Student Leaders Takeover: New Clubs, Events, & Conversation
July 2022 Recap
This month our student leaders made their mark on campus by speaking at a variety of events focused on advocating for improved student experiences. From introducing our Building Positive Spaces Kits on campus to joining over 200 leaders at the International Student Voices Summit, we are proud to share that July was a collection of powerful opportunities and fun engagements that amplified student voices and will shape your Sheridan Life for years to come. Curious what your student leaders have been up to this month? Let’s take a look!
Youth in Policing Initiative Kick Off
Your VP of Staff and College Engagement, Rhema Javed, spoke at the Summer 2022 Youth in Policing Initiative Kick-Off event held at our Davis Campus July 4th. As a student who not only graduated from the Police Foundations Program but is also currently in the Bachelor of Community Safety Degree at Sheridan, Rhema shared her experience and perspective with on how to pursuing a career in policing while prioritizing community safety and well-being.
Your VP of Staff and College Engagement, Rhema Javed, presenting at the Summer 2022 Youth in Policing Initiative Kick-Off event on July 4, at Sheridan College’s Davis Campus.
In her role as VP of Staff and College Engagement, Rhema continues to support (and create) opportunities for collaboration between the SSU and Sheridan College to help enrich student experiences at Sheridan.
As a student of Sheridan College’s “first of its kind in Canada” Honours Bachelor of Community Safety Degree, Rhema is able to learn and practice innovative ways of looking at policing and community safety in Canada while focusing on prevention, preparedness, and social justice.
Our exec team also attended another Sheridan College event, the International Student Summit on July 25-26 that addressed policy and community experiences in a two-day panel discussion hosted by Sheridan College in collaboration with the City of Brampton.
International Student Summit
Rhema and our exec team attended the event and watched as local political and media members spoke on different panels to discuss the challenges faced by international students and develop solutions to improve the international student experience in Canada.
“The summit addressed many issues that are well known to the community, but it called for action. One of the key takeaways for me was that we need to stop victimizing international students and empower them instead. Rather than covering the negative stories in the news, we must start highlighting their achievements. One thing that touched my heart was when one of the panellists mentioned that international students are some of the most resilient individuals in our society. They are strong because they endure hardships yet work, study, and support their families back home. Overall, the summit is a great step forward in improving the international student experience in Canada.”
SSU President, Kyle Budge (far right) joins a panel at the International Student Voices Summit to discuss the challenges faced by international students at the Davis Campus.
Your SSU President Kyle Budge shared in his panel discussion that although “domestic and international students face similar challenges, for the international student population all of their challenges are amplified. They have fewer resources, they have fewer structures in place to help them out, they have a lot less opportunity to overcome those challenges and it requires a lot more effort on their part to do so and this comes from various systemic issues they face”.
“As a student advocate, my entire role is to come out to events like this, and talk to people who can make those changes and try to shed a voice for those people who don’t want to speak up, or can’t speak up…This one and a half hour panel is just the start of reshaping that narrative and the narrative over the next dozen years to ensure that international students have a platform and they have the resources and they have the resources available [to them]. There are challenges, but Canada, Ontario, Brampton, Sheridan College, we’re working on it, we’re making it better and it will be better.”
Sheridan President Dr. Janet Morrison (centre right) poses with the Summit's international student panelists including SSU student leaders Amy Leung (second from the left) and Leia Ali (far right).
Kyle also shared that he hopes that in the future more international student voices can be amplified and their whole experiences can be shared on social media and in summits like this, so that the policy makers can hear about the realities from people who have experienced it firsthand.
Among the seven international students selected to share their perspective on the challenges that some international students face, such as financial stability while working limited hours, housing, and handling the culture shock, were three of our SSU student leaders: Amy Leung (Campus Ambassador from Hong Kong), Leia Ali (Clubs Coordinator from Trinidad and Tobago) and Luan Troung (SSU Board of Director from Vietnam).
We are proud to have heard each other the students speak to their personal experiences as international students and help drive the conversation forward towards policy changes.
