CONGRESS LIVE MEETING INFO SESSION: Congress Weekly – August 19th, 2022
This Friday, Congress gave first-year students the precious opportunity of sitting in on a “live” meeting session at the College’s student lounge. To get to know more about the updates on upcoming events, student feedback, and all you need to know about first-year Congress position applications, the News Blitz sat in and made sure to deliver all the good news!
After giving students insights about the formalities of confirming agendas and approving past meeting minutes, the first discussion point called on the attendees’ participation: how orientation went for those that took part in it.
Important points that needed to be addressed were brought to attention, most notably the Kahoot that was presented during orientation on August 15th that touched on topics such as sexual violence, however was not met with the sensitivity and concern that many students expected for such a heavy topic. Congress clarified that this was an unprecedented attempt to engage students with the topic more effectively since last year’s sexual violence webinar wasn’t a success in terms of completion, but in the future, greater care will be given to how a subject like this is addressed.
By stressing that such feedback was important to improve on how the college will go about handling things in the future, others felt compelled to share their grievances with the length of the Student ID line, an almost infamous Marianopolis rite of passage at this point…On a positive note, the virtual map to explore the campus and the allotted time to do so were greatly appreciated, and the alpacas were found to be quite a crowd pleaser!
After a few words from President Max Chen Huang about how Congress can improve its efficiency in the future by implementing a Personal Actions Log and a Self-Evaluation Form, the Office Hours for all current Congress members were confirmed and first-year students were invited to make use of them for any questions they might have about life on campus. Congress Office Hours are designated hours during which Congress members can be found in A-159 right beside the A-wing lockers for students to drop by and ask questions, for example, about the appropriate steps for a grade appeal in conformity with IPESA, details about upcoming votes that will be held during a General Assembly, etc.
The Elections timeline was also updated and clarified by Vice President Luc Bojorquez-Lopez for those attending, but for those who couldn’t make it, these are the dates that should be kept in mind:
- August 21st, at midnight, meaning this Sunday, is the deadline for submitting all required documentation to run for an elected position or be considered for an appointed one.
- Tip: Elected candidates are advised to apply with a letter of intent addressed to the Student Union, as it will be posted on the Congress website for students to consult.
- A mandatory meeting the following Friday, August 26th, will also be held at 6:15 PM for confirmed electoral candidates and is said to last about an hour.
- The start of the campaigning week will be Monday, August 29th, and the following day, Tuesday, August 30th during AP, an electoral debate hosted by the News Blitz will give candidates a chance to give students more insight on their platform. (Details will be coming very soon, so stay tuned!)
- Friday, September 2nd will mark the end of campaigning week and students will be able to vote via Omnivox’s “Get Out to Vote” survey until September 5th at 4PM.
Coordinator of Student Advocacy David Thomas Li also wanted students to keep in mind that committee applications will start sometime next week for those that would be interested, and a brief vote on the budget presented by Vice President of Finance Katarina Bunakova was held concerning the Fresh Fruit Friday initiative and possible giveaways starting sometime in October.
Coordinator of Social Justice Matthew Homa also shared that a collaboration with the Indigenous Studies Certificate, the Truth and Reconciliation Club, and the Academic Council Truth & Reconciliation Task Force was in the works for Orange Shirt Day and that more details will come as he receives confirmation about certain ideas and event attendees for the day.
David also presented some ideas he had in mind, like possible university tours paired with presentations from the College’s Academic Advisors and officers from the respective universities. The developments on Green Mari, an initiative to make Marianopolis eco-friendlier, were also shared.
Furthermore, Luc addressed the ongoing Congress website revamp. The club list was modified in response to the feedback given by club executives, and the new display was met with overwhelmingly positive comments, making it increasingly successful. The Marianopolis Volunteering Network, a tab that Luc and Max are currently working on, will give students a chance to access a list of local volunteering opportunities and give them the option to share some as well. The calendar tab will also soon allow clubs to log their respective events as a way to promote their activities and consolidate them all into one resource for students to consult. The incentive plan, a reward system for committee members, clubs, and more, is also in the works.
To conclude this live session, Congress gave the attendees a chance to ask their questions in an interesting countdown system that funnily proved to be effective. imid hands were raised to inquire about the appropriate social media platforms to consult and future opportunities for student involvement. Congress reiterated the many opportunities that will present themselves, such as the student committees and the general assemblies. Minutes, a written record of everything that was discussed during a meeting, will always be posted on Congress’ website, and if students would like to bring up points in future meetings or talk about previously touched-on ones, they can always drop by Congress Office Hours or make use of a student feedback form that will soon be made available.
In the meantime, it would be wise to stay up to date with all news and events by following the Student Union’s Instagram page (@maristudentunion) and staying up to date with Congress by taking a look at their website (msucongress.com).
