Tag: orientation

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Arts and Culture Student Life

What is FASA and What Does it offer?

FASA 101 hosted several workshops in Concordia’s VAV Gallery. Photo by Kaitlynn Rodney / The Concordian.

Concordia’s Fine Arts Student Alliance hosted their first orientation event of the school year.

Concordia University’s Fine Arts Student Alliance (FASA) is a student-run organization that provides funding, creates several clubs and organizes art shows for all students within the faculty of fine arts. It is committed to being an inclusive, diverse, accessible and welcoming community for all students. FASA 101 was a recent event organized by the FASA members at Concordia’s VAV gallery located at the Sir George Williams campus on Tuesday, Sept. 12. 

FASA 101 Zine Workshop, VAV Gallery. Courtesy of FARR Concordia, Photo by India-Lynn Upshaw-Ruffner.

This event was an orientation gathering that brought together all the clubs under FASA. The aim was to provide a better understanding of the association and the opportunities it offers to new students. As one of the members mentioned, “it is basically an event where you should drop in, make crafts, meet friends while getting to know available opportunities.The Concordian was able to attend the Mindful Campus Initiative presentation—part of the many presentations and workshops that took place during FASA 101. 

The association representatives explained FASA’s dedication to the well-being of the fine arts students. The presentation outlined offered online courses focusing on stress and anxiety management tips, on campus services and activities for students to take advantage of as they navigate their coursework. 

The representatives also discussed the potential difficulty students may have as they begin to get involved on campus. It may seem overwhelming at first for new students to pursue joining new clubs in an unfamiliar environment, but FASA’s mission is to make the process as accessible as possible.

FASA offers several opportunities that can help students get involved in the university. Some of the best ways to get involved are by following callouts for upcoming exhibitions or events, volunteer work, jobs and grants. The best way to access all of these opportunities is through their websites, Instagram accounts, and email subscriptions. 

The VAV gallery’s general meeting is one of the upcoming events that will be hosted on Sept.21  at the gallery to elect the board members for the 2023–2024 academic year. Undergraduate students in the fine arts department are welcome to attend this event—whether to simply become familiar with the operation and members of the gallery, or to nominate themselves for one of the positions available! 

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News

Student Success Centre: How to navigate this helpful student resource

Concordia University’s academic and career support centre for students

The Student Success Centre (SSC) boasts an extensive range of school and job search resources that thousands of students use every year. From first-year students to graduates, the SSC has a lot to offer our Concordia community.

Navigating all the different components can be daunting, so we sat down with Juliet O’Neill Dunphy, the interim associate director and manager of student learning services at the SSC, to talk about the centre, now that all their services are being offered virtually. This guide is organized by listing the services under the five branches of the SSC.

To book an appointment or register in a studying or drop-in session, follow the instructions through the links.

NEW STUDENTS

Welcome Crew Mentors are undergraduate and graduate students who have been trained to help new students transition into their academic life. The SSC seeks to represent as many faculties as possible within their mentorship crew. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Dunphy said more students are using this service. “It’s become more important for students to have that instantaneous connection with somebody.”

“Because of the isolation that so many students are experiencing now, having somebody to reach out to and talk to is amazingly helpful.”

Virtual events have their upsides, with students being able to connect wherever they are, and re-watch events when they have time. Twice annually, the Student Success Centre hosts an orientation for new undergraduate and graduate students. At orientation, several academic departments, student associations, and different organizations at the university meet with prospective students to present what they offer and answer questions.

Dunphy said attendance dramatically increased with the transition to a virtual orientation, and they also noticed prospective students continued to watch the recorded presentations saved on the website after the event.

The centre also has first-year support counselling, provided by councellor Monica Boulos, to help students with issues they may encounter during their first academic year, like homesickness and anxiety with school.

Boulos also hosts interactive workshops throughout the semester, with academic and support topics, such as: “First-year Check-in: Staying focused and productive while dealing with Zoom fatigue.”

LEARNING SERVICES

Over 50 students work at the SSC as paid study group leaders, tutors, and writing assistants. They organize peer-led academic help sessions for students from different faculties.

The Math & Science-based learning support offers study groups and one-on-one tutoring for prerequisite math, accounting, and economics courses with high enrollment, and study groups for some basic science courses. When organizing their popular math exam review sessions, the SSC works in liaison with the Department of Mathematics & Statistics “To try and make sure we’re providing sample questions that are relevant to whatever might happen in the most recent exam,” said Dunphy.

Over a thousand students attend some of these sessions, which are offered throughout the year.

