Grad Speaker 2022 - Annie Boss

Hi Everyone!  

My name is Annie Boss and I had the incredible honor of being your 2022 Grad Speaker! First of all, I wanted to thank everyone who put their confidence in me by voting, I am very grateful to have had this opportunity and I really hope my words resonated with you.  

When writing my speech, I didn’t want to only capture my own Huron experience. It was important to me that I try and include the experiences of others, even though I may not have shared that same role or moment myself. I have never been a Don or an SEO but I wished to extend my appreciation for all the hard work they do to support students. I have never been an out-of-province or international student, but I wanted to let them know how much their travel to study here enriched the Huron community.  

There were many directions I could have taken my speech but the biggest theme for me—what stands out most in my mind when thinking of my time at Huron—was gratitude. How grateful I am for the school and all the opportunities that came from being a student, how grateful I am for the unmatched support from faculty and staff, and most of all, grateful for all of you and how seeing my friends from the Class of 2022 in the hallways every day and giving them a wave meant more to me than I can explain in a short blog post. To say the past four years have been bananas would be an understatement. But as the only class who has experienced a full normal year of university, I hope that we all receive some closure as we graduate and move on to the next.  

When we arrived on campus and were pulled out of cars by people named “Penpal” and “Post-It” I think most of us had no idea what we were in for (we may have even been a little terrified). Four years later and it might feel like we’re in the same boat again, about to leave the comfort of our home for something new. But I really feel like this is a home we will all come back to. The way we were shaped in our time at Huron has set us up to take on anything life has to throw at us. And, hey, I’m really looking forward to our first reunion! 

So keep your memories of Huron close and thank you all for being such a supportive and friendly class. I know you will do great things. 😊

ANNIE BOSS, 2022 GRAD SPEAKER

President's February Update

Hello Huron! I hope everyone had a safe and fun reading week. February was our first full month back on-campus, and even though it was a shorter month there was still quite a bit accomplished at the HUCSC. Here are February’s highlights.

More Elections!

 During February, nominations were opened for the HUCSC’s Spring Elections. Those positions up for election are the remaining executive positions (VP Finance, VP Events, VP Student Affairs and VP Communications), Speaker, Grad Speaker, and all Representative positions excluding residence representatives (which are elected in the Fall). It is great to see so many qualified candidates eager to fill these positions.

 Of these positions, those of VP Finance and VP Communications, which are internally elected, will be voted on at the HUCSC’s next General Assembly on March 6th. The remaining externally elected positions will be voted on from March 10th-11th.

 Update on Return-to-Campus Survey

 I also want to provide an update on the results of the Return-to-Campus survey that the HUCSC conducted at the start of February in order to gauge students’ comfort level with going back to in-person classes. The results of this survey, which had approximately 162 respondents (not every respondent answered every question) showed an overall preference for returning to campus. 56% of students indicated that they were comfortable returning to campus, versus 42% who said they were not. Additionally, 88% of respondents stated that they had received or plan to receive the 3rd booster vaccination for COVID. Further written comments collected covered concerns including the lack of distancing in lectures, uncertainty about accommodations, and specific barriers faced by immunocompromised students and students with disabilities. The results of this survey were presented to Huron Administration and Faculty at the last FASS meeting.

 Communications Work

 I would also like to update everyone on some work that was done by the HUCSC’s communications team during February. The team ran a Merchandise design contest, where students were able to submit t-shirt designs that they’d like to see sold on the HUCSC’s merch store at https://myhuronproducts.ca/. There were also additional video features from the HUCSC’s Hype Team explaining topics like finding summer opportunities and using the Rec centre. Finally, progress has continued to be made towards setting up an email newsletter for the HUCSC. This will allow us to communicate with students on the one platform that the entire student body has access to, and greatly enhance the HUCSC’s ability to reach students.

 Events & The Beaver Dam

 With returning to campus, we were able to reopen the Beaver Dam and recommence in-person events. Major events that took place during the month of February included a Super Bowl watch party, Valentine’s Day event and Philosophy Mixer. The Beaver Dam’s regular Tuesday night live musical performances have returned as well. Stay tuned for news about more events in March and April, including our yearly Huron Day end-of-year event, and the long-anticipated Huron Fashion Show.

 If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or feedback please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at president@myhuron.ca!

MATTHEW CHASMAR, PRESIDENT

PRESIDENT@MYHURON.CA

2022 Unsung Leader Scholarship

We are happy to announced that the first-ever recipient of the Unsung Leader Award is 4th-year Huron student Amy Smith! This award, which is jointly administered by the HUCSC and Huron, exists to honour students whose contributions to the Huron community have not been recognized by traditional means. We received numerous passionate and authentic applications, showing the breadth of leadership that exists at Huron. We extend our fullest congratulations to Amy, and are sure that she will be only the first of many deserving recipients of this award.

President's January Update

Hello Huron! It has been a busy start to the semester, and more recently a busy return to campus. Over the past month, myself and the rest of the Executive Team have been working hard on a variety of initiatives to make your student experience better. Here are some updates on what we’ve been busy with over the semester so far! 

HUCSC Presidential Election

 Right now, the HUCSC’s Presidential election has just concluded, having run from January 22nd to February 3rd. Based on this election, second-year Huron student Matson Kitamisi has been named as the 2022-2023 HUCSC President. I want to congratulate Matson on his accomplishment in being elected to this role, and I look forward to what he will achieve during his term.

Additionally, both candidates for President this year contributed to a lively election season, and I further thank them for their engagement with the HUCSC and belief in making Huron a better place. Continuing our transition, in the coming weeks, we will hold elections for the HUCSC’s remaining Executive positions, as well as our Academic Representatives and Speaker. I highly encourage all Huron students to run for these roles! If you are interested in running, feel free to reach out to me with any questions.

Return to Campus

Over the last few months, the HUCSC has been involved in advocacy relating to the uncertainty that students are feeling during this time. When exams were moved online in December, we successfully advocated for rapid antigen tests to be made available to students at Huron’s front desk. Following Huron’s announcement that in-person classes were to resume on January 31st, we began receiving significant feedback from students about this decision. This indicated that while many students were eager to return to campus, others were more hesitant.

 On January 31st, given the resumption of in-person classes, we released a survey to collect more formalized feedback from the student body. This survey aims to gauge students’ level of comfort with the return to campus, and collect information about how many students have received or plan to receive a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. We will be sharing the results of this survey shortly.

January Programming

As a result of Huron’s decision to extend the Winter break and deliver classes online for the first four weeks of the semester, the HUCSC was required to make changes to our January programming. Frost Week, which takes place the first week of every year, was held completely online from January 10th-22nd. This week featured events including a Trivia Night, Guided Meditation, and concert by Huron alumni Jules McCools. The HUCSC also took steps to ensure compliance with Ontario’s Modified Step 2 restrictions, including closing the Beaver Dam until further notice.

 Further online events followed later in the month, including a Halo Infinite tournament. With the return to in-person learning on January 31st, the Beaver Dam has been able to reopen, now with an expanded range of coffee and food options. Stay tuned to our Instagram for more in-person event announcements!

January General Assemblies

 During the month of January, the HUCSC held two General Assembly meetings. At the first meeting, on January 16th, two new policies were passed: the Advocacy Paper Policy and Working Group Policy. As well, Terms of Reference were passed for two new HUCSC working groups: one for Equity and another for Transparency. These policies will work to bolster the HUCSC’s advocacy, and help make the organization even more accountable to students. Also passed at the meeting were amendments to the HUCSC’s Elections Policy and Procedure, based on issues encountered during previous elections. Additionally, three new Huron clubs were ratified at this meeting: the Huron Adventure Club, Huron Art Club, and Huron Black Students’ Association.

 At the second meeting, on January 30th, the Councillor and Student-at-Large members of the working groups were elected. This meeting also hosted the second debate between the HUCSC Presidential candidates, which was an opportunity for General Assembly members to question the candidates on their platforms and qualifications. Finally, a fourth new HUCSC club, the Huron Mixology Club, was ratified at this meeting.

