Can you believe it, Bruins? We’ve made it to the final month of the year! December was filled with holiday spirit, giving back to community, celebration and continuing to advocate for students. Not only has the Sheridan Student Union has matched the Giving Tuesday donations and contributed $13,553 to create Together at the Table events but student leaders and staff have come together to be Holiday Helpers and wrap gifts for those in need. As we close out 2024, let's celebrate our accomplishment from the month, and take a look back at some of our highlights of the term.

Updates from Our Board of Directors

Looking back on the Fall 2024 Term, the Board of Directors are proud of several key accomplishments achieved as a team! The Board approved funding from SSU reserves to sustain critical student support positions focused on mental health, affordable housing, and international student engagement, strengthening the campus environment.  The Board also remained committed to supporting our Ontario Student Voices (OSV) membership, recognizing the direct benefits of its advocacy efforts both on campus and provincially.  

Updates from Our President & Executive Team

The Executive team supported a variety of community-led events this month. From participating in 16 days of Activism and speaking at the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women ceremony, the team joined the Sheridan community in shedding a light on the importance of advocating against gender-based violence.

• Ganyo, SSU President, as a recently appointed Board member of Ontario Student Voices (OSV), and a member of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) , has continued to find new ways to amplify the student voice here at Sheridan and beyond. Take a look at her President’s address and message to students in lieu of the recent developments at the College.

• Amalia, VP of Advocacy & Community Development, shared resources and supports for international students, following the IRCC announcement. She also collaborated with the Paralegal Student Association Club and hosted a virtual event for 25 paralegal students with keynote speaker Michelle Lomazzo, a Licensed Paralegal, a Bencher and owner of her legal practice. This event offered paralegal students the chance to connect and learn about the roles and responsibilities in the Law Society.

• Vincent, VP of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, collaborated with Audrey Rochelle from the Centre for Indigenous Learning to host Jenn Harper, founder of Cheekbone Beauty, an Indigenous-owned sustainable beauty brand. Around a 100 people successfully attended the Reconciliation Series event with Jenn Harper and got to learn about Jenn's inspiring story of going from $500 to building a multimillion dollar cosmetics business. Vincent provided the closing remarks for Jenn Harper's talk at HMC and invited guests to attend the next event in the Reconciliation Series with Kendal Netmaker on January 30.
  
  Since the beginning of the term, your Executive team have passionately supported students access to information and engagement opportunities through an advocacy lens. From carrying out a free pop-up breakfast at all 3 campuses to advocating for students at the federal and provincial level, we look forward to continuing to work alongside our student leaders to make meaningful impact.

Sheridan Student Union Services

Our Services Team was excited to announce the opening of their main floor desk at Davis Campus! This is now prominently located on the main floor where it's easily visible to all students passing through our Student Care building! Additionally, we proudly hosted our very first Cycle Celebration Week, which focused on de-stigmatizing menstruation, creating reusable pads, and learning about hormonal health, among other important topics. Through that initiative, we were able to partner with a variety of student savings partners and even teach students the 101 to Hormone Health.

Through all the successes, this year did come with a few challenges. We successfully tackled the challenge of fully staffing two desks at one campus. Thanks to the dedication of our CSR team, they have stepped up to support students across both locations while continuing to provide all of our services in the most accessible way possible.

We look forward to continuing our commitment to being accessible to all students, supporting their academic and non academic needs, and providing guidance and assistance throughout their entire post- secondary journey.

Sheridan Student Union Events

“The joy and energy from our students is what makes every event unforgettable. We can’t wait to keep the traditions going and create even more memories in 2025!” - SSU Events Team

The Events Team held our 10th Annual Family Holiday Party and Santa and his elves were able to provide over 100 kids with presents for the Holiday season. Along with giving our Sheridan students, staff, and faculty with families the chance to celebrate the season with the SSU, we had to chance to transform our HMC Student Centre into a magical land with train rides, food stations galore.

Not only did we bring the holiday spirit to campus, but we also had the face to bring back our Toronto Winter Village off-campus trip. Toronto's Distillery District is a great experience, especially for those new to Canada, as it offers many opportunities for people to try new food, drinks, shop, and meet Santa!

Our end-of-the-year “New Year's Eve” themed pub was also a great time! The Events team had 230 students dance the night away and cheers to the end of term. Thank all the students that came out for supporting the SSU. We congratulate you all on a great 2024!

⭐ In 2025, the Events Team is excited to onboard new team members, have a brand new venue at Trafalgar, and create new (and some classic) events in that space! 2025 will be a fresh start that we can build on and grow alongside our Sheridan student community.

Sheridan Student Union Clubs

At the end of the semester, our Clubs Coordinators organized a special feedback session where our Club Executives gathered to reflect on how the semester had gone, sharing their wins, challenges, and everything in between. It was a chance not just to chat about what worked, but to acknowledge the hard work and dedication that goes into making each club event meaningful.