For students who want to gauge their proficiency in math courses, the SSC has free math self-assessments, which feature mock exams and homework samples. This assessment is especially useful for newly-admitted CEGEP students who were exempted from completing basic math courses at Concordia, but want to make sure they are well prepared for the upper level courses.

These weekly study groups and mock exams are also available for the basic economics courses. Dunphy said the centre noticed “students who come into these sessions are much more likely to succeed.”

For science students, the SSC offers Strategic Learning sessions for some entry level classes. Dunphy said these sessions are taught by a student tutor who excelled in the entry level course. The tutor attends the class again, this time to observe how the students are understanding the material, and prepares interactive student sessions outside of class time based on what students need help understanding.

Additionally, there are 13 writing assistants who offer undergraduate and graduate students writing advice and feedback, through a drop-in session, or by booking a personal appointment. The SSC also provides free writing advice handouts, which provide general guidelines on a variety of topics, for example: “A Brief Guide to Writing a Research Paper” and “A Template For Writing An Essay.”

Students can also use the Writing Assignment Calculator to help strategize when to complete different stages of their writing assignments. By filling in when the assignment is due, the calculator provides a timeline of when to have each portion of the project completed.

“Students find this really helpful, it keeps them on track,” said Dunphy.

For specific language help, language facilitators also host conversation sessions in English and in French, to help participants learn the respective language by encouraging them to develop their spontaneous speaking skills in a group setting.

The learning services also feature academic help beyond the textbooks. Three Learning Specialists support students with academic advice and guidance on topics such as time management, preparing for exams. and dealing with exam anxiety. Students can either book an appointment, attend a drop-in session, or participate in workshops which are repeatedly hosted throughout the semester. Events include: “Read and Remember Online Readings (Without falling asleep),” “The Way of APA” and “Get Back on Track: How to refocus and finish your semester strong!”

Dunphy said these one-on-one sessions for time management have become increasingly popular for students.

“Right now with COVID, students are finding just adding structure to their day is really challenging, because every day seems kind of seamless and endless, and so we talk about how to do that, and how to build breaks, and build in key study times, so that there’s balance.”

FUTUREREADY

FeatureReady originated from “a feeling that students were not really leaving Concordia with professional skills,” according to Dunphy. Here, students can complete core skill modules that can help them transition into their careers with workshops under topics such as “Career Development” and “Innovation & Entrepreneurship.”

For students looking to take on a leadership role, the SkillXchange helps students develop a workshop themselves. Working alongside a coach and mentors, students work to produce an official skill or information session for the Concordia community.

CAREER PLANNING

Career planning offers both career counselling and advising services for students. While career counseling focuses on helping students make decisions about their academic and career path based on their interests, career advising helps students with their job search.

Students can also attend one of the many professional workshops and job fairs available on the website. Under “Networking and Recruitment Events” students can meet recruiters and learn job skills with companies and organizations like RBC, Home Depot, and the Cree School Board.

Students can also find general professional help under “Career Development and Job Search Strategies” which feature workshops on how to write a CV and cover letter, and how to network.

Additionally, for students and alumni looking for job opportunities, the centre posts over 300 job openings each month in their online job bank, which include full and part-time positions.

If you’re a student unsure of what career you’d like to pursue with your degree, you can also visit “What can I do with my degree in…” to look at your options. If you’ve already graduated but still need guidance, alumni can have additional career help as well.

ADVOCACY

For students accused of academic misconduct or behavioural complaints, the Student Advocacy Office branch at the SSC can connect them with staff or student advocates who will work closely with a representative, and help the accused student navigate the Academic Code of Conduct.

The centre also can also help students complete academic requests, such as withdrawing from a class after the deadline with a tuition refund, exam deferral, credits transfer, tuition refund, and much more.

 

 

 

Graphic courtesy of the Student Success Centre

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Concordia Student Union News

CSU Club Fair Attracts Hundreds

Throughout Welcome Week, the Concordia Student Union (CSU) worked to engage new and returning students. The Union’s Facebook page listed nine events ranging from a sustainability mixer to a student-parent BBQ.

Last Wednesday’s club fair was one of CSU’s more popular events. Hundreds of people marked themselves as “interested” or “going” on the union’s Facebook page. The CSU and four faculty associations work with more than 100 on-campus groups. More than a dozen of them, like the Concordia Game Club to Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy, reached out to new and returning students at the fair to make introductions.

Concordia’s CJLO blasted music throughout the Hall Building’s mezzanine as students wandered between displays. First-year student Sienna Thompains said she enjoyed Welcome Week and the club fair.