 Orientation Hiring

 Also going through the process of selecting its future leadership is the Orientation Program. In December, I worked closely with the outgoing Head Soph and representatives from Huron Administration to select the next Head Soph. From the start of this semester, I was involved in a similar process to select the Programming Assistants, who work closely with the Head Soph to plan and facilitate OWeek. From this process, a great Head Soph Team for 2022-2023 has been selected. The quality of student leadership on display bodes well for the future of the Orientation program. I would like to thank all those who applied and extend a special congratulations to the successful candidates.

 Unsung Leader Scholarship

 Finally, I want to highlight the first-ever awarding of the Unsung Leader Scholarship. This award, which is jointly administered by the HUCSC and Huron, exists to honour students whose contributions to the Huron community have not been recognized by traditional means. We received numerous passionate and authentic applications, showing the breadth of leadership that exists at Huron. Being able to recognize a member of the Huron community in this way was a truly gratifying experience, as was being able to carry this initiative (which originated with my predecessor) over the finish line. I extend my fullest congratulations to the award’s deserving recipient, who I am sure will only be the first of many.

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or feedback please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at president@myhuron.ca!

MATTHEW CHASMAR, PRESIDENT

PRESIDENT@MYHURON.CA

Fall Semester Reflection: VP Finance & Administration

Hello Huron! While this first semester has been stressful with back and forth COVID restrictions, HUCSC and the Finance portfolio have seen many successes. Many of the initiatives which were in process during the last update have now been completed. HUCSC's finance portfolio has successfully reopened the Beaver Dam, launched new online products, hosted clubs week, streamlined internal operations, transitioned all financial accounting from paper to digital (reducing environmental impact), and ensured regular financing and operational activities of the corporation were maintained.

Unfortunately, the Beaver Card launch will continue to be delayed until next year. However, planning has continued to move forward on this project. Additionally, the Beaver Dam will begin the semester closed. However, upon re-opening, we have completed a significant investment into producing coffee for all of our tired students! These coffee sales will be accompanied with new coffee-based cocktails, such as espresso martini's, on the menu. As we move into the second semester, I am excited to focus on the growth and expansion of the Beaver Dam. I hope that restrictions will lift. More information regarding HUCSC's response to COVID-19 can be found here:

The only remaining project is in collaboration with the communications portfolio, in the creation of a HUCSC Newsletter and new clubs system. It is unclear at this time when the launch of this newsletter will be, as ideally it will be coupled with the beaver card launch. However, infrastructure has been developed to allow pre-registration on the website, e-commerce store, and Beaver Dam POS. In the meantime, my portfolio will continue to streamline internal operations with small efficiency-oriented projects. However, we are open to larger external recommendations, feel free to contact me at any time. Additionally, the HUCSC Grants are being reviewed in January. If you would like to launch your own project for the Huron community, you can apply at myhuron.ca/grants.

I believe that HUCSC has had significant growth this semester. I hope that this will continue rolling not only for our current executive team but also for future executive teams.

If you at any point need to reach my portfolio, all contacts are below:

VP Finance & Administration – Andrew McCann – vpfinance@myhuron.ca

Finance Associate – Ronak Lad – financecoordinator@myhuron.ca

Sponsorship Coordinator – Simran Mann – sponsorship@myhuron.ca

Merchandising Associate – Elma Brakic – merchandising@myhuron.ca

Clubs Associate – Rebecca Marsh – clubs@myhuron.ca

Beaver Dam Manager – Rachael Toffoletti – operations.beaverdam@myhuron.ca

Andrew McCann, VP Finance & Administration

vpfinance@myhuron.ca

Fall Semester Reflection: VP Communications

This semester, we have aimed to engage students with the HUCSC and the Huron student experience. We aim to provide clear and effective information for our students in order to best connect them with campus life. This includes maintaining the transparency of our operations, both internally and externally. 

The communications portfolio often works collaboratively with the other members of the HUCSC as we aim to support the initiatives and operations of other areas of council. Much of what the communications portfolio does is tedious behind-the-scenes work but a lot of our final projects are readily available just by peeking at our social media platforms or website. 

Before jumping into a summary, I would first like to extend some appreciation to my team that has accomplished so much this past term!

Mary Fizell, Associate Promotions

Julia Conrad, Associate Social Media

Hannah Roddan, Website Coordinator

Hannah Brayford, Affairs Marketing Coordinator

Pradyun, Angela T.,Rafa, Lauren,  Angela L., Abel- our incredible Hype Team members

And our newly hired Promotion Delegates who will be starting this semester. 

I’ll aim to be brief in summarizing some of the main points the portfolio has been working on!

September

• Promotion of 2021 Clubs’ Week 

• Beaver Dam Grand Opening, menu updates, Dam Tuesdays event promotion

• Creation of O-Week Recap video (attended O-Week events, gave presentations, coordinated apparel, hosted giveaway, took photos, etc.)

• SGBV advocacy response and action, Take Back The Night rally promotion

• Organized and promoted fall election material 

October

• Hype Team launch

• Public statement and advocacy communication on the Access to Online Materials

• Organized and promoted fall hiring sessions

• Held free headshot sessions for students

November 

• Designed merchandise and organized the holiday wear charity campaign in support of the Julia Hunter Fund

• Huron Ball promotion (look lol photoshoots, ticket sales, blog posts, and teaser videos)

• Hired team of Promotion Delegates

• Security maintenance on the website

December

• Worked on communications and marketing policy updates 

• Creation of Executive Election Guide

• Promotion of new term dates and advocacy for returning students 

• Released Huron Ball photos

There is much to look forward to in the new semester- including a few fun surprises. As always stay tuned to our channels for updates!

KENDRA HANCOCK, VP COMMUNICATIONS

VPCOMMUNICATIONS@MYHURON.CA

Fall Semester Reflection: VP Student Events

Hello Huron! I hope you’ve been doing great and taking care of yourselves. The first semester was tough for everyone; so I hope that our events were a chance for you to have fun outside of classrooms (at social events)  and meet fellow classmates, professors (at academic events). Massive shout-out to my fantastic events team without whom none of these events would be possible.

 Here is a quick throwback to the semester that we have had together. As you might notice from this blog, we had food (or prizes) for most of these events and we tried to make things free and affordable whenever possible.

Social Events  

SECOND YEAR ORIENTATION: BEAVER TAIL WITH COUNCIL (SEPT 2ND)

• As a part of second year orientation, we brought a beavertail truck to campus. Council executives met students and bonded over free beaver tails. (Fun fact: This was the first time a beaver tail truck was on Huron’s campus!)

ELECTION NIGHT VIEWING PARTY (SEPT 2OTH)

• Students watched the results of the federal election at the SAC with free pizza and the beaver dam open for orders. 

MOVIE NIGHT (OCT 25TH)

• We had this event during homecoming weekend. There was free pizza and students who attended the event chose what movie they wanted to watch. We ended up watching Mr.Bean’s holiday and one episode of the Brooklyn nine-nine (because there was some time left in the event).

APPLE AND PUMPKIN PICKING (OCT 2ND)

• We took students on a bus to the Apple land farm station and paid for their entry tickets. Students seemed to enjoy this off-campus outdoor event because it felt like a picnic and the weather was warm. We went on a train to the apple farms, tried several apples and bought our favourite ones to take home with us. 

HBK MEET YOUR COUNCIL BAR NIGHT (OCT 5TH)

• HUCSC and the other affiliate college councils (KUCSC AND BUCSC) co-hosted this event at the BeaverDam. We had live music from the Growers Band and free merchandise giveaways from the affiliate college councils. The giveaways included sweaters, t-shirts, stationary, metal straws etc.

HOW TO ADULT 101: KITCHEN BASICS WITH GROWING CHEFS ONTARIO (OCT 22ND)

• Students who had signed up for this event received free meal kits prepared by Growing Chefs Ontario. The event then happened virtually where a chef from Growing Chefs taught students how to make a French meal with the ingredients from the meal kits. We had also booked the wellness centre and the apps house for any students living on-campus who might need a kitchen (one student did and hence this was useful!).

