a health and wellness educator, and probation fees to be waived from this tuition increase. Philp proposed that the SRC will support the 2-3% increase given that the University completes 3 of their 6 demands in the upcoming 2019-2020 fiscal year. The motion was unanimously accepted by Council.

    Councillor Resignation

    On January 10th Councillor Alyssa Hall announced her resignation effective immediately. The SRC briefly discussed Hall’s resignation and unanimously agreed to accept the resignation. An election, discussed earlier, has already been called in order to fill her position.

    University Senate Updates

    VP Academic and External Mackenzie Branch announced to Council that the University Senate has announced that the timetable has now been planned out on a four-year planning process. Students can now view the yearly schedules up to four years in advance. Last semester, a survey was sent out to the student body questioning what kind of fall study break students prefer. Based on the survey a reading week that does not fall on thanksgiving Monday or Remembrance Day will be included in each fall semester shown on the four-year timetables.

    The Senate also decided to change the grading system from a 4.0 GPA system to a 4.3 GPA system in effect for the 2019/20 fiscal year. The grades previously earned by students will not change to suit the new 4.3 GPA system and students who have grades under the 4.0 and 4.3 systems will be averaged regarding cumulative GPA at the end of their four/five years. Institutions receiving students’ transcripts will be made aware of the discrepancy.

    Announcements

    President George Philp announced that an election panel will be taking place Wednesday January 16th from 5:00-6:00pm. It will be Q&A based where students will have an opportunity to ask current SRC members questions about their positions. Students are encouraged to come, participate and learn more.

    Club Extravaganza Round 2 will take place a week from today on January 22nd 4:00-7:00pm. Club Extravaganza is recommended for any incoming or returning students looking to join a new club or find a hobby on the main level of the SUB.

    The Campaign for mental health will be outside the Vaughan Memorial Library from January 30th – February 1st 10:00am-4:00pm every day. The campaign is to promote equal mental health support and will take place on 20 campuses across this country.

    Rylie Moscato is a first year English student and Columnist for The Athenaeum

Betzillo positions itself as a versatile gaming hub where structured bonuses and adaptive gameplay mechanics support both short sessions and extended play.

Built with a focus on innovation, Spinbit integrates modern casino architecture with rapid transactions, appealing to players who value speed and digital efficiency.

Ripper Casino emphasizes bold entertainment through high-impact slot titles and competitive promotions crafted for risk-oriented players.

A friendly interface and stable performance define Ricky Casino, offering a casual yet reliable environment for a wide spectrum of gaming preferences.

King Billy Casino channels classic casino spirit into a modern platform, delivering recognizable themes supported by contemporary reward systems.

Immersive visuals and layered slot mechanics are at the core of Dragonslots, creating a narrative-driven casino experience.

Lukki Casino appeals to players seeking direct access and minimal friction, focusing on fast loading times and intuitive controls.

Casinonic provides a structured and dependable gaming framework, blending modern slots with transparent operational standards.