“I didn’t really know anybody because I’m from the States, but I’m having a great time getting to know people,” said Thompains.

Chris Iannotti, an executive at the Concordia Game Club, said that many first-years and a few graduate students expressed interest in the group. According to Iannotti, finding information about student groups is difficult online but the Club Fair’s physical presence helps overcome technological barriers.

“Right now, the state of Concordia’s website for club finding is a bit messy, but here you’re able to sign up and join all the facebook groups,” said Iannotti.

Iannotti’s Concordia Game Club is not new to Concordia. Founded more than three decades ago, Iannotti said he has no complaints about CSU’s involvement in the on-campus groups.

“We all get a fair budget, and when we need something they [CSU] help us,” said Iannotti.

At another stand, Tess Walker managed the Concordia chapter of Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy. Walker, the co-founder of the Concordia chapter that opened this year, said the goal is to promote harm-reduction on campus, but she was disappointed the group did not have a presence during frosh week.

“It’s the year when people start experimenting with drugs and alcohol, and we are hoping to have more resources to hand out,” said Walker. “CSU has been helpful. Especially last year, people helped set up the club. We’ll see how it goes this year.”

Welcome Week is coming to an end, but Club Fair (part II) is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Hall Building’s mezzanine on Wednesday, September 11.

 

Photos by Britanny Clarke

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Concordia Student Union News

CSU announces town hall meeting

CSU councillors meet for their regular council meeting. Photo by Nelly Sérandour-Amar

Councillors meet to discuss the international student hike campaign and look back on Orientation

During the Concordia Student Union (CSU) meeting on Wednesday, it was announced a town hall meeting will be taking place on Nov. 16 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Mezzanine of the Hall building, where students can learn about their new International Tuition Hike campaign.

The newly-created campaign was announced when the CSU posted an open letter on their website,  saying that the university was planning a tuition hike affecting students in deregulated programs.

“We want to reach out to everyone—this is a reason why the CSU exists,” said CSU vice president of external affairs and mobilization coordinator, Aloyse Muller. He said he was surprised with the Commerce and Administration Students Association (CASA), as they have not shown any interest in the campaign yet. “CASA has the biggest number of international students in the university,” he said.

Muller said the CSU has hired two international students, ​Ali Sherra from the faculty of Arts and Science and Aida Sidibé, who studies at JMSB, to help with the campaign. Muller said they will help inform and mobilize students, through general outreach towards student groups, flyering, postering, developing materials and event organizing, to name a few.

“The CSU is and will be campaigning against this hike—it’s our mission,” said Muller. “But the opposition needs to come and be led by the students themselves.” He strongly suggested students follow the example of Samuel Miriello and Sepideh Zangeneh, two students who helped organize the campaign independently a few weeks ago, through creating a Facebook group called “Concordia University Against international Tuition Hike.”

Following the tuition hikes discussion, student life coordinator Rachel Gauthier presented a document which detailed how the orientation events at the beginning of the Fall 2016 semester went. Gauthier said she is grateful for the hard work the CSU coordinators contributed to Orientation.

According to the Orientation budget Gauthier presented, the CSU only spent $117,388.45 of the original $160,000 budget, leaving them with a surplus of $42,611.55.

Gauthier said, overall, most of the Orientation events were a success. The one exception was the OUMF comedy show, which didn’t have a lot of  attendees. She said she believes the event was not well advertised, and the fact that the show was on the second day of school didn’t leave the CSU enough time to promote the event. She ended her speech by saying she recommends the next team to take on orientation week only schedule a week of events, as the second week saw a dip in event attendance, since students began to focus on school more during the second week.

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News

ASFA tackles the culture of frosh

Photo by Florence Yee.

Arts & Sciences Federation Association (ASFA) will be kicking off Frosh week by hosting consent workshops for the first time on Aug. 30 and Aug. 31.

It will be mandatory for anyone who has purchased a ticket to Frosh for the full week to attend the workshop prior to being let into Frosh events. “We decided we would take precautions this year and be careful and [ensure] that everyone was safe,” said ASFA internal affairs and administrative coordinator Julia Sutera Sardo. “Executives, leaders and volunteers have already undergone consent, harm reduction and the safe serve program (SSP) in preparation for frosh week.”

This is part of ASFA’s goal to reduce the typical culture surrounding Frosh, said Sutera Sardo. She said that she had not previously attended Frosh, due to not appreciating the culture of binge drinking and lack of consent surrounding the week.