PUMPKIN PAINTING (OCT 27TH)

• This Halloween themed event happened at the Student Commons. We had live music from the Huron Hunks, lots of pumpkins, acrylic paints, and candies in Halloween-themed décor. 

MOVIE NIGHT (NOV 15TH)

• Students watched ‘Spider-Man: Far from home’ at the Student Commons with free pizza and the Beaver Dam open for any orders. I’m glad we watched this movie considering that the next movie in this series was released in theatres in December. 

BOB ROSS PAINT NIGHT (NOV 23RD)

• Bob Ross’s videos were played on the Student Commons’ screens while students painted and had free pizza.

BREAKFAST FOR DINNER (DEC 6TH)

• We wanted students to have a good meal during exam season and hence the events included egg scramble, tofu scramble, bacon, potatoes, and danishes. It happened in the Student Commons and students could drop by at any point to have some food/take it home.

Academic and Mentorship Events 

BMOS MIXER with the Huron bmos students’ association(NOV 10TH)

• Our BMOS mixer had several components including a raffle entry where students guessed the number of tattoos that Dr. Bill Irwin had, a panel discussion with professors (led by the execs of the BMOS Students’ Association), free pizza and bonding time; and a Kahoot trivia with cool prizes (Uber eats and western bookstore gift cards). 

PSYCHOLOGY MIXER with the Huron psychology association (NOV 24TH)

• Our Psychology mixer had several components including a raffle entry, a panel discussion with professors (led by the execs of the Huron Psychology Association), free pizza and bonding time; and a Kahoot trivia with cool prizes (Uber eats and western bookstore gift cards). 

POLITICAL SCIENCE MIXER with the Huron political science students' association (NOV 24TH)

• Our Political Science mixer had several components including a raffle entry, a panel discussion with professors (led by the execs of the Huron Political Science Students’ Association), free pizza and bonding time; and a Kahoot trivia with cool prizes (Uber eats and western bookstore gift cards).

HOW TO WRITE AN ESSAY IN THE LEAST PAINFUL WAY (NOV 24TH)

• This event was a presentation from the Writing Centre followed by a q & a section. Students who attended the event also entered a giveaway for merchandise including t-shirts, tote bags etc. This events’ name was chosen by the Writing Centre and events team.

Huron Ball (Nov 26th)

The 2021 Huron Ball happened at Bellamere Winery and our theme of the night was Old Hollywood, which was reflected in our decor at the venue. Our photographer for the night was Daniel Coutts and the DJ was Pulkit Sharma. This was our itinerary for the event:

5pm: Pre at the Beaver Dam 

6pm & 6:30pm: buses depart from Huron 

7:15pm: Dinner at The Bellamere 

8pm: Huron Hunks performance

8:45pm: DJ setlist

9:30pm & 10:30pm: buses depart for Huron 

It was wonderful to see students dressed up, dancing, taking great photos, and enjoying time with their friends. I am happy and grateful to the events team for making an in-person Ball happen in 2021.

Next Semester

As you might have realized, our January events are online due to COVID-19 related regulations. However, we have planned some exciting events for Frost Week happening from Jan 10-15. We hope you enjoy our series of events that kickstart your second semester. Other major things to look forward to including, Huron Fashion Show, Grad Banquet in March, and Huron Day in April.

Lastly, to anyone reading this blog- thank you if you attended any of our events this semester. I appreciate that you took some time out of your day to join us. It was lovely to meet you at these events and I am grateful for all the feedback that you share with me. I wish you the best for our second semester together! 

DAKSHINA KANNAN, VP EVENTS

VPSTUDENTEVENTS@MYHURON.CA

Fall Semester Reflection: VP Student Affairs

Hi Huron! Happy New Year! It’s been a whirlwind of a semester, and I have a few updates for you:

Sexual and Gender-Based Violence

The team supported the organizers of the walkout against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence on September 17, working with different faculty councils and the Society for Graduate Students. On September 20, we organized a Take Back the Night walk attended by 160-170 people across Western. Transportation was organized for all students looking for a safe ride back home. We advocated for (1) drink covers, now available at the welcome desk, wellness centre, and the Beaver Dam; (2) sexual assault testing kits, which will be able at Huron this semester; (3) a Huron-specific foot patrol, who are currently being trained; (4) late-night transportation for night classes and exams; (5) mandatory consent and disclosure training for all members of the Huron community; and (6) additional lighting near the back flats, tunnels, and other dimly lit places on campus. Finally, the team is working on a guide with frequently asked questions to report assaults to both Huron and the police. We’re working closely with the administration to create a safer environment for students on campus.

Hybrid Learning, Accommodations, and Classroom Accessibility

The team worked to promote greater flexibility and accessibility in classrooms over the summer and fall. We circulated reports on greater accessibility in hybrid learning environments, small ways to create more equitable classrooms, and the utility of using online educational methods in in-person classroom settings for greater accessibility. These efforts were made in response to directives from the Dean’s office, which restricted professors from using online methods in fall semester courses. At the directive of the General Assembly, we introduced three motions to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) Council – which is a committee comprising the President, the provost and dean, the registrar, all FASS professors, and other members of Huron’s academic and student support staff – to accommodate all students who are unable to attend class through pre-recorded lectures, zoom, etc., to continue to accommodate overseas international students, and against deregistering unvaccinated students. After extensive debate at the FASS Council, the faculty vote extended accommodations to overseas international students but declined accommodating students at large using online educational materials. The vote against the deregistration of unvaccinated students also failed. However, a subsequent motion concluded that the Teaching and Learning committee will define and determine the use of online educational materials in the future. The Student Affairs Associate, Emily Poirier serves on the committee, and all concerns regarding COVID-19 related classroom accommodations can be directed to her at affairs.associate@myhuron.ca or myself.

Truth and Reconciliation

The Student Affairs team organized a fundraiser to support the Woodland Cultural Centre’s Save the Evidence Campaign to acknowledge Huron’s ties to the former Mohawk Institute Residential School. The team successfully raised $1200 through a used book sale and by creating and selling orange shirts for Orange Shirt Day. We also collaborated with Huron’s institutional events team to organize two events to mark Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We invited Huron Alum and former HUCSC VPSA Natalie Cross and History Professor Dr. Tom Peace to speak about their research on Huron’s involvement in the residential school system, followed by a talk by Dr. Joyce Greene on reconciliation in the Canadian university landscape. Finally, the Equity team is working on writing a land acknowledgment and statement of actions in relation to the Truth and Reconciliation commission’s calls to action. We welcome feedback and input from all members of the Huron community, please reach out to Equity Associate, Victoria Fernandes at equity@myhuron.ca.

Health and Wellness Resources

The Community Food and Household Supplies Pantry is open! Located in a secular space adjacent to the Diocese of Huron Archives, opposite the stairs to the library in the academic wing. The pantry contains perishable and non-perishable food, snacks, personal hygiene products, and household supplies like dishwasher tablets, laundry detergent, etc. The pantry is restocked every two weeks and is available to all members of the community, no questions asked. In addition, the Wellness team of the Student Affairs portfolio created a wellness resource guide. The guide includes information for therapists, doctors, affordable vet clinics, dentists, discount grocery stores, and other resources in the London area. This was supplemented with Wellness Wednesday conversation circles every other week, which covered themes like financial wellness, academic wellness, reflection, and more. If you have more recommendations, please contact the Wellness Associate, Serena Kirschen at mywellness@myhuron.ca

HUCSC x CURL Collaboration

The first round of HUCSC x CURL academic collaborators submitted their final reports with policy and programming recommendations to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as mentorship and collaboration among student-faculty mentor pairs. In addition, the collaborators created a four-episode podcast showcased at the 2021 CURL Fall Exhibition to promote research ethics amongst the student body. The second part of our collaboration, the CURL Newsletter is underway and almost ready for publication! Applications for the second round of academic collaborators will open at the beginning of the next semester, and we’re excited for more students to shape institutional policy and programming. Please reach out for more information!

Student Support and Programming

We hosted three anti-racism learning groups in collaboration with Huron Writing Services, a last-day-of-classes wellness day for all students, and an information session with the Western Off-Campus Housing Office.

