BadgerFest 2024
Short report on this as it doesn’t fall directly under my portfolio, but BadgerFest this year was a massive success and I’m very proud of all the work everyone put in and how well it turned out. My role in BadgerFest was to host some of the week’s events, and to help support the running of the events as well as clean up. All around very happy with how everything went and only good things to report on my end.
OUSA
I have been in a continual contact with the OUSA Steering Committee, Home Office staff, and member Universities to go over our scheduling, policy papers, and strategic planning for the year. I have visited the OUSA Home Office in Toronto where we have been going over the OUSA bylaws and plans for our upcoming OUSA General Assembly.
We opened applications for OUSA delegates for the upcoming GA and had a good turnout of applications. In attendance on Brock’s side will be myself the VPUA, 5 other voting delegates and 2 observer status delegates.
This year our upcoming OUSA GA held October 24th-27th will be hosted by Brock University and we are honoured to be organizing and leading the GA. Planning for the OUSA General Assembly has been going well and only good things to report. The team including the President, VPUA, VPSS, and myself have gotten everything organized with only a few minor details to make sure are sorted. Room bookings, and food to be served for the duration of the GA are set and in order, the other member Universities have all arranged for transportation and accommodation at the nearby Four Points by Sheraton Hotels. We have been in contact with the other member universities as well as the Steering Committee and Home Office and have kept them up to date on everything and have received green lights from the other member universities.
Meetings with local Politicians
Under my portfolio, one of the things I am tasked with is advocating for students and making sure students are considered in the political decision-making process that effects students. One way I have been working toward this is by scheduling meetings with our regional Politicians to discuss the topics and matters that are affecting students. Thus far we have met with
Mayor of Thorold: Terry Ugulini
Mayor of Niagara: Jim Diodatti
MPP for Niagara Falls: Wayne Gates
MPP for St. Catharines: Jennie Stevens
Mayor of St. Catharines: Matt Siscoe
In these meetings we’ve discussed some of the issues that have been most affecting students including financial sustainability, transit, food insecurity, and housing insecurity. We have been having these meetings in order to ensure that BUSU has a good report and relationship with our Political leadership within the region and to bring attention to the issues that are currently facing students and make sure that there are efforts working toward positive change.
In line with this, I am currently in the process of scheduling more meeting with our regional politicians to discuss these matters further.
Pizza with Politicians: Student and Political Leadership Networking Event
The other big project I have been working on for this year is re-hosting our Pizza with Politicians event that ran for the first time last year. The Pizza with Politicians event is a casual networking event ran here at Issacs which will be held on Thursday, March 13th from 7-9pm (this is the date that the event that has currently been set, however if a Provincial election is called, this date may need to be moved). This event will provide the opportunity and platform for students to engage with politicians on a more informal and leveled nature. The goal of this event is to enable prospective political changemakers, and curious students alike to speak with politicians one-on-one in a may casual and barrier-reduced environment. It’s a great way of getting students involved, learning about our current political affairs, making connections with likeminded peers, and envisioning themselves in the types of roles they may one day occupy.
I have reached out to the MP’s and MPP’s of St. Catharines, Niagara West, Niagara Centre, and Niagara Falls as well as our local Mayors from Thorold, St. Catharines, Niagara, and Niagara Falls, in order to give them advance notice. I have received much enthusiasm and have already received some confirmations.
This event is still in the early planning and logistics stages, will provide more updates as the event planning develops.