However, Sutera Sardo said ASFA wanted to change how frosh was organized this year to provide a safer space for everyone attending the events. “I was really happy I got to take part in changing the culture of how things work,” she said.

ASFA social events coordiantor Marc Da Silva said Frosh is really well organized this year as opposed to last year. “I’m definitely really excited about the consent workshops that are being given,” said Da Silva. “I think that’s a necessity in making sure frosh is safer.”

Sutera Sardo said that ASFA’s goal in changing the culture of Frosh has definitely been a group effort. ASFA is working in collaboration with the Dean of Students office to provide the consent workshops.

ASFA VP of community outreach and sustainability coordinator Agunik Mamikonyan said ASFA will be hosting five different sessions for the consent training, each session lasting an hour and a half each.

“We’re going to register [Froshees] when they come in and they are going to get their bracelets by the end of the session.” Mamikonyan said this is in order to ensure all attending the week of events at Frosh will have undergone consent training.

Dean of Students Andrew Woodall said ASFA reached out to the Dean of Students to get information about consent, bystander intervention and how to organize safer events. “We’ve been working with the execs—the outgoing and incoming since January as a group on trying to change the culture of orientation of Frosh,” said Woodall.

Woodall said Froshees will undergo workshops focused on consent training and understanding how alcohol may impact and limit decision making. While executives and Frosh leaders are undergoing workshops focused on not only consent, but risk reduction as well, said Woodall. “Generally what we’re doing with the execs and the Frosh leaders is more about risk reduction—so consent and bystander [intervention], alcohol, what to watch out for and some drugs, too.”

Woodall said that the extensive training for leaders and executives is due to them setting up the event. The training will address how to set up an event in a manner with least risk to the Froshies—such as having longer lineups for alcohol, having water and food available and not having alcohol as the point of a game.

Sutera Sardo also ensured Frosh participants would have a safe space if they needed it. “I made sure that we had a safe room [for beach day], because I feel having experienced panic attacks myself before, sometimes you just don’t feel comfortable in a specific zone with people or you may be dehydrated,” said Sutera Sardo. The safe room will help those attending Frosh by offering a separate space to relax and lay down.

In addition, there will be plenty of water available, first aid certified executives and security will be present. “By implementing some chill stations and safe rooms in all of our events we’re going to be able to have that place there, in case somebody feels uncomfortable and wants to speak to us,” said Sutera Sardo.

Sutera Sardo said that in order to create a more inclusive platform for Frosh week, ASFA is trying to involve not only first years, but undergraduate and graduate students. “Frosh isn’t only about freshmen,” she said. Sutera Sardo explained the first event being the cocktail mixer party is designed to incorporate more mature students. Sardo said her goal is to make more of a connection between new students, experienced undergraduates and graduate students, as well as creating a better network between students at Sir George Williams campus and Loyola Campus.

Sutera Sardo said while planning frosh there were many meetings with other student groups and associations, as well as representatives from Concordia’s security, hospitality, electricity department and facilities management departments to generate a greater communication with one another.

“I feel like a lot of times problems that arise at Frosh all start in the planning of it, so we took about four months to plan everything,” she said.

Last year ASFA changed the title of Frosh week to “launch week” in order to change the bad vibes associate with the events. However, this year the title has been changed back to Frosh. “Students were not familiar with the term “launch” and didn’t realize it pertained to orientation activities,” said Da Silva.

“We’re doing the best we can and I really buy into this team’s desire to do away with the reputation [ASFA] had a couple of years ago,” said Woodall.

“In the end, all we want is to be able to communicate and share our ideas in a really safe manner,” said Sutera Sardo. “[ASFA] council has sometimes been an unsafe place and by having these trainings [for frosh executives] hopefully it will be safer and will be conducive to just better communication.”

This article has been updated for accuracy and clarity since publishing. The Concordian regrets the error.

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Concordia Student Union News

Experience the city and Concordia at CSU orientation

Graphic from Press.

A new school year means, among other things, that the Concordia Student Union has an array of orientation events lined up geared towards first year students. The CSU wants to share their passion for Montreal’s liveliness with the university’s vast student population. This year’s orientation theme, “Experience,” is inspired by Montreal’s Expo 67. Spanning two weeks, orientation events last until Sept. 12.

A concert in Jean Drapeau Park, the site of Expo 67, has been planned by the CSU in collaboration with Commerce and Administration Students’ Association (CASA) for Sept. 6. While the performers have yet to be announced, the CSU promises “the most memorable concert to date.”

