Hellooo October! Hope everyone’s first month back to school has been absolutely swell! It’s an eventful time of year, and OUSA’s certainly getting into the thick of things.
During the month of September, we completed our Consent Awareness Week (CAW) campaign. From September 19-23, OUSA released our visual glossary of a few common terms that are frequently used in conversations and advocacy surrounding sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). While these definitions are imperfect, the goal here is to continue learning from SGBV scholars, resources, and activism. Part of our campaign was also in support of the many CAW initiatives across the province that week. Many of our member schools mobilized during CAW to raise awareness about sexual and gender-based violence, particularly in support of Possibility Seeds’ call on the province to officially recognize Consent Awareness Week during the third week of September every year. The objective here is to signal to our province, our campuses, and our communities that we must work together to cultivate a culture of consent.
Also excitingly, our home office team and I have completed our campus visits for the semester! It’s been awesome visiting the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA), University Students’ Council at Western (USC), and OTSU (Ontario Tech Students Union)!
Looking ahead, October is an exciting month. OUSA’s fall General Assembly will be happening for the first time in-person since 2019! Our member schools will be sending student delegates to our host, Students’ General Association (SGA) at Laurentian University, where we will be discussing the following policy papers: Tuition, Ancillary & Incidental Fees, and Student Entrepreneurship, Employment & Employability. I can’t wait to meet students from all around the province – I hope you’re all excited too!
Lastly, don’t forget that municipal elections are coming up on October 24. While every municipality is a little different, the Association of Municipalities Ontario is a good place to start. Be sure to register to vote, and my tip is to vote in advance and skip the lines!
Wishing you all a cozy and (slightly) spooky October! Until next time!
Jess