Student Union Hacks Unite!

Hello hacks!

My role as a Students' Union Councillor at the University of Alberta might have ended when I received my undergraduate degree, but my love of student governance certainly didn't.  I am very happy to report that I am the new Graduate Students Union Representative for the School of Public Policy and Governance here at the University of Toronto.  Let the fun times commence.

I attended my first official meeting this evening and sat in an auditorium with graduate students from across campus.  We discussed a couple of issues, oriented ourselves with the rules and regulations of a meeting, and dove head first into some interesting debate about the Faculty of Arts and Science Academic Plan.  It made me long for my Tuesday night meetings at home, and also made me appreciate how well the U of A's Students' Union is operated.  The GSU here is no comparison.  Here are my first impressions:

1) Being a member of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) is really throwing me for a loop.  Heavy union involvement and an emphasis on social justice issues outside of campus (and, in my personal opinion, outside the jurisdiction of a students' union) is far different from the mandate found at the U of A.

2) The simple organization of meetings leaves me wanting more.  We aren't given placards to ensure that those voting are indeed the people who have been given the right to vote by their departments and "course unions." I even inquired as to the process to ensure that voting was legitimate and our "chairperson" indicated that it really only mattered on issues that were contentious.  Hardly! As well, my question about the records of the meeting was greeted with confusion.  Unlike the U of A, the audio recording is for the secretary only.  As well, no one seemed to be able to confirm what quorum was.  It's based on the number of "course unions" in the School of Graduate Studies and apparently that number is hard to calculate (or maybe no one had looked the number up).

3) The GSU follows Bourinot's Rules of Order and not Robert's Rules of Order.  While they're similar, they are different enough to warrant further investigation on my part to ensure that I know how to work within the system.

Dear readers, I could go on and on about my frustration about this Union, but let me end with this.  The most amusing part of my evening was when the "chairperson" indicated that she would be observing "gender parity" when it came to speaking turns.  This is used in the following situation:
       a) Two people are standing at the provided microphones (yes my U of A hacks, we are not all provided with the microphones I've grown accustomed to at home)
      b.) One is male and one is female

In this situation, the woman gets to speak.  No question about it, even if she arrived at the mic ages after the guy did.

First off, while there were more men at the meeting this evening, us women certainly weren't discouraged to voice our opinion by the mere presence of the opposite sex.  Second, it seems like a pointless exercise as the "chairperson" let every single person who had something to say on an issue have their turn at the mic.  So all this "gender parity" nonsense really just allowed women to skip to the front of the line.  Really? That's what "gender parity" really is all about; my ability to speak before a man, even though I arrived long after the man was, and even though I am already guaranteed the chance to speak.  Thank you, GSU.  I always wondered what the whole "gender parity" movement thing was all about.  I'm glad we cleared that up.

Well, I'm sure my experience on the GSU will be fodder for several more postings in the future, but for now, this will have to do my fellow hacks.

In parity and trust, letting this woman speak her mind since 1988,

Cait

Markets and Blackouts

Good evening, sports-fans,

Please don't let the salutations fool you; tonight's post is not solely about sports.  I will say however, for a guy who likes his liquor, Khabibulin sure knows how to stop a puck.  Granted, the Vancouver Canucks only gave him a 28 shots to deal with, but still, there's a reason we signed him in the first place.

This evening I think I'll dwell on my weekend trip to the St. Lawrence Market and my unsuccessful attempt at watching an Oilers game.

Saturday morning I ended up making the trek down to the St. Lawrence Market on Front Street and Jarvis.  It may not be the Strathcona Market or the Downtown Farmer's Market in Edmonton, but it has its own little quirks and eccentricities that I'm sure I will come to love.  I went to get some fresh fruits and vegetables that I can't find at the local grocery store.  If the place were closer (a 40-min walk is not all that fun early on a Saturday morning) I would go for my meat, but as it stands, I have yet to try the fresh cuts of beef, pork, or poultry.  I wish I had taken pictures, but you can actually see the beef hanging from hooks in a meat locker located on the upper level of the market.

I say I went to get produce, but in reality, I went for the crepes.  There's a wonderful little place that sells the best crepes I have ever tasted.  I don't have an adventurous palette when it comes to my choice of toppings, so I stuck with chocolate and bananas.  Simple, yet exquisite.  

All in all, St. Lawrence makes me sort of homesick for Saturday mornings with my parents on a farmer's market run.  For one thing, I don't have the disposable income required to put down $50 on peas (or mangoes, which is growing to be the thing I buy the most of when I go to the market).  For another, Saturday mornings were always so simply familial and familiar.  I would stop at Happy Camel to chat with Jacquie and acquire hummus and pitas.  Then it was over to one of the larger stands to get zucchini and peppers.  Then, as always, I would find Dad and we'd buy copious amounts of peas from the Hutterites then wander the aisles browsing, testing, and taking it all in.  It was a good way to start a weekend and nice way to spend time alone with my parents.  Bonding.

Enough nostalgia, though.  Sunday evening I finally, FINALLY, was able to secure the TV room in the basement of Grad House for my own purposes.  I was set.  I brought some reading with me to get me through the commercials (and to make it seem like I was actually being productive).  I waited for the two girls watching "The Simpsons" to depart the room, and attacked.  I fired that baby up, searched through the Guide and found it: Sportsnet!  Hallelujah... well, not so much.  Regional Blackout.  A Blackout. I hate that.  I always thought the reasoning behind a blackout was that the locals would have to buy tickets to go and see the game rather than sit at home and watch it.  All it did was stop me from watching my home team from two provinces away.  An utter disappointment, but I guess we can't all win.

Well, that ends this post for the evening.  I realize now that these are getting quite lengthy and it's hard to keep people's attention.  I will strive to be more concise or break these up into manageable little tidbits.

Until next time, folks!

Cait

A New Beginning

I've always liked the idea of having a blog.  I've even tried once or twice to sustain one, but always failed.  A few years back I regularly blogged about the Edmonton Oilers and hockey in general, but fell out of practice with the end of season.  I'm not sure why; maybe it was lack of interest on my part, maybe I never thought I had anything interesting to say, maybe it was a myriad of other things.  This time, however, I think I'm in the right place and the right time to acutally get something going.

Inspired by those around me who blog on a regular basis (Brittany in Edmonton and Daveberta), I've decided that the time is now to start a blog.  I've realized I can use a blog to host a wide range of my thoughts and I don't have to be bound to just one subject.  However, at the same time, I recognize the need for a common theme to bring people in and to let them know what this whole exercise is all about.  I don't have much, but this is what I have...

Mainly, this wil be the musings of an Albertan who has decided to finish her education (formal education anyways) in Toronto, Ontario, two provinces and almost 3,500 km away from Edmonton, Alberta.  I was once told that the only thing that unites Canadians is our mutual dislike of Toronto.  Personally, I rather like Toronto, and I always have (though that like does not extend to hockey teams).  It's extremely different from Edmonton, but I somehow feel at home here.

So, while that's the general idea of the blog, I have more specific topics in mind.  I hope this can be a way to keep my friends and family at home apprised of my activities here and to assure them that I have not dropped off the face of the known planet.  I'll often wander into the realm of politics and hockey (though Prime Minister Harper has proved that these two topics are not always mutually exclusive).  I'll also tread upon the ideas of healthy living (mixed, I hope, with a few recipes I discover, or create), and amusing (hopefully) anecdoes about my life and random events.

I do hope you enjoy my little adventure into blogging and I look forward to hearing your feedback and input on this little experiment of mine.

Sincerely yours,
Cait