Students will have fuel to get through the first two weeks of school, as free coffee from Café Santropol will be available at both the Loyola and Sir George Williams campuses.

To kick off the string of events, free breakfast including Fairmount bagels will be served just outside the Hall building on the first day of classes. Later in the week, on Sept. 10, there will be an all-you-can-eat breakfast where students can put faces to the names of members and executives from CASA, ASFA, FASA and the ECA, who will be there to meet them.

CSU and überculture, a diverse group of creative-types made up of Concordia students and alumni, will host an art fair on Sept. 4 and 5 where students can discover and pick up unique pieces at a low cost. The group’s campaign to “empower independent art, media and culture” will be supported at the fair.

At the Open Air Pub behind Reggie’s, students can attend different daily activities including henna workshops on Sept. 3 and the CJLO record sale on Sept. 9. The pub will stay open until 2 a.m. on Sept. 5, marking the first of Reggie’s weekly Thirsty Thursdays.

Reggie’s is also the locale for the Sustainable Food Fest on Sept. 11 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., where students can help themselves to locally produced goods and support sustainability. A little later that evening at Reggie’s, students’ talent in poetry and comedy will be highlighted at the Poetry Slam and Open Mic Night.

Before the summer ends, students can relax at least once more on a rooftop terrace. On Sept. 9, a jazz cocktail event with live music will take place downtown on the 11th floor and terrace of the EV building, where students will be given two free drinks.

The Loyola BBQ on Sept. 4 is where students can try their hand at ultimate frisbee then feast on burgers (meat or veggie) and popsicles. The CSU and ASFA along with another club, which has not yet been announced, will host a cultural night at The Hive, also at Loyola Campus, on Sept. 10. The secret club will be serving traditional food.

After eating and lounging, students might be eager to get a little more active. To suit those needs, free pole dancing and kickboxing introductory classes will be held on Sept. 10 in the Hall building. At the Loyola Chapel on Sept. 11, the John Molson Sustainable Business Group is hosting a free yoga class. If students fall in love with an activity, they can register for regular classes at both gyms.

To end the orientation, on Sept. 12, there’s an ’80s dance party in the Hall building as well as a ’90s themed final party at Reggie’s. The CSU invites students to slip back in time and indulge in nostalgia before settling back into what can quickly become a hectic new school year.

For more information and the complete schedule, visit csuorientation.com

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Concordia Student Union News

Concerns raised at first CSU meeting of the year

Photo by Madelayne Hajek

Photo by Madelayne Hajek

Concerns were raised at the first 2013 meeting of the Concordia Student Union over the amount budgeted to the CSU’s Judicial Board, which councillor James Vaccaro said could lead to a potential conflict of interests in the future.

According to Vaccaro, the JB, which can be called on to interpret bylaws and settle disputes between members of the CSU, has only been budgeted one-tenth of what is meant to be given to the JB according to the standing regulations. Despite the regulations stating clearly that a global amount of no less than $5,000 is to be given to the JB for their work that includes funding for legal fees for lawyers and consultations, to date only a figure of roughly $500 was allocated to the board in the budget.

Vaccaro voiced concern that should the JB be asked to step in on a matter involving the CSU, it would be forced to first go to the CSU to ask for funding before it would be able to take any actions, something that Vaccaro said would cause a clear conflict of interest.

Nadine Atallah, VP clubs and internal affairs, told council that historically the JB has almost never used more than a few hundred dollars each year, which was why so little was budgeted to them this year. Atallah also proposed sending the matter to the policy committee for review, saying that the matter did need resolving but that altering the standing regulations to more accurately fit the financial needs of the JB might be a good idea.

Vaccaro explained that he was disconcerted that it needed to be brought up at council and that councillors who knew of the issue weren’t concerned.

“The thing that I found a little odd is that the executive is putting $500 in the budget for the Judicial Board, knowing full well that their minimum allowed budget is five thousand dollars,” said Vaccaro. “So right off the bat as your budget is being accepted, you’re going against the regulations of the union.”

He went on to explain that the appropriate funds should be made available in spite of not needing the entire sum in the past.

“It feels to me that the executive feel this is a non-issue, but if it does become an issue it will be a matter of importance.”

Council voted to send the issue to the financial committee and the policy committee for review.

