What to Look Forward To
Hey there,
This semester is shaping up to be quite an exciting one.
I am currently working on setting up a number of events and initiatives that are sure to be super sweet! The Comment Couch took place this past week on January 30th in the biology building and once again features us four executives along with coffee and muffins! I hope to meet many of you avid blog readers in future Comment Couch dates. It’s always great to meet new students with different grievances and ideas in regards to our campus.
Another event that is in the works is “We Are All Treaty People”. It will be taking place at the end of this month and will feature some great talks by notable professors. With the Aboriginal population in Saskatchewan projected to increase dramatically in the next three decades, it is imperative that it be understand what treaties are and how they affect all of us. I am excited to both learn about these important issues and meet new people through the process. The CBC is currently airing a show called 8th Fire, which does a great job of detailing how both aboriginal and non-aboriginals people can learn to live in better harmony with one another. Announcements for the dates will be released shortly and I hope to see many of you there!
Something that has been on the table for a quite a while in the position has been the process of becoming a Fairtrade designated campus as UBC has recently become. I am pleased to say that there has been substantial progress on this initiative and I am hoping to have it either completed or lined up so the next executive and future Engineers Without Borders U of S chapter have a streamlined chance of making this initiative a reality.
A separate, but equally as important item on the agenda has been the attempt of bringing back some form of what was Campus Legal Services. I have both personally and in my position met many students who would benefit from either a solid form of legal information or legal advice on campus. This typically has been in regards to landlord issues, but there has also been other pressing legal matters students face. As it stands the USSU would most likely not be able to commit a significant amount of funds to the project due to the rebuilding of Place Riel; however, with partnerships with the University and the College of Law I believe that this service could once again see the light of day.
Something that is in my portfolio, but I have not spent too much time talking about is parking. This summer there was a bit of a kerfuffle in regards to the parking "lottery" that the university has been running for the past few years. The problem was that students were supposed to pay a 20$ entry fee to enter the lottery even if they didn't end up getting a spot. Upon hearing this I got in touch with staff over at the parking services division. The reason that was given for the 20$ fee was that if it was free to enter into the lottery then students would be able to get their friends to enter in along with them even if they weren't looking for a spot--thus, having a better chance of getting a spot. This seemed fairly reasonable to me, but still didn't justify the students who were paying to end up potentially with nothing in way of parking. The suggestion that I gave to parking services, which I have now learned will be implemented next September, is that those who have payed the fee will have priority over the spots that were not collected to those who gained a spot from the randomized draw. I am glad the university has taken my suggestion and hope that future unreasonable fees get vetted through students first.
Finally, there will be some super sweet sustainability events going on around World Water Day, which will take place March 22nd. The University has recently committed to a substantial climate action plan I am hopeful that with the help of the U of S office of sustainability, which in currently in the process of attempting to pull themselves out from facilities management division and into a more appropriate role as an administrative department unto its own this can be made to happen. Seeing as sustainability is something the university has included in its second and draft version of the third integrated plan I am hopeful this important aspect of our campus will be properly valued.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns with things that are going on around campus or the USSU--my office is always open!
---Alex Ferwerda