Other Efforts

Internal efforts included event sustainability and accessibility checklists for the student events portfolio, website and social media accessibility changes with the communications team, and size-inclusive and sustainable merchandising spearheaded by the finance portfolio.  

Committees

Committee-work over the semester included supporting Huron 1Read programming, research ethics approvals, hiring the new Coordinator for Teaching and Research, and approving an interim process for dispersing experiential learning funds. We also added two student seats: a HUCSC representative on the teaching and learning committee and a student at-large on the research ethics board. If you have any questions about the committees I serve on, please reach out!

We have lots in store for the next four months, and I can’t wait to see you all online and hopefully, in person very soon! Please email me if you’d like to chat. Happy New Year!

URVI MAHESHWARI, VP STUDENT AFFAIRS

VPSTUDENTAFFAIRS@MYHURON.CA

Huron President's Fall Semester Reflection

Hello Huron! It has been an eventful semester for myself and for all of us at the HUCSC. It was incredible to be able to welcome everyone back to campus, and once again see Huron’s remarkable community back in the same place. Though there is uncertainty about next semester, I am confident that Huron students will continue to show the remarkable resiliency and kindness that they have always shown.

 To close out the year, I want to look back at the last semester, and highlight my biggest projects from that time. Happy New Year to all, and I look forward to what the HUCSC will accomplish in 2022!

 Supporting Orientation and the Return to Campus

 At the beginning of the semester, the return of students to campus meant the much-belated restart of the HUCSC’s in-person events and programming. Over these first few weeks, I attended a bewildering number of events, which were an incredible opportunity not only to meet first and second-year Huron students but also to tell them about what the HUCSC has to offer. These included the first HUCSC event of the year, during Second Year Orientation, which saw a Beaver Tails food truck come to campus. I likewise attended (and in many cases, spoke at) events including Welcome Week’s Glow in the Dark Olympics, Commencement ceremonies for first and second year students, and OWeek’s Opening and Closing ceremonies. Seeing so many people on campus for the first time, and being able to welcome newcomers to the Huron community, was an extraordinary experience. 

 Declaring a Climate Emergency

On October 24th, the HUCSC held our first General Assembly (GA) meeting of the semester. My priority at this meeting was bringing forward a declaration of a Climate Emergency at the HUCSC. This declaration involved making a statement clearly outlining the imperative of responding to climate change, and committing the HUCSC to taking action on this topic. My hope is that the declaration will serve as a means of focusing the HUCSC’s sustainability-related efforts. This proposal was a major part of my campaign for HUCSC President, and was well-received given the importance of climate action to many students.

I followed this declaration with an additional motion to create a Climate Emergency Working Group. This group is composed of HUCSC commissioners, elected representatives and students-at-large, and through the academic year will work towards producing a report containing recommendations on how the HUCSC and Huron can be made more sustainable. At the November GA meeting, 3 HUCSC Representatives and 2 Students-At-Large were elected to sit on the working group. All members of this group are eager to work towards making Huron more sustainable, and there will no doubt be further updates on the working group’s efforts as the year progresses.

Report on Online Materials

Also passed at the October GA meeting were motions instructing the HUCSC Executive to take action on two different, but related issues of concern to the Huron student body. First, the GA voted in favour of expanding advocacy efforts to ensure access to online educational materials for all students. Second, the GA voted against the de-registration of unvaccinated students, and asked for online alternatives for students unable to attend classes as a result of the vaccination mandate, until the end of the academic term.

Acting in accordance with the directives of the GA, the HUCSC Executive produced a report to provide an overview of students’ concerns in these areas and offer recommendations to adopt institutional and classroom policies that prioritize and centre students’ needs. Myself and the HUCSC’s Vice President Student Affairs, Urvi Maheshwari, further brought forward a series of motions on this very topic at the November meeting of Huron’s Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FASS). Unfortunately, most of the recommendations of the report were not endorsed by FASS. Nevertheless, the advocacy effort on this report allowed us to raise students’ concerns to other campus stakeholders, and we have continued to highlight these concerns when the opportunity arises.

External Work

Throughout the semester, I have continued to be active in representing Huron students on Western’s campus and beyond. As HUCSC President, I sit on the USC’s Council, as well as a USC-led “President’s Roundtable” with the Presidents of every faculty and affiliate Council on Western’s campus. I also participate in regular “HBK Huddles” with myself as well as the student council Presidents from Western, Brescia and King’s. Further, I represent the HUCSC on the USC-run Student EDI network, which is composed of all EDI-related student groups on campus.

Generally speaking, these bodies allow me to raise the interests and concerns of Huron students in spaces where our voices might otherwise be overlooked.

 Beyond the fact of participation, I have also sought to pursue an active agenda at these bodies. Earlier in the year, I was elected by the USC Council as a Student Trustee on the PurpleCare Trust, which oversees the Student Health & Dental Plan. Further, as a member of the USC’s Governance and Finance standing committee, I have been active in debating and discussing policies brought forward to that body. Additionally, I have led an initiative at the USC to create a Transport Advocacy Working Group. This group is composed of USC Councillors and Students-At-Large, and met for the first time in November. It exists to advocate for improved student transit and transportation, and will work to support the rewriting of the USC’s Student Transit and Pedestrian Safety policy papers.

Finally, from October 28 to 31st, I attended the Fall General Assembly of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA). OUSA is a body that represents student councils from across Ontario and is active in advocating to the Provincial government on behalf of students. Over four days of debate and discussion (which included a 12-hour long plenary session), edited and then passed policy papers that will guide OUSA’s advocacy on Responding to COVID-19, Indigenous Students, Accountability and System Vision, and Student Mobility and Credit Transfer. This conference was a great opportunity to meet student leaders from across the province, and elevate the concerns of Huron students at the Provincial level.

MATTHEW CHASMAR, PRESIDENT

PRESIDENT@MYHURON.CA 

President's November Update

Hello Huron! November was the last full month of the fall semester, and with it the HUCSC’s work continued. Here’s what me and my executive have been up to over that time!

November General Assembly

On November 21st, HUCSC held our second in-person General Assembly of the year. In addition to a presentation from Huron’s Career Services, an update from USC Representative Lexi Magder on that organization’s activities, and the regular executive updates, this meeting was an opportunity to elect the members of the HUCSC’s recently created Climate Emergency Working Group.

 When I proposed this group, I wanted to include representatives from both the HUCSC’s General Assembly and Students-At-Large. At the November meeting, we elected 3 HUCSC Representatives and 2 Students-At-Large to sit on the working group. We had a range of interested candidates who were passionate about sustainability and very eager to get involved in this process, and having elected members is a major step forward. I look forward to this group beginning its work towards making Huron more sustainable.

 USC Work

 Next, I took part in a number of initiatives related to roles that I hold on Western’s campus. On November 24th, the USC had its November Council meeting, marking the first time such a meeting was held in-person since before the pandemic. At this meeting we debated motions related to Western’s Foot Patrol and residence security, and passed the Environmental Sustainability and Racialized and Religious Students policy papers. The in-person setting was also a great opportunity to meet student leaders from across campus.

 Secondly, for much of my term as President, I have also been a student trustee on the PurpleCare Trust, which oversees the student health and dental plan. In November, I attended the regular meeting related to this role. At this meeting, the other trustees and I received updates on the condition of the plan, and discussed changes that could be made to allow the plan to better serve students.

Finally, the Transport Advocacy Working Group, an initiative that I have led at the USC, met for the first time. This group, composed of USC Councillors and Students-At-Large, exists to advocate for improved student transit and transportation. At this meeting, we discussed our focus for the upcoming semester. We plan to work to support the rewriting process of the USC’s Student Transit and Pedestrian Safety policy papers, as this is done over the coming months.