“Making new connections and starting a conversation with someone was (and still is) challenging for me, since I’d rather remain in my comfort zone, but...it's annoying to be stuck there. Since I decided to step out of it, I am more open to making friends and talking with people. I started looking for any opportunity to get involved with the Sheridan community”. Read Luan’s story.
“The International Student Summit was powerful because it joined all the efforts from the government, colleges and other supporting parties to listen to students’ voices and discuss how to create a better place to attract more talents to come! It is my pleasure to share my thoughts during the panel discussion.”
- Amy Leung, Campus Ambassador
When asked what their biggest takeaways from the summit, both Luan and Leia left the summit with an inspired and hopeful feeling for the future.
Luan shared the positive experience of learning how to step outside of his comfort zone and encouraged all students to see the power you can have as an international student to create a positive experience. "There is no right or wrong or perfect time to step out of the box, the choice is yours, and you are the one to face the reality and therefore improve yourself."
“Your mentality in life is so powerful, so use it to your advantage, you can achieve anything you want with the right mindset” - Leia Ali, Clubs Coordinator
We were proud to see SSU student leaders share their stories of resilience and use their voices to inspire positive change.
Binding is Back & We’re Hiring!
Whether you want to take your assignments to the next level or promote an upcoming event on campus, we’ve got you covered. The Sheridan Student Union’s services department is happy to announce that we’ve resumed in-person services including binding, faxing, laminating and poster approval for Sheridan students, faculty and staff are back! Don’t forget, if you have any questions about our services, reach out to our team anytime.
Looking for a job in the fall? If you’ve got a friendly personality and want to help students navigate their Sheridan Life, be sure to apply for the Campus Ambassador and Customer Service Representative jobs now!
Clubs (New Clubs and Office Hours)
Your Clubs Coordinators are happy to introduce two brand new clubs at Sheridan: Photography Student Council (Trafalgar) and 2SLGBTQIA+ Club at HMC! The Clubs Coordinators are also planning an awesome Fall Clubs Fair and Fall Orientation with our current active clubs to help welcome and connect you with students in the new school year.
Your Clubs Coordinators, Sarah, Leia and Ellina also now have dedicated in-person office hours for clubs to drop by if they have any questions, need assistance or if they just want a tour of our new club areas at all three campuses.
Visit Sarah @ TRC - Fridays from 12-5pm
Visit Leia @ HMC - Mondays & Thursdays from 10am-4pm
Visit Ellina @ Davis - Thursdays from 9:30am-5pm
Residence Grill and Chill & Rock N’ Roll Ice Cream
Last but certainly not least, our Events team hosted fun Kick Back Parties throughout the month of July! The BBQ party was open to all resident students and included free food & drinks, games, music, and prize giveaways.
Craving some tasty poutine? Don’t forget our food services are now open at all three campuses. Take a look at our Sheridan Student Union food services and their hours of operation near you!
At each party, the SSU team set up with cute picnic tables and decorations for students to sit and enjoy the evening. The food will include grilled hamburgers, sausage, chickens, beyond meat, a salad bar-mixed greens, macaroni/potato salad. Also, for drinks we have soft drinks, Nestea, and water, with ice cream sandwiches for dessert.
Students had fun with some outdoor games like cornhole, life-size connect 4, Jenga and so much more. During the event, our Student Life Coordinators also walked around with a polaroid camera taking photos of students to capture the memories! Did you attend the residence Kick Back Party? Share your pics and tag us on Instagram @the_ssu!
If you’re looking for more fun ways to meet students, make memories and have fun, don’t worry! We’ve got a LOT in store for all Sheridan students so stay tuned! 🙂
What’s Coming Up?
It’s safe to say, July was another successful month for us at the SU! Here are a few exciting things to look out for in August:
SLC's are planning SSU’s Welcome Week
Sign up to our events list to be the first to know about our Welcome Week events
Building Positive Spaces Kits are Here
Get the inside scoop on what’s included inside!
Our Services Team have some GREAT perks
Access more student discounts and savings
Until Next Time, Stay in the Loop
Stay connected with your student leaders on socials. Here is some fun TikTok videos you may have missed…