Post-mortem orientation report

During a discussion of the upcoming winter orientation, councillor Melissa Kate Wheeler brought up the ongoing issue of Alexis Suzuki’s orientation post-mortem, a document submitted earlier in the year that Wheeler and others have raised complaints about in the past. The document, meant to be a summary of the successes and failures of orientation as well as recommendations for possible improvements, was considered short and unfocused by councillors like Wheeler, who told The Concordian that none of the failures of the orientation were mentioned and that its successes were played up to be greater than they were.

“There were a lot of problems with orientation. There was low attendance at a lot of the events and it sort of screamed poor planning in a lot of ways,” she said. “It’s a learning experience every year and no orientation is ever perfect, and nobody expected it to be perfect, but there were a lot of problems and they went completely unaddressed in [Suzuki’s] post-mortem.”

The wording of the post-mortem was also an issue for Wheeler, who said that nowhere in the report were words like ‘failure’ or ‘improvement’, compared to words like ‘success’ and ‘amazing’ appearing 12 times and nine times respectively.

Another point of contention remains Suzuki’s proposal to write a how-to guide for future orientations. Chad Walcott, another councillor to raise concerns over the post-mortem, told The Concordian that he was uncomfortable with the idea of Suzuki writing such a guide given that this past orientation was what he called the “least attended Orientation that I’ve seen at Concordia in the last 5 years.”

“To date, she has not demonstrated that she is able to be self-critical of her work, and as such I believe this limits her ability to give future VPs any insight into effective ways of running orientation,” he said.

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News

When it rains, it pours

The concert to wrap up the Concordia Student Union’s two-week long Orientation ended early due to thunderstorms Friday evening, Sept. 14.

The concert for accessible education featured BadBadNotGood, KRNFX and Azari and Ill in the Loyola Quad. The CSU sold bracelets for a dollar donation to contribute to the bursaries.

Azari and Ill never took the stage because of a windy, torrential downpour that forced undergraduate students to take cover underneath the tents that sold food and beer around 9 p.m. The CSU decided to end the concert early and told students to go to The Hive or board the shuttle busses waiting outside the Quad.

CSU President Schubert Laforest confirmed that approximately 810 students came to the concert, which is significantly smaller than previous concerts organized by the CSU. In 2011, approximately 1,500 to 2,000 students gathered for the free show featuring Stars and Mother Mother. In 2010, more than 2,500 students showed up to see K’naan perform at the Quad despite the rain.

“Our main concern was the weather,” said Laforest.

Nicolas Abou, a Concordia undergraduate student at the John Molson School of Business, felt the music was good but the closing event could have offered more.

“I like that it’s outdoors and that the music is not bad,” said Abou, “but I expected to get more.”
“Overall though, it was cool,” added Abou.

Riikka Aspergen, an international student from Finland, attended the concert but left when it started to rain. Aspergen expected a larger crowd but thought the reason for the small turnout was due to the weather or the musical artists headlining the event.

“I thought there would be more people,” said Aspergen. “I don’t know if it was because of the rain or the bands.”

“The atmosphere was okay at first but the rain pretty much ruined the evening,” explained Aspergen.

CSU VP external Simon-Pierre Lauzon, who sold tickets for food and refreshments, was pleased with the number of undergraduates that came to the Loyola Campus on a Friday night. Lauzon echoed Laforest’s sentiments, looking on the bright side, despite the rain.

“I had low expectations,” said Lauzon. “So I’m happy with how this turned out.”

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Opinions

Adapting to the university way of life

Photo by Marilla Steuter-Martin

So, it’s your first week of classes. You don’t know quite what to expect. You’re excited because of the change, yet also very nervous. You attend a few orientation sessions, desperately trying to make eye contact with some of the friendlier faces. It’s a nerve-racking process.

You also know that you are officially beginning one of the most important phases in your life. These years can make or break your chance at a future career, and the last thing you want to do is mess it up. Most of us have been through this process already.

Welcome to university.

Concordia is officially opening its doors on Sept. 5, and gearing up for yet another long and weary school year. For most, this may seem deathly after a summer filled with long tanning sessions and drinks by the pool. Others, however, have been looking forward to it for months.

In my experience, there is one distinct characteristic one must have to find success in university: organization. As you mature, you realize that you need an organized schedule in order to succeed in this part of your education. A study conducted by the University of California showed that cramming information due to a lack of organization can lead to a serious lack of sleep, thus directly affecting many students’ grades.

“Students should balance their studying across the week and anticipate what is going on,” said Andrew J. Fuligni, the UCLA professor who conducted the study. “Try to have a regular study schedule so that you’re not going to have those nights spent cramming.”

However, there is much more to the university experience than just grades and classes.