November Programming & Huron Ball

The HUCSC’s Events team continued their academic and social events throughout the month. These have included additional academic program mixers, a movie night, and a Bob Ross paint night. Also on the agenda, on November 26th, was the 2021 Huron Ball! This is one of our biggest events of the year, being attended by over 200 Huron students. It was held at the Bellamere Winery, and featured live music, a DJ, and dancing. Owing to the pandemic, this was our first chance to hold an in-person Huron Ball since 2019, and students were excited to continue this tradition. Thank you to everyone who attended, and to all those who helped make this event a reality!

 Communications Work

 Also a site of activity this month was the HUCSC’s Communications portfolio. The HUCSC’s Hype Team came out in full force, helping to promote the Ball and creating a number of video features for the HUCSC’s social media. Hiring also began for the Promotions Delegates, who will take the Hype Team’s work even further. Next, our Communications team has taken steps to expand our use of email communications with a newsletter. Any community members interested in remaining updated about HUCSC activities can sign up for our newsletter here.

 Orientation Work

 It may be almost a year away, but planning for OWeek 2022 has already begun. As HUCSC President, I sat on the Head Soph hiring panel, representing the crucial role the HUCSC plays in the Orientation program. I was joined on this panel by the current Head Soph and representatives from Huron’s administration. We had a number of qualified candidates, and I would like to thank all those who put their time and effort into applying for this role. I would also like to congratulate the successful candidate, Gillian Hunnisett, on becoming Head Soph for the 2022-2023 term. I look forward to all you will accomplish in this role.

As for next steps, applications for Programming Assistant positions are already open! I strongly encourage anyone who is interested or qualified to apply. The Orientation program is so important to the first-year experience, and it would not be possible without all those students who commit their time to it each year.

 Community Pantry

 Finally, to end this post I wanted to highlight an initiative that the HUCSC’s Student Affairs team has been working on over the past few months with Huron’s Chaplain and his team: expanding the Huron Community Food and Household Supplies pantry. It has been moved to a larger and more accessible location next to the archives on the first floor. We are still welcoming donations of snacks, non-perishable foods, and household supplies (dishwasher detergent, cleaning supplies, canned foods, granola bars, sanitary/hygiene products etc.). I would like to further extend thanks to the Chaplain and his team for all their help with this initiative.

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or feedback please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at president@myhuron.ca!

MATTHEW CHASMAR, PRESIDENT

PRESIDENT@MYHURON.CA 

Movember

Daniel Coutts

Every year, 4,000 people die by suicide in Canada — 75% of which are men.

When my psychologist diagnosed me with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in Grade 10, I was far from surprised. It just made sense — I was a perfectionist from every angle. On the surface, the symptoms seemed pretty mild: excessive organizing, using copious amounts of white-out, and re-writing essays over and over until they were "just right". Aside from that, I seemed like a pretty happy kid. But the truth is, I wasn't. On the inside, my OCD felt like it was eating me alive. I didn't just expect my environment to be perfect, I expected myself to be perfect as well.

I fell into a dangerous mindset where I identified with my grades and achievements. I figured if I just worked hard enough, I could ace every quiz, test and exam. I had to in fact — my self-esteem was riding on it. It got to the point where I worked almost non-stop. Coffee-fuelled all-nighters became the norm and any grade lower than a 95% meant I hadn't worked hard enough or simply wasn't smart enough.

Throughout all of this, I struggled in complete silence. What started as mild anxiety turned into panic attacks and every day became a struggle to keep my head above water. I fell into a deep depression and couldn't seem to find a way out. I resorted to self-harm and started dealing with suicidal thoughts. At this point, I realized I needed to reach out for help.

Fast forward a couple years and I'm in a much better headspace. With the help of professionals along with my family and friends, I've learned how to manage my anxiety and achieve better balance in life. I rely on my support system and my faith when I have an off day and try my best to keep everything in perspective. I've come to realize that although education is important, I should always keep my well-being as my top priority. It's okay to have bad days, weeks, or months — everyone deals with a different challenge and progresses at their own pace.

This Movember, I've been fortunate enough to raise over $5,000 thanks to the support of my family and friends. I also accomplished my goal of running 60km throughout the month for the 60 men we lose to suicide across the world every hour. Within the next decade, the Movember Foundation is aiming to reduce the rate of men's suicide by 25% and I really want to help them get there. Although the month of November is dedicated to men's mental health, it's important that we continue to spread awareness year-round. Checking in on a loved one or reminding our friends that we're here for them are small ways we can make a big difference in supporting those around us. Mental health is often overlooked, and this needs to change. Help me break the stigma and stop men from dying too young.

Canada Suicide Prevention Service: 1-833-456-4566

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Personal Fundraising Page: https://movember.com/m/dc2021

Daniel Coutts

President's October Update

Hello Huron! October was once again another busy month of advocacy, programming, and other initiatives at the HUCSC. Here’s what me and my executive have been up to since my last post!

Declaring a Climate Emergency

With representative positions filled, the HUCSC held our October General Assembly (GA) meeting on October 24th. One of the most significant priorities for this meeting was declaring a Climate Emergency at the HUCSC. This declaration involved making a statement clearly outlining the imperative of responding to climate change, and committing the HUCSC to taking action on this topic. This proposal was a major part of my campaign for HUCSC President, and was well-received given that sustainability is important to many students.

My hope is that the declaration will serve as a means of focusing the HUCSC’s sustainability-related efforts, and as such I followed it with an additional motion to create a Climate Emergency Working Group. This group will be composed of HUCSC commissioners, elected representatives and students-at-large, and through the academic year will work towards producing a report containing recommendations on how the HUCSC and Huron can be made more sustainable. Stay tuned for opportunities for all Huron students to get involved with this process! 

Report on accessibility of online materials

Also passed at the October meeting were motions instructing the HUCSC Executive to take action on two different, but related issues of concern to the Huron student body. First, the GA voted in favour of expanding advocacy efforts to ensure access to online educational materials for all students. Second, the GA voted against the de-registration of unvaccinated students, and asked for online alternatives for students unable to attend classes as a result of the vaccination mandate, until the end of the academic term.

Given the HUCSC constitutional mission to “enhance the educational experience and quality of life for all students” and advocate “on behalf of students in all areas affecting the student experience”, we are accountable to Huron students and their elected representatives. Therefore, acting in accordance with the directives of the GA, the HUCSC Executive has produced a report to provide an overview of students’ concerns in these areas and offer recommendations to adopt institutional and classroom policies that prioritize and centre students’ needs.

The report can be accessed here. Further, we have brought forward a series of motions on this very topic at the next meeting of Huron’s Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FASS). FASS is a Huron committee composed of most of the school’s faculty and staff and is one of the university’s major decision-making bodies. Given the nature of FASS, we hope that this body will be an ideal forum for further and fruitful discussion about these advocacy priorities.

External Advocacy Priorities

From October 28 to 31st, myself and Lexi Magder (HUCSC’s USC Representative) attended the Fall General Assembly of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA). OUSA is a body that represents student councils from across Ontario and is active in advocating to the Provincial government on behalf of students. Over four days of debate and discussion (which included a 12-hour long plenary session), edited and then passed policy papers that will guide OUSA’s advocacy on Responding to COVID-19, Indigenous Students, Accountability and System Vision, and Student Mobility and Credit Transfer. 

The HUCSC also held consultations with the Huron community regarding motions brought forward to the USC (Western’s student council) which would redefine that organization’s relationship with Greek Life. These motions sought to eliminate positions for existing Greek Life representatives on the USC’s Council, as well as remove preferential considerations for Greek Life (subsidized room booking rates, etc.) that had been extended in the past. These consultations were productive, and feedback received during them was used to inform our votes on this topic.

Events and Programming

After a hectic start to the year, the Events and Finance teams have continued to work tirelessly to keep the programming momentum going. Additional events during October have included a Meet and Greet with USC Executives (October 20th), How to Adult 101: Kitchen Basics (October 22nd), and Pumpkin Painting (October 26th). In addition to those events listed above, the Beaver Dam also hosts live music each Tuesday evening. We have had many performances, including current Huron students and Huron alumni (shoutout to the Huron Hunks and Jules McCools). We have also made progress on bringing coffee and food to the Beaver Dam, which will increase the number of options available to students on campus. Stay tuned for further updates on that topic.

