Vegetarian food policy
The CSU is considering instating a new policy which would require 50 per cent of all food served at CSU-sponsored events to be vegetarian, with half that amount being vegan.
While no councillors opposed the motion on principle, several voiced concerns about the wording, saying it was too ambiguous. Councillors were also divided on whether the policy should apply to events held by CSU clubs. The motion will be revised and reintroduced at next month’s council meeting. As it stands now, the policy would not apply to off-campus events.
CFS petition certified
The petition to call to question Concordia undergraduates’ continued membership with the Canadian Federation of Students, a student lobby group, has had its signatures certified. The petition collected signatures of 17 per cent of all undergraduate students, well over the threshold of 10 per cent required to trigger the referendum.
The CSU officially threw its support behind the petition after November’s chaotic CFS Annual General Meeting, where the CSU alleges the Concordia delegation was unfairly targeted and harassed. The petition was delivered to the CFS Oct. 17, meaning the 90 day window for the CFS to set a referendum date has passed, according to CSU President Amine Dabchy. Dabchy says the CSU will be calling the CFS next week to determine why a date hasn’t been set.
Heeere’s Jack!
Federal NDP leader Jack Layton will most likely be coming to Concordia mid-February, for an event co-hosted by the CSU and NDP Concordia. Last week, the university hosted federal Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff. While no date has been finalized, Feb. 17 is shaping up as a likely date for his appearance.
Budget passed
The CSU passed its revised budget for 2009-10. The CSU still projects a surplus for this year, despite revenues being down somewhat from the past year. Additionally, councillors voted to amend the budget by transferring $5,000 from campaign expenditures to green initiatives. The budget update is available on the downloads section of the CSU website.