Marlene Gross from Concordia’s counselling and development department advises students to “get informed and get connected. The best way to learn about university—to know what to expect, to be prepared and to get the most out of your experience—is to connect with people.”

Speaking from experience, this is the best advice one could receive. I first entered my program last year knowing no one. A year later, instead of feeling nervous, I feel excited to see those familiar faces.

“I made lifelong friends at Concordia,” said Concordia Alumni Dimitri Volis. “People I still see to this day and that made my university years unforgettable.”

But how does one connect? A barrier many people have a hard time breaking upon entering university is their ability to ask questions. Concordia recognizes this problem in many students and offers a variety of services to help students integrate into the community.

One of the greatest services offered at Concordia is the Student Success Centre. Here, new students will have the opportunity to meet student success mentors. These are experienced students that give advice and tips to the newer generation of students. It’s a great place to get started, or even just hang out. Second-year Concordia student, Essam Shomali, said the centre was a great help last year.

“It would’ve been different if they had not been around,” said Shomali. “They really helped me out and they were very nice about it.”

If there’s one statement I keep hearing, it’s that we should make the most out of our university years because they are the best times of our lives. Get off on the right foot, and take advantage of all the services Concordia has to offer. So welcome, first-years and good luck. To everyone else, welcome back!

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News

Don’t miss out on this year’s back to school bash

As classes begin on Wednesday, Sept. 4. so too does the Concordia Student Union’s orientation aimed at familiarizing new students with their surroundings while welcoming back returning students.

This year’s theme is titled “City of Festivals” and will span from Sept. 4 until the 16th. The idea is to create an homage to Montreal’s wide array of festivals that make the city so unique.

The CSU will host numerous festival-related events and activities during the two weeks building up to the much anticipated concert which will be held at the Loyola quad on Friday, Sept.14.

VP student life Alexis Suzuki would not disclose information on headliners but said the “concert for accessible education” will be welcoming award-winning DJs as well as two-time Canadian beatbox champion KRNFX.

“He’s an amazing beatboxer, I’m really excited to have him,” Suzuki said. “We’re really trying to make it so there’s a bit of everything for everyone.”

The new and improved Reggie’s will have its grand opening on Sept. 6, where the CSU will host their own version of Bal en Blanc from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

A sustainable food market will take over Reggie’s terrace from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept 5. VP sustainability Andrew Roberts will co-ordinate the event which will host a number of vendors, local farmers, workshops and live art throughout the day. There will also be tasting and cooking stations.

“Over the past years, there have been organizations and vendors,” explained Roberts, “and what I wanted to do this year was separate the organizations on campus from urban agriculture and sustainable food movements.”

A beer festival is slated for Friday, Sept. 7 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Reggie’s as a tribute to the Festival Mondiale de la Bière Montreal that takes place during the summer. Following the beer festival is a comedy show in the Hall building.

Comedy for accessible education mirrors the Just For Laughs Festival and its galas while aiming to raise money for students in financial need. The show will feature a comedy improv group and headlines stand-up comedian Amy Schumer. Schumer placed fourth on the fifth season of NBC’s Last Comic Standing and has appeared on Delocated and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

At the comedy show, the CSU will donate one dollar for every student present to bursaries to help offset the costs of the tuition increase.

VP academic and advocacy Lucia Gallardo said that the concert will ask students for donations which will go toward the bursaries as well.

With files from Kalina Laframboise.

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CSU reveals orientation sponsors

After an email exchange that lasted almost two months between the Concordia Student Union and one of its members, the CSU finally revealed on Monday its orientation sponsors and the amounts each contributed.

The figures show that the CSU received $22,450 from sponsors this year, although not all of it was in cash. Much of it was in the value of something else, such as Sleeman’s contribution of $5,760 worth of beer.

In early September, Alexa Newman, a former VP finance for the Arts and Science Federation of Associations, had requested from CSU VP finance Jordan Lindsay the above mentioned information, as well as the sponsorship package distributed by the CSU to potential sponsors.

“I had read in the papers that they had gathered several thousands of dollars in sponsorships, so it was just general curiosity,” Newman told the Concordian.

But that information didn’t come, at least not as quickly as Newman had envisioned. At first, she was referred to the CSU’s sponsorship director Jose Garcia, who took close to a month to answer Newman, citing orientation and classes as reasons for his late reply.

Receiving no promise of a hard copy of the sponsorship figures from Garcia, Newman was sent back to Lindsay, who indicated in emails his preference to go over the numbers with her in person rather than leave a hard copy at the front desk, as she had requested.