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or feedback please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at president@myhuron.ca!

MATTHEW CHASMAR, PRESIDENT

PRESIDENT@MYHURON.CA

Need-to-Know: The 2021 Huron Ball

Hi everyone! I hope everyone’s midterms are going well. My name is Brianna Arundine, and I am the Associate Vice President of Social Events for Student Events on the HUCSC this year.

 This year, the HUCSC Events portfolio is excited to announce that the annual Huron Formal will be returning this year in all its pre-covid glory. For those who have not attended a Huron Formal before, this is a tradition you won’t want to miss out on. This year the date of the formal is November 26th,2021. The evening begins with a pre at the Beaver Dam at 5pm where students can take photos, hydrate and chat with other students before buses come to Huron in two rounds (one at 6:15pm and one at 6:45pm) to take students to Bellemare Winery and Event Center, the venue of the formal. Once there, students can have their photos taken by a professional photographer or at our photo booth, mingle with one another or purchase drinks at the bar (if they are of legal drinking age). At 7:15pm dinner will be served which will consist of a delicious set menu with a variety of options for those with dietary restrictions. After dinner students can take on the dance floor with our DJ and at 9:30pm and 10pm students will be bussed back from the Bellemare to Huron to end the evening.

 Now you may be wondering where to purchase a ticket for to attend an event like this-tickets are now live to purchase exclusively through the HUCSC online merch store (myhuronproducts.ca). The early bird price is $45, the regular price is $55, and unfortunately tickets are being sold on a first come first serve basis so buy your tickets before they sell out! More information regarding seating and dietary restrictions will be provided once you have purchased a ticket.

 We are extremely excited to announce that the theme this year is Old Hollywood, so keep an eye out on our social media for content on what to wear, FAQs, and table registration.

 We hope to see you all there and remember- buy your tickets as this isn’t an event you will want to miss out on!

Brianna Arundine, AVP Social Events

avpsocialevents@myhuron.ca

President's September Update

Hello Huron! The past month has been a busy time for myself and the rest of the HUCSC, and it has been great to see so many people back on campus once again. Here are some updates on what my team and I have been up to over that time!

Events and Programming

The return of students to campus meant the much-belated restart of the HUCSC’s in-person events and programming, starting in late August. The HUCSC Executive was present for Second Year Orientation, Welcome Week and OWeek, all of which gave us many opportunities to meet both incoming and returning Huron students. As President, I participated in the Commencement ceremony for second year students, in addition to the typical ceremony for first year students. And Second Year Orientation hosted the first HUCSC event of the year, which saw a Beaver Tails food truck come to campus. 

Since then, the Events and Finance teams have continued to work tirelessly to keep the momentum going. Already, we have hosted many events both on and off campus, including a Federal Election watch party (September 20th), BMOS Mixer (September 28th), Psychology Mixer (September 29th), and Apple and Pumpkin Picking (October 2nd). 

We have also started to make use of the brand-new Student Commons, and open the brand-new location for our on-campus bar, the Beaver Dam. The space has already proven popular with students, and we look forward to continuing the Beaver Dam’s legacy as a key hub of student life. Last Tuesday, the Dam hosted a Meet Your Council event, which featured Execs and students from all HBK Councils as well as live music. 

External Advocacy

In light of incidents of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) on Western’s campus, myself and VP Student Affairs Urvi Maheshwari have met with Huron Administration to discuss ways in which Huron’s campus can be made safer. These discussions have resulted in action from the Administration, including: providing free access to drug testing kits for drinks and inconspicuous drink covers; creating a Huron Foot Patrol for faster foot patrol response times at Huron; and looking into increased frequency for the HBK Shuttle Service. We will continue to follow up on these changes and others as the year progresses. 

The Student Affairs Team also worked to support the organizers of the Western Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Walkout in planning their event. Further, they planned a Take Back the Night March on September 20th at 9pm, which all female-identifying members of the Western community were encouraged to attend. This event saw turnout from approximately 160-170 students.

I also want to highlight some of the following initiatives undertaken by the Student Affairs team over the past month:

• Releasing a wellness resource guide with information on affordable mental health services, religious and healing services, physiotherapists, dentists, veterinary clinics, discount grocery stores, produce gardens and food banks, and health insurance options for students. A link to the resource guide can be found here.

• Collaborating with the Writing Center to organize Anti-Racism learning groups. The aim of these sessions is to provide a space for the community to learn and discuss practical ways of engaging in anti-racist practice. The first circle will be held on October 4th.

•  Organizing a series of conversations about academic life at Huron to collect feedback and give students the chance to reflect on effective teaching and learning opportunities and experiences. The first conversation will be held on October 5th. 

• Running a fundraiser for the Woodland Cultural Centre's Save the Evidence Campaign. All profits from the HUCSC’s Orange shirt sales will go to the fundraiser. Funds raised through the HUCSC’s used book sale - which is still ongoing - will also go to this cause. This initiative was conducted to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Additionally, at the USC’s September Meeting, both myself and Lexi Magder (Huron’s USC Representative) were elected to represent Western at the Fall 2021 General Assembly of the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA). OUSA is a coalition of student associations across Ontario, and is involved in crucial advocacy to the Provincial government. As delegates, we will be reviewing, debating and voting on policy papers concerning Responding to COVID-19, Student Mobility and Credit Transfer, Accountability and System Vision, Indigenous Students. Personally, this will be my third OUSA GA, and I look forward to continuing to represent Huron students at this important body.

Growing the HUCSC

Over September, we also opened up many opportunities for students to get involved in the HUCSC. The HUCSC’s clubs week ran from September 20-24th, giving first year and upper year students alike the chance to get involved with our Clubs System. This includes returning clubs such as the Huron Political Science Students’ Association, Huron Psychology Association, Huron Cinema Club and Huron History Society. This week also gave students interested in creating new clubs at Huron the chance to connect with like-minded prospective members. Many brand-new clubs, such as the Huron Adventure Club, reported significant interest from the student body.

As well, the HUCSC’s Fall elections are recently completed at the time of writing. As of last week, the following seats in our General Assembly have been filled: BMOS Representatives, Psychology Representative, Economics Representative, History Representative, CGS Representative, O’Neill-Ridley Hall Representatives, Hellmuth Hall Representative, Southwest Residence Representative, Off-Campus Representative. I would like to extend my congratulations to all the winners, and especially welcome those first-time members to the HUCSC.

If you’re still interested in getting involved, stay tuned for our upcoming fall hiring round and other opportunities!

MATTHEW CHASMAR, PRESIDENT

PRESIDENT@MYHURON.CA

Letter to the Class of 2025

Hello! My name is Matthew Chasmar, and as President of the Huron University College Students’ Council, I’d like to welcome all of you, the Class of 2025, into the Huron community! I’m very excited to see you all on our beautiful campus, and I look forward to getting to know all of you in the fall.

I remember my first few weeks at Huron as a blur of events and emotion. Was I excited? Absolutely. Was I also nervous, and a little intimidated? You know it. Many of you are now no doubt feeling similar emotions as you step into this next stage of your lives.

Yet almost as soon as OWeek began, I felt sure that Huron was the right place for me. Within days, I knew this was a place that is kind, accepting, and empowering. I remember the passion of the sophs, the excitement of the events, and a great many new faces. In fact, many of the people who I met in those first days of Orientation are still close friends today. 

And, almost as soon as I arrived at Huron, the Huron University College Students’ Council was working to make my experience better. The HUCSC supported and participated in the OWeek  that I have such fond memories of. They provided opportunities for me to get involved (as a Wellness Commissioner) and to run my own club (the Huron Cinema Club). These opportunities, as well as many others, were the start of the journey that brought me to being here today. 

This year, our commitment remains unchanged. We have been working throughout the summer to support Orientation, and you will see our smiling faces throughout OWeek. We have a whole roster of events planned for you throughout the fall. A larger and more robust club system than existed in my first year, with options for many interests. Upcoming opportunities to get involved with the HUCSC either through elected or hired positions. And, a brand new Beaver Dam (our on-campus bar) and student space in Huron’s new building. 

