UMSU runs a great food service outlet called Degrees.  Recently, Degrees move to biodegradable take-out containers from styrofoam.  When I did my food services research while on UMSU Council, one of the things I found was that cold drink cups could be made of corn.  The University of Guelph was already doing this back in 2004 and it is something that I still believe that the University of Manitoba should be doing. 

UMSU took this a lot further.  Clearly a lot of research was done by many people at UMSU to find containers for hot products.  Nicely done everyone at UMSU.

CBC News even has the story: Student diner goes green with biodegradable takeout boxes …

I have a vote on the Silhouette Editorial Board as a member of the Silhouette Staff. Tomorrow, the Silhouette Editorial Board will be meeting. The agenda does include a vote on if the Silhouette will be endorsing a candidate for MSU President. If the Editorial Board decides to make an endorsement, then the decision must be made on who to endorse. I have decided that I will not be exercising my vote on this matter. I feel this is the best way of handling my vote at the present time as I am not yet far enough removed from direct involvement in MSU politics to remove the appearance of conflict in exercising my vote.
I am also trying to figure out if I will be putting an opinion piece in this week’s paper. I was going to do a story on happening at a certain SU but they story is not yet developed enough to cover. I may write about VFM at UBC. Titus has done a good job of covering VFM here:
http://www.studentunion.ca/2007/01/ubc-elections-experiment-in-voter.html
Correction: I do not have a vote. The previous editor thought this was the case. I am however, allowed to attend the Editorial Board meetings and speak. …

Many people have expressed disappointment with me for following the MSU censorship guidelines. The MSU and University are looking for any excuse to crackdown on me, I am not giving them one. As a leader in the Movement for Democratic Reform of the MSU, I am a prime target. I cannot work on reform if I do not have MSU membership or if I get a complete ban from campus. People often say to me that I must pick the right battles, not just pick a battle because it is right.
Anyway, the MSU has yet to figure out a way to shutdown the internet. Considering that China has not either, you think they would be expecting students to discuss matters of the MSU state.
One of the members of the SRA has discovered that the MSU cannot revoke his membership for discussing the MSU election. In order to revoke his membership, he would have to be recalled first. Students want reform, students want democracy and would never recall a member that is fighting for students and is actually representing students.
Go to msuelection.blogspot.com only if you are not a McMaster Student.
If you are a McMaster student, remember that the MSU knows what is best for you and you are not to visit this website. The MSU has yet to install parental controls for us but they do know what is better for you.
To quote from the Silhouette:

The informant also paraphrased Drew Mitchell as saying, “if you are a parent and your child wants to eat only ice cream, you as an adult will know that this is not good for their health and as such would not allow it.

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The McMaster Students Union has a policy of censorship against students at McMaster University.  This is to prevent anyone not approved by the MSU Elections Committee (one of the last non-independent student union election processes in Canada) (incorrect, a lot of students union do not have independent elections – see comments) from speaking about the MSU election in a way that could “interfere” with the elections process.  The punishment for speaking about the MSU elections can included monetary penalties (fines), revoking of MSU membership (which means one must pay MSU fees in the hundreds of dollars because cannot get the so-called benefits of those fees), and potentially punishment under the Student Code of Conduct for harassment of the MSU.
As I have been threatened for my blog on numerous occasions and the MSU loves to file charges against me under the Student Code of Conduct, I have no choice but to obey the censorship of the MSU.  I ask that you obey the censorship as well.

I have been warned by MSU politicians that they will not tolerate any discussion of the MSU on the internet that is not approved by the elections committee. MSU politicians are in the majority on the committee.  One of them went so far as to warn me that I would be up for punishment for anything that appears on www.studentunion.ca! This because the MSU seems to believe that I have some sort of control over studentunion.ca or that I will merely send my information to be posted there.  I will not be doing so.  They are also concerned that someone could send information to www.studentunion.ca and bypass the MSU censorship.  It seems there is a problem with controling the internet for the MSU.  Damn internet and its free flow of information, how dare students be allowed to get their information from non-(state)approved sources especially independent student bloggers. …

http://radicalbeer.blogspot.com/2007/01/peets-admits-to-sex-and-abuse-of.html
Finally, A student politics sex scandal! I have been waiting to cover one of these!
lol
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I regretably removed content from my site today.
I say this because I believe that my archives should not be removed. Sometimes I read them and go, what was I thinking? Actually, there are things I would love to remove.
Anyway:
I received a letter from the lawyer of Joey Hansen which the lawyer copyrighted so I cannot republish it here. Basically, the lawyer took the position that I would be libel along with Global News for Global’s coverage of the DSU issue if Mr. Hansen wins his case against Global News.
This due to my republication (by way of displaying them on my site from a third-party host) of the Global reports on my site therefore rebroadcasting the libel if it is found to be libel.
Therefore, I have removed the display of them from my site to protect myself.
I do not know who uploaded them and have no control over the fact they are out on the internet.
I am not intenting to shy away from journalistic coverage of this issue. The allegations made by the forsenic audit at DSU are very serious in nature and are presently before the courts.
I will cover the court case as best I can from Ontario.
I am watching for any further reports on the New Westminister Police investigation into the DSU situation as well.
I am not shying away from coverage of this issue, I will report as best I can.
I do not know what the outcome of all of this will be. …

January 17, 2007
Mr. Matt Leisle
Chair, University Students’ Council, USSU
Rm. 65, Place Riel
1 Campus Drive
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
S7N 5A3

Dear Mr. Leisle, Councilors, USSU Executive

I am writing the members of the University Students Council of the University of Saskatchewan ’s Student Union in order to resign from my position as the representative from Law. While I take great pride in the role which I have played in this year’s council and the work that this body has accomplished together, recent events have caused me to lose faith in the motivation and intent of this year’s Executive to such an extent that I can no longer find it appropriate to continue in my role.