One of the standout events from December were:

“We have had an influx of cultural clubs this year, so for next semester we really want to highlight them.”

• Latinos Association’s Campus Dia de las Velitas event, inspired by Colombian traditions.

• Igniters Christmas on Campus celebration, which brought a little bit of holiday magic to the campus, uniting students.

  All in all, our clubs hosted 31 events this month, each one adding a unique touch to campus life. We also welcomed the Mental Health Club, a new space where students can find support, share experiences, and know that they're not alone when it comes to mental well-being. Alongside them, the Illustration Student Council emerged as a vital voice for both students and faculty in the Honours Bachelor of Illustration program, working to improve the overall experience with events, resources, and open lines of communication. As everyone shared their feedback, it became clear how much progress had been made, and how important these spaces were in fostering connection, support, and creativity. The session felt like a reflection of the growing spirit of collaboration and care that continues to define our club community, and it left everyone feeling hopeful for what’s to come.

More Clubs To Join:

• Sheridan Cosplay Club (TRC): Welcome to the Sheridan Cosplay Club! If you’re an experienced cosplayer, or you just want to get started, you’re welcome here!

• Indian Festivals Club (HMC): The Indian Festivals Club is a vibrant community dedicated to celebrating the rich and diverse festivals of India. Open to anyone interested in exploring the country's cultural heritage, the club organizes events that showcase traditional celebrations from various regions.

• Dreamy Jewelry (HMC): Dreamy Jewelry is a platform for Sheridan College students to connect, create, and express through the art of jewelry design. This club is dedicated to fostering originality, encouraging members to develop unique accessories that reflect their personal style and stories.

• Sheridan Filipino Student Association (TRC): This club’s goal is to get Sheridan students together to showcase Filipino Culture through history, food, music, storytelling, and of course having fun! 

• Beat Breakerz (Davis): This club will be a fun social club where everyone can come together and dance.

• Harmony Youth Club (Davis): The Harmony Youth Club will offer workshops designed to foster both personal and professional development for all participants. These workshops will also provide a valuable platform for gaining insights into Canadian culture and supporting participants as they navigate their journey in Canada.

• J-Fashion Club (TRC): J-Fasion Club is a social club that aims to unite all people new and experienced in Japanese fashion. Dress up for the club’s meetings and learn from your peers today!

• Sheridan Manga Club (TRC): If you're into anime, manga, art, or fandoms, stop by this club’s weekly meetups
  and join their inclusive community of like-minded people!
  Their goal is to create their very own club manga!  

Sheridan Student Union Facilities

We’re proud to celebrate the major milestone of opening of the Den! Since our renovation came to a close, we’ve seen plenty of students eat, play and enjoy our new space on campus. If you haven’t yet, be sure to stop by this student space at the Davis campus in the new year. Facilities is looking forward to opening up the Marquee space at the Trafalgar campus in the spring/summer of 2025!

Sheridan Student Union Food Services

Our SSU Food Services is proud to report a successful year, marked by consistently positive feedback from students about both the quality of food and the level of service. They successfully catered multiple events, earning praise from organizers and attendees alike. Their updated menu items was another highlight, with limited-time seasonal items that quickly became student favourites. Through close collaboration with students and feedback, Food Services tailored their menu programs to better meet the needs of students, offering a wide variety of food options, healthier choices, and accommodations for dietary restrictions.

This term we also began our partnership with Spirit Bear Coffee, which aims to deliver exceptional coffee while supporting First Nations communities with economic assistance through fundraising, donations and partnerships.

The most rewarding achievement Food Services reflects on is the positive feedback from students, who have expressed their satisfaction with not only the food and service but also the overall atmosphere at the Den, reinforcing the team's commitment to providing a space that students truly enjoy. 

And that’s our SSU 2024 Wrapped! Thank you to all the hardworking student leaders who help make events, services and initiatives happen all year long! Happy holiday and see you all in the new year.

Employee Shoutouts

🗣️ Michela, our gem of a CSR is graduating and will be GREATLY missed! She is going to go on to do amazing things as she starts her career, and Services thank her for all smiles she put on our faces during her time at the SSU!

🗣️ The Clubs Team shouts out Clubs Coordinator, Will, this month! Will has been excelling at working with his clubs on large events and he ran a very successful pop-up at the end of November. Great job, Will! 

🗣️ The Events Team Student Life Leads put in a lot of work this month to plan and shop, on behalf of Santa, and ensure that all the kids attending the Holiday Party went home with a gift! The team is super grateful for their dedication and we want to give an extra special shoutout to our two departing Davis Team Leads, Alfred and Atinder, who are graduating this month! We will miss having them on the team and we wish them all the best in their futures!