Class of 2025, while you are fortunate to be starting your year out on campus, a true return to normalcy has not yet come. Nevertheless, I am sure that the Huron community will continue to show the resilience and strength that it has demonstrated over the past year. If you take away only one thing from this letter, remember this phrase: Huron Stands Together. These three words have never been more true as they have been over the past year, and I am sure your class’ contributions to Huron will only make it more true in the months ahead.

One of the greatest things about the university experience is the range of options you have available to you. When I first came to Huron I could never have imagined that one day I would be HUCSC President. Anyways, now I’m here. As with many other things in life, what you get out of your Huron experience depends on what you put into it. And if you approach them with an open mind, the next four years will be an incredible opportunity for both growth and fun.

Please feel free to reach out to me, or anyone else on Council, throughout the year with questions, concerns or ideas you may have. I’d love to connect! Until then, I look forward to seeing you all on campus in the fall! And remember - Huron Stands Together.

MATTHEW CHASMAR, PRESIDENT

PRESIDENT@MYHURON.CA

Summer Update VP Student Events - Dakshina Kannan

Hi Huron! I am Dakshina Kannan and I am your Vice President of Student Events for this school year. As we go back to an offline year, I know that we will be facing a lot of challenges with the transition. My team and I hope to help you through this transition, support you with academics and also give you a fun year filled with great events!

PLATFORM PROGRESS: WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE THE ELECTIONS?

CONNECTION

We worked with the communications portfolio to launch the event feedback and implementation survey. This will be open throughout the school year! You have a say in the kind of events that we organize. Please fill this out anonymously or with your details to tell us what kind of events that you would like to see. We also reached out to the accessibility and sustainability commissioner for an events checklist with these priorities!

COLLABORATION

Expect to see clubs being invited to events (as student mentors to academic events and to perform at a social event), collaborations with Huron administration, local businesses, alumni and the Student Affairs portfolio!

COMMUNITY

One event that resembles this platform point is the Multicultural Talent Night. I am absolutely thrilled for this event. Any individual or group will be offered a stage to showcase their talents (arts, music, dance, poetry, etc.)! I look forward to inviting our talent and culture-based clubs to perform at this event! Look out for this event in November!

OTHER EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS:

Our current plan is to host both online and offline events. Keep an eye out for cool prizes and fun spaces to bond with other students.

HOW TO ADULT - AN EVENT SERIES

Brianna Arundine deserves all the credit for this cool series. Considering the year that we are in, this is more relevant than ever. In the first semester, there will be an event about financial literacy and healthy meal preparation.

HURON BALL

The Huron Ball will be happening in November and we are looking at Bellemere for our location. The theme is going to be a masquerade ball (It will be fancy, classy, and fun!). Kudos to my Social Events Associate (Brianna Arundine) and my Ball Coordinators (Anvita Seth and Georgia Maclean).  This would not be possible without their creativity, hard work, and willingness to support my goals.

ACADEMIC EVENTS

Each academic program mixer might look different. We hope to have some fun debates, research talks, and presentations for students to learn more about the programs that they are interested in. Program mixers that are happening in the first semester: BMOS, Psychology, CGS, GLE, Economics, and Political Science.

 If you want to learn more about anything that I mentioned in this post or if you would like to suggest any event ideas to me, reach me at vpstudentevents@myhuron.ca.  I can’t wait to hear from you and see you on campus!

DAKSHINA KANNAN, VP EVENTS

VPSTUDENTEVENTS@MYHURON.CA

Summer Update VP Communications - Kendra Hancock

   Hi Huron, I hope you have had a fantastic summer and are gearing up to join us on campus this fall! We have a lot of amazing things planned and we’re so excited to share them with all of you this year. I’m Kendra Hancock, your Vice-President Communications of the HUCSC this year. This is my second term with the HUCSC and I couldn’t be more ecstatic to be staying on. I am entering my 4th and final year at Huron, pursuing a major in English & Cultural Studies, minor in History, and certificate in Digital Communication through Western. 

    This summer, the Communications Portfolio has kept busy transitioning our strategy and operations to serve the student body back in an in-person setting. We’ve learned a lot through operating under Covid and we’re ready to bring this knowledge to our operations. Communications can be a tricky thing to define in a practical sense, especially as the portfolio often reaches into different areas of council. The communications portfolio can be defined as the body which is in charge of the council's external outlook, taking on such things as brand management or public relations, while working to ensure internal council initiatives are supported. Communications considers how we as a council not only represent ourselves, but more importantly, how we best represent our students. 

    Since the end of the academic year, the portfolio has turned-over operations and content to reflect the new term. This turnover has included website updates and upgrades. Also new to the website is a page dedicated as a comprehensive guide on resources for students, spanning Huron, main-campus, and the outer community. This is available at myhuron.ca/myresources. 

    The MyWellness social media channel was re-worked and rebranded to suit a more diverse range of content. Now known as the Student Support Channel, the page acts as a hub for all things wellness, growth, equity, and sustainability. The page can be found on instagram with the username @sschuron. 

    More recently, I have been working alongside the Finance & Administration portfolio as we prepare for the grand opening of the relocated Beaver Dam Bar. This is a very exciting moment for the council and I hope to ensure all the hard-work that has been put into the project is highlighted as we all enjoy the new space. 

    The portfolio has also made headway on other projects, such as Clubs Week preparation, video content creation, expansion of interactive social media stickers, merchandising plans, in-person Hype Team preparations, and the new ‘Memories’ project which will highlight the Huron student experience.

    I'm immensely proud of the communications team that has been put together this year- during the summer alone, they've put in a great deal of hard work and have accomplished so much. I would like to throw a bit of extra recognition their way as well as present this years’ portfolio structure:

Julia Conrad, Associate Social Media

Mary Fizell, Associate Promotions 

Hannah Roddan, Website/Blog Coordinator

Hannah Brayford, Affairs Marketing Coordinator

Arpan Dhaliwal, Video Commissioner

And finally, our incoming Hype Team; Abel Jack James, Angela Liu, Angela Taran, Lauren Stoyles, Pradyun Bajaj, and Rafa Drumond. 

Not all of the portfolio members' emails are public through the HUCSC, please contact vpcommunications@myhuron.ca to connect.

    We are in for a great year ahead Huron, see you on campus this fall! 

KENDRA HANCOCK, VP COMMUNICATIONS

VPCOMMUNICATIONS@MYHURON.CA

Summer Update VP Student Affairs - Urvi Maheshwari

Hi Huron! My name is Urvi Maheshwari. I am in my fourth year completing an honors specialization in psychology and a major in history, and I am your Vice President of Student Affairs this year!

The Student Affairs team aims to improve your student experience on campus, and we believe that fostering a positive, safe, and equitable campus environment is central to achieving our goal. To that end, the team has been working on a variety of projects based on five guiding principles: first, facilitating student growth; second, fostering community wellness and safety; third, working towards anti-racism and equity; fourth, promoting sustainable practices on campus; and fifth, community-driven advocacy.

Our priority has been to ensure a safe and smooth introduction and return to campus this fall. We have been advocating for greater safety and accessibility on campus as we return to in-person learning during the pandemic. Our efforts included consultations with 250+ students through individual meetings, focus groups, and an anonymous survey, a formal report on accessibility in hybrid learning, highlighting student concerns on the Ad-Hoc Committee for Academic Contingency Planning Committee, and conducting a series of meetings with the university administrators and department chairs about safety and accessibility in classrooms and residence alongside Matthew and your academic representatives.

We also know that this fall may be your first time away from home. Figuring out a new environment and city can be hard, even without the added complication of a pandemic. So, to make your transition to university and in-person learning easier, we have created an academic policy guide to help you navigate academic accommodations, assessments, and appeals at university, as well as a wellness resource guide, which covers low-cost health and lifestyle resources available in London – including grocery stores, gyms, health, dentistry, physiotherapy, and mental health services – to support your move to the city! We also recognize that being a student can be expensive, so we’ve ensured that the community food pantry expands to include more food and household supplies and moves to a non-denominational space that is easier to access for all of you. We are so excited for these resources to roll out this September!

