Student Life and Congress
Student life: urban myth or true story?
Written by Yisen Wang
So you’re a first year at Marianopolis. You’ve heard a lot about this school, whether from your parents, teachers, or relatives. And you’re sure of two things.
One – tuition is expensive.
Two – you won’t have a life.
While I can’t say much about the first statement, the second statement is most definitely, completely and… possibly… true.
What, you were expecting an article about the great student life here at Marianopolis? You’re serious? Well, disregarding the natural oxymoron that is student life, I suppose I could give you some advice, oh foolhardy first year with high expectations and budding dreams.
WHERE TO FIND CLUBS:
The first thing you should know about Marianopolis is that there are a lot of clubs. The second thing you should know is that you really shouldn’t join all of them. Keeping that in mind, there is one very important date that you should remember.
Join-a-Club Day is Thursday, September 5th, 2017. Now read it aloud. Good.
This date marks Join-A-Club day, an opportunity for all students at Marianopolis, both first and second years, to join a clubs as various as the popular Marianopolis Debate Society, Hallyu, Silver Key, First Aid, and of course, MUN, and the Marianopolis World Review (our booth is the biggest and bestest, guaranteed). It will be hosted in the gymnasium in the F-Wing, where you and pretty much every other student in the College will be waiting in long lines for popular venues. Hey, it’s just like Disneyland!
Don’t know what any of these clubs are? That’s ok, because Join-A-Club day also doubles as the perfect way to explore and learn about the clubs at Marianopolis. While it isn’t impossible to sign up for clubs after, it will be much harder to view the full selection and/or contact club executives, the vast majority of whom are second years. We recommend that you add yourself to the list for all the clubs you might be interested in, and then narrow down later. Rest assured that the MWR, as a club that is completely online, will be accepting application forms through our website.
CONGRESS:
What is Congress? Congress is the official governing body of the Marianopolis Student Union, a legally accredited organization largely independent of the College itself. Congress, among other duties, manages clubs, organizes charities, protects your student rights and coordinates with other CEGEPs in and around Montreal to provide you the best student experience possible. The Marianopolis Congress is also much more productive than the American Congress, and they won’t try to take your healthcare away.
Comprised of 12 unique positions and 6 different committees, Congress is a great way to get involved with student life here at Marianopolis. First year positions currently include 3 elected positions, (Coordinator of External Affairs, Coordinator of Charities and Volunteering, Coordinator of Cultural Affairs), and 3 appointed positions (Administrative Assistant, Member At Large, and Coordinator of Internal Affairs). Among the second year positions are President, Vice-President, Vice-President of Finance, Coordinator of Student Advocacy, Coordinator of Social Justice, and Coordinator of Communications. Next week, elections begin for the first-year elected positions, and the Marianopolis World Review will be hosting its traditional Election Debate next Thursday, August 31, in the Auditorium at AP. Save the date!
Each member of Congress plays an important role in enriching your student life. The Coordinator of Cultural Affairs promotes the diverse cultural heritage at Marianopolis through informative events and parties; the Coordinator of Social Justice spreads awareness of social justice issues through informative campaigns. Clubs can apply for grants from the Congress budget, which is regulated by the Vice-President of Finance, and students can even bring academic grievances to the Coordinator of Student Advocacy, who acts as a representative of the student body. To top it all off, Congress is even responsible for free food events and end of year parties open to both first and second years.
Of particular interest this year, however, is the position of Coordinator of Internal Affairs. A brand new position, the Coordinator will be in charge of managing the legal documents and infrastructure that are required for the continued existence of the MSU. More information on this position will be made available on the website.
And that’s a wrap! We hope you have an incredible year at Marianopolis, and between a supportive Congress and the dozens of clubs to choose from, we’re sure you will. As Kanye West said, “I hate when I’m on a flight and I wake up with a water bottle next to me like oh great now I gotta be responsible for this water bottle.” If you’re wondering what that quote has to do with this article, the answer is nothing; it’s just a fantastic and thought-provoking quote to end on.
