Blog
Does Political Science Belong in STEM?
Read moreInterested in writing for OUSA? Contact Tiffany Li Wu, our Operations & Communications Coordinator.
Reclaiming Radical
When you hear the word “radical”, what kind of images appear in your mind? Many different things perhaps, but it’s probably accompanied by a great deal of apprehension or even fear. It’s no wonder why, since many people today use it as a synonym for, or coupled with, “extreme.” Combining this “extreme” connotation with its usage in political contexts makes for a very scary word indeed. Turning on the news or listening to public discourse, you will regularly hear it used as a pejorative for factions or political actors that are opposed to the talking head you’re watching. “We simply can’t support these radical positions; they’re completely outrageous!” and so on and so forth. Well, I’m here to tell you that “radical” has been treated quite unfairly by our modern discourse and that radical solutions to the many critical problems we face today may not be so “radical” after all.
Presidential Update February 2024
Hi and Happy Black History Month!
Within a blink of an eye, we are already through the second month of the year.
To start off OUSA's birth month, we launched the What is OUSA? campaign on social media. First, our Action Plan, which outlines the organization's annual goals, was published. Our summer internship applications opened and concluded, and we are excited to see who the new team will be. We also held a campus sweater giveaway in recognition of our 32nd birthday and our 3 winners were contacted! Finally, our campus visits reel series is now available for viewing on Instagram - this was a fun way to connect with students and listen to their concerns around OSAP and insights on post-secondary education!
Throw the Stone; Limitless
We are all authors and storytellers. Following along with the pages and chapters, opportunities and barriers of our lives; a time before, during, and after this moment, and every other moment. My story, not dissimilar to yours, began inside a glass house, witnessing the unfolding dynamics around us. Uniquely, my story underscores that we carry a sacred duty to connect with our heart. Through this we possess limitless potential, striving for a collective liberation, rooted in the cultivation of wisdom.
Summer 2024 Internships - OUSA
OUSA is thrilled to offer two internships this summer for undergraduate students at our member schools! We are hiring for the positions of:
Applicants are welcome to apply for one or both positions, but will only be invited to participate in one interview. Please visit the attached links above for more information on both internships.
Internships are open to students at our member schools who are represented by our participating student associations; these include:
- Queen's University - Alma Mater Society (AMS)
- Brock University - Brock University Students' Union (BUSU)
- University of Waterloo - Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA)
- McMaster University - McMasgter Students Union (MSU)
- Laurentian University - Students' General Association (SGA)
- Trent University Durham GTA - Trent Durham Student Association (TDSA)
- Western University - University Students' Council (USC)
- Wilfrid Laurier University - Wilfrid Laurier University Students' Union (Laurier SU)
- Ontario Tech University- Ontario Tech Student Union (OTSU)
Presidential Update January 2024
Hey, hi, hello!
Happy New Year dear friends! I hope 2024 has been treating you well thus far, and only continues to be as fulfilling.
Should You Care? Cultural Sensitivity, Access & Community in Care at Post-Secondary Institutions.
Sreenidhi Jaganathan, OUSA Summer 2022 Research Intern present Should You Care? Cultural Sensitivity, Access and Community in Care at Post-Secondary Institutions.
Does Every Political Science Student Go Down the “Pre-Law” Drain?
As I enter the 4th and final year of my undergraduate journey, I am left pondering my countless career-induced meltdowns, as the post-graduation navigation of jobs is overstimulation at its finest. Although it seemed like an isolating process where only I could possibly be contemplating what to do after my time at McMaster, it was oddly comforting to see my peers in political science face the same dilemmas.
One thing about political science students: they will do their very best to look like they got it all figured out, no matter the costs.
Presidential Update November and December 2023
Hello friends!
November has been a whirlwind of events after events.
Firstly, the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health (CICMH) hosted their annual conference where I got to co-host and where OUSA once again had the chance to present. Our brilliant RPAs, Octavia and Ananya, as well as our superstar MSU representative, Abby, facilitated a session on the mental health experiences of marginalized students in an evolving social-political climate. We were thrilled to see over 120 attendees at their presentation, and appreciate all the hard work of the CICMH staff in their planning and execution of the event!
September & October Presidential Updates 2023
Hi wonderful people,
I hope your days have been filled with care. It has been a while and a LOT has happened…
I want to begin my update by acknowledging the loss of our friend, Stephanie Ye-Mowe. I am sincerely thinking of my colleague, Steph’s family, friends and loved ones during this time. Stephanie was an amazing advocate and friend, who was strongly committed to amplifying the student voice and had an incredible intellect to match, carrying a critical lens in all the spaces they interacted with. We miss Steph dearly, and are always thankful for what they brought to OUSA and our lives.
For those keeping scores at home, this is OUSA’s 58th General Assembly Recap!
Another successful General Assembly (GA) is in the bag for OUSA! This fall GA, we gathered at Wilfrid Laurier University in Kitchener-Waterloo where student leaders spent four intensive days discussing and approving student-written policy papers. The conference brought together all of our member schools in person with the new addition of the Ontario Tech Student Union, taking our membership slate to represent nine schools and over 160,000 students in Ontario! The excitement from seasoned GA delegates and some of the nervousness of 1st time-goers made for a riveting weekend with laughter, hugs and inside jokes.