As the year progresses, we want you to have more opportunities to contribute to the Huron community and learn some new skills along the way. The career development centre will now spotlight more opportunities for students in the arts and social sciences, including undergraduate grants and external awards, as well as specific opportunities for students of colour. Additionally, in a more dedicated effort to create opportunities, we partnered with the Centre for Undergraduate Research Learning (CURL) at Huron to create two new opportunities for students: the Academic Collaborator Initiative and the CURL Newsletter. The academic collaborators are a team of students who work with Huron faculty and staff to improve student life at Huron. Over the summer, the team worked on three different projects related to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion in undergraduate research learning, promoting research ethics practices, and improving mentorship and collaboration between faculty and students. These teams will submit their final reports and recommendations to the CURL Steering Committee and the HUCSC by the end of August. In a similar fashion, the CURL Newsletter is intended to spotlight stories about research and collaboration. The goal of these projects is to give students the opportunity to contribute to the research environment at Huron and give them the space to advocate for themselves. If you’d like to join these projects, we will be hiring for both teams in the fall!

The final part of my role is to represent your interests to various stakeholder and groups at Huron. I serve on a number of institutional committees, including the CURL Steering

Committee, the Research Ethics Board, the Experiential Learning Committee, the Equity and Diversity Committee, the Indigenous Initiatives Committee, the Huron 1Read Committee, and the Library Committee. Over the summer, many of these committees assessed the potential impact of the autonomy proposal on their role and function, discussed and reviewed gaps in policy and practice within their purview, and prepared for the fall semester. I also served on a committee responsible for hiring the new Coordinator of Teaching and Research at Huron. The coordinator helps faculty members with their research and teaching practices, reviews and writes academic policies for the institution, supports CURL projects, initiatives and programming, and helps students in the Scholar’s Electives Program.

If you would like a more detailed perspective on what was discussed and decided within these committees or have questions, concerns, thoughts, or ideas about the Student Affairs portfolio, please reach out to me at vpstudentaffairs@myhuron.ca. We do our best work when you are involved and give us feedback. The team is working hard to review policy, collect feedback, create resources, and plan events for the upcoming year. I am so proud of the work the members of this team have been doing, and I am immensely grateful to all of them.

We are all so excited to welcome you to campus!

URVI MAHESHWARI, VP STUDENT AFFAIRS

VPSTUDENTAFFAIRS@MYHURON.CA

Summer Presidential Update - Matthew Chasmar

Hello Huron! It has been a busy few months since I first took office as HUCSC President, and it’s hard to believe that the fall semester is almost upon us once again. Over the summer, the entire HUCSC team has been working hard to make this upcoming year the best it can be, and I am very proud of what all portfolios have accomplished. In my role as President, I have taken on a wide variety of tasks, which have often been opportunities for learning and reflection.

One of my earliest priorities was continuing the HUCSC’s advocacy regarding Huron’s proposed changes to its affiliation with Western. As part of this process, I worked closely with the Vice President Student Affairs, and represented student interests at meetings of Huron’s Academic Council, Faculty of Arts and Social Science, Board of Governors, as well as in meetings with Administrators. Once the details of this proposal had been finalized, we successfully advocated for a public town hall, that was conducted in June to update Huron students on this proposal.

An additional early priority was Portfolio hiring. During this time, I assisted the other VPs with hiring the members of their portfolios, and also selected the members of the Presidential portfolio. Each position had a range of qualified candidates, and it was awesome to see so many students who were interested in contributing their time and effort to the HUCSC. Through this process, Lexi Magder was hired as Associate to the President, and Leo Soler was hired as Executive Secretary. Both have already proved to be amazing members of the HUCSC team, and I look forward to working with them much more over the coming school year.

The summer has also provided me with an opportunity to connect with different stakeholders around the Huron and Western communities. The HUCSC does not exist in a bubble, and indeed is part of a much larger network of student councils across campus. Working with these other Councils, as well as other stakeholder groups (such as faculty and alumni), is often crucial for progress on many issues. Throughout the summer, I have met regularly with Zamir Fakirani, the President of the USC (Western’s Student Council) as well as the Presidents of King’s and Brescia’s student councils.

I have also been active representing the HUCSC on the floor of the USC’s General Assembly, where I am one of two Huron representatives. Here, as well as in my capacity as a member of the USC’s Governance and Finance Standing Committee, I have been able to provide a Huron perspective on various policies and topics. Additionally, I was elected as a student trustee to the PurpleCare Trust. This body oversees the Student Health and Dental plan, and has also been a window into how insurance works, which is not something I expected to learn about in this job.

One USC-related effort that has been especially important to me has been my efforts to establish a Transport Advocacy Working Group on the USC Council. The working group will consist of Councillors and Students-At-Large, and be will be focused on advocating on students’ transportation needs. This is a topic that is particularly important to me personally, and I hope that this body will be able to accomplish a lot over the next year.

Finally, as the summer has progressed, preparing for the year to come has become an increasingly large priority for me. I have represented the HUCSC at Huron’s SOAR sessions, which has given me a chance to promote the HUCSC to incoming first-year students.

The HUCSC has also been involved in advocacy related to Huron’s return to in-person learning. Like many of you, I am very excited about the coming return to a physical learning environment. However, we must also ensure that the transition is done safely, and that necessary accommodations are provided. To this end, in August I worked with the Student Affairs portfolio to produce a survey to collect data on Huron students’ thoughts about the back-to-campus situation. The results of this survey were presented to the members of the HUCSC’s General Assembly at an August meeting, and informed the recently passed HUCSC stance in favour of the on-campus vaccine mandate.

While the upcoming school year will likely be more “normal” than the last, a true return to normalcy has not yet come. Nevertheless, I am sure that the Huron community will continue to show the resilience and strength that it has shown over the past year. If you’re interested in learning more about anything the HUCSC is doing, or want to get involved please do not hesitate to reach out. I look forward to seeing you all on campus in the fall!

MATTHEW CHASMAR, PRESIDENT

PRESIDENT@MYHURON.CA

An Open Letter to Students: Pandemic, Recovery, and Community Care

Hi Huron,

I hope you’re enjoying the last days of summer. I thought I’d write to you before the term starts in just one week! It’s an exciting time: some of you may be living away from home for the first time, others may be getting ready to move back to the city, and I am sure everyone is eager to meet new people and reunite with old friends. For an extrovert like me, September is definitely the best month of the year! But this year looks a little different than others, and I wanted to use this space to acknowledge and address the mixed emotions we’re feeling right now.

Let’s take a minute to talk about grief. Over the last year and a half, we’ve all experienced loss: be in the death of a loved one, the loss of physical and social contact with friends and family, the loss of a certain way of life, or the loss of our student experience. The pandemic, politics, and protests of the last year and a half have been draining for all of us. We have all been grieving, and there is no timeline on grief.

Similar to grief, healing and recovery looks different for everyone; and you may have mixed emotions about being “back to normal”. I know I do. Honestly, I don’t even know what ‘normal’ means anymore! I am happy to be back but also anxious about the fourth wave; I am excited to meet my friends but overwhelmed by the ever-evolving public health messaging. But I also know that I am not alone in feeling this way; that means, neither are you.

The world as we know it has shifted, and it’s okay to take some time to adjust to all the changes. Besides, university is hard enough without a global health crisis looming over our heads (and frankly, I will scream if I hear the word ‘pivot’ one more time!). So, take care of yourselves and the people around you. This definitely means setting personal boundaries, as well as respecting others’ by wearing masks, physical distancing, and limiting social engagements; it means cutting yourself and others some slack when you miss a deadline or don’t make it through your to-do list, and it also means standing-up for yourselves when those boundaries are violated. If something makes you uncomfortable, it’s possible others might feel similarly. Ask for help when you need it and demand better when you deserve it.
You are your best advocate.

Your student experience matters and we’re here to make sure you have the best one possible.

Stay safe and well. I hope to see you very soon!

Urvi Maheshwari, Vice-President Student Affairs

vpstudentaffairs@myhuron.ca