In an Oct. 13 email, Lindsay indicated that he “would like to know what you are planning on using this information for.” When Newman replied the same day that it was for “general knowledge,” Lindsay wrote on Oct. 14 that he “would like just a bit more clarification than that.”

It was then that frustration reached the boiling point for Newman.

“I have played along by answering irrelevant questions about my motives for requesting the information and waited patiently with a promise that all would be answered at the next council meeting and yet again my clear simple question […] has been left unanswered,” wrote Newman to Lindsay on Oct. 14. “So please tell me what the big deal is?”

Newman also went on to quote from the election platform of Your Concordia, the slate Lindsay ran on in the last election, noting that YC had pushed for increased financial transparency at the CSU. Newman had run against YC with the Action slate, vying to win a seat on the CSU council.

On Monday, Lindsay told the Concordian that he had not spoken about the orientation sponsors at the Oct.12 student union council meeting because no one had asked him about it, while Newman watched the meeting via live feed, hoping he would discuss the topic.

“I still don’t know her final reasoning. Was it maybe to cross-reference against the orientation budget?” said Lindsay. “When financial information is being requested, I would expect a reason. I have no problem giving out the information, but I want to make sure I have done my due diligence. I would expect any VP finance to do the same.”

The documents were finally sent to Newman on Monday after the Concordian contacted Lindsay, who said he had sent the figures to Newman on Saturday, but later realized he had sent them to the wrong email address.

Newman wrote back to Lindsay on Monday thanking him for the documents, but noted that she still has yet to receive the orientation package distributed to sponsors.

In an earlier interview with the Concordian, Newman, who ensured that all of ASFA’s financial documents were placed online during her mandate last year, expressed her worry over an organization’s failure to turn over figures in a timely fashion.

“As a former VP finance you start playing different scenarios in your head. It’s a huge amount of money and you start to think that maybe something went wrong, or that they’re hiding something,” she said.

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Stars and Mother Mother complete lineup for orientation concert

 

Stars (above) and Mother Mother will grace the stage at the Loyola Quad on Sept. 15 as part of the CSU's orientation concert. Photo from Flickr.

As promised, the Concordia Student Union will be delivering a good dose of the Canadian music scene to the students they represent. In a press release on Sunday, the union revealed that four-piece Montreal outfit Stars and Vancouver-based Mother Mother will grace the stage at the Loyola Quadrangle on Sept. 15, along with hip-hop artists Nomadic Massive and Lunice, two artists that had been announced last week.
While he could not disclose the exact amount paid to each artist for the concert, VP finance Jordan Lindsay revealed that fees for the four artists would cost $30,000. The total orientation budget the CSU is working with is around $270,000, of which the union is contributing $150,000. A bit less than half of the remaining $120,000 is provided by the Concordia Orientation Initiative, or COI, while Lindsay expects around $45,000 in sponsorship sales, of which they have already secured around $35,000.
Lindsay also included provisions for $32,000 in petty sales (for beer, food and the like) to balance the budget.
As with last year, however, the concert (and orientation as a whole) is entirely free. “We’re really hoping to get between four and 5,000 [people attending],” VP student life Laura Glover said. They are prepared to give tickets to as many people as the Quad can fit – a bit over 6,000 people.
Glover’s wish for the concert? “I really hope it doesn’t rain!”

OUR PICKS

Now that the complete list of events spanning the next two weeks have been officially announced (well, Facebook announced – and you do not get more official than that), we can weigh in on what we think look to be the most promising orientation events this year.

For a complete list of events, visit www.orientation.csu.qc.ca or scan the QR code below.

To discover Concordia:
Sept. 7 through 9 and Sept. 12 through 15: Air Pub on Reggie’s terrace.

Wednesday, Sept. 7 from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.: Techno Multimedia/Concert

Thursday, Sept. 8 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.: Keynote speakers Ilona Dougherty from Apathy is Boring, and Lou Piensa from Nomadic Massive

Friday, Sept. 9 from 10:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.: Dance Party at Reggie’s with DJ David Rancourt and DJ Rick

Monday, Sept. 12 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.: David Bernans talk: North of 9/11- Ten Years On

Tuesday, Sept. 13 from  10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.: Jazz and Crayons music event at the Hive

To discover Montreal:

Wednesday, Sept. 14 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Photo scavenger hunt

Saturday, Sept. 17 from 10:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.: Hip-Hop karaoke at Le Belmont

Sunday, Sept. 18 at 12:00 p.m.: Trip to Tam Tams

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