On January 2, 2007, the entire USSU Executive signed a formal letter of complaint directed to the Code of Ethics Disciplinary Committee. In this complaint, signed by all five members of the Executive, I was accused of failing to maintain the integrity, confidence and dignity of the office which I fill. The conduct in question surrounded a series of comments where I strongly criticized the Executive for failing to sufficiently research and provide information for council in order to ensure the occurrence of fair, responsible, and accountable decision making. This complaint, while now dismissed by the CEDC, has raised serious concerns in the accountability and transparency of the USSU’s current Executive.

I believe by acting unanimously, the Executive has severely undermined the democratic nature of the USSU. The USSU is a union based on student representation and involvement.

…

Get that?   The MSU is not actually allowing students to vote on our OUSA membership, only if we are going to pay for that membership.  The vote is being held with less than 90 days notice which means that we cannot actually pull out because a vote that could result in the MSU leaving OUSA requires 90 days notice to OUSA of the vote including the question that will be asked.

Basically, after doing nothing all year, the MSU Board of Directors is trying to make it look like they are doing something and care about student opinion.

I am still trying to figure out how the vote has no effect upon McMaster’s OUSA membership but could discontinue the fee.  Actually, I have a great idea for a referendum: ”Are you in favour of paying over $300 dollars to the MSU?” this question shall not effect your MSU membership, health plan, or bus pass!  Come on MSU, you cannot separate the fee from the membership.

The following questions have been asked of the MSU Speaker:

REQUEST FOR RULINGS
(1) On November 26, 2006, the SRA acted under its constitutional authority to initiate a referendum to ask MSU members whether they want to continue paying the OUSA membership fee. As a result of the adoption of that motion, the Election Committee is required to administer the referendum concurrent with the 2007 MSU presidential election. The MSU Constitution states that referenda results are binding on the SRA. Would a vote by students to discontinue paying OUSA fees require the SRA to take whatever steps are necessary to withdraw from OUSA at the earliest opportunity?

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Okay, first: The reason I am posting this is because I feel that this letter could easily fit at most campuses in Canada and refer to almost any student union leadership. I can tell you that I have never seen this year’s MSU Executive take the bus. Frankly, it is very rare for me to see a member of the SRA use the bus. Probably explains why they consistently opposed any improvements to the buses this year. Of course, now that Drew Mitchell wants votes, he suddenly cares about transit with a pie in the sky promise that he will never actually implement.

Student to Exec: You suck

Dear Ashlee and the USSU Executive,

After reading the Sheaf, it has come to my attention that riding the bus is good for the environment and something all students should do.
Apparently, I should vote in favour of a hundred (or so) dollar fee so that everyone will be more likely to ride the bus, thus saving the polar bears.

I have a simple offer: I will if you will. How many USSU Exec members ride the bus? My last count was zero. In fact, zero for the past two years and most likely longer. Rather than being leaders in environmentally friendly transit, the USSU Exec are given guaranteed parking spots in the best lot on campus.

I will vote in favour of the UPass if (and only if) each and every member of the USSU Executive surrenders his or her parking pass to take advantage of the amazing service offered by Saskatoon Transit.

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Disappointing as well. Too much hype, no sizzle.
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I have been waiting over a year for this and have to say that I am disappointed:
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Titus informs me that there is a problem with his web host at the the present and this is why www.studentunion.ca is not online right now. This is only temporary and he will be blogging again (hopefully) soon. …

Yesterday, I interviewed Mark Holland, M.P. for Ajax-Pickering.  It went extremely well and I am very impressed with him.  His depth of knowledge on public matters was impressive.  Look for the article in The Silhouette this coming Thursday and the interview will be a podcast on the Silhoutte webpage: www.thesil.ca …

Also at http://www.thesil.ca/article.pl?sid=07/01/11/2011209&mode=thread
JOEY COLEMAN
SILHOUETTE STAFF
“Hattie is back” is what graduate students echoed across Simon Fraser University on Wednesday.
According to an email release sent from Sam Brunn, of the Simon Fraser Student Society, the new Board of Directors of the SFSS voted to reinstate Hattie Aitken to the position of Graduate Issues Coordinator, with “full back pay and damages”.
The reinstatement of Aitken brings an end to an issue that has divided the student society and resulted in the impeachment of five Executive Officers. The issue began on Aug. 3 when the Labour Relations Committee of the Board of Directors and the Internal Relations Officer terminated Aitken from her position after she had worked for the student society in four different positions for over 26 years.
The reason for her dismissal was not disclosed, and many students questioned both the motivation for and the method of terminating Aitken.
Clement Apaak, immediate past SFSS President at the time, was one of these students. “Nowhere in SFSS policy does it say that the IRO or Labour Relations Committee can terminate an employee,” said Apaak.
The power to terminate rests with the Board of Directors, a body composed of 15 elected students that is equivalent to the McMaster Student Union Student Representative Assembly.
Apaak felt that “the [the impeached officers] intentionally chose not to follow proper procedure because they had something to hide and terminated Hattie for political reasons and to further their agenda.”
During the first week of classes in September, a petition to call a Special General Meeting was circulated among students. …

According to a comment on my blog:

DSU has been put in Receivership. A judge appointed receiver to the DSU yesterday January 10, 2006. Marnie Jensen, a UVIC student union manager, will not become an officer of the court as the receiver, and will be in this position until the DSU is in compliance with legislation.
It was an odd moment, as all lawyers in attendance, were all in agreement that there should be a receiver appointed. Douglas College wanted and independent receiver appointed, they suggested Deloitte & Touche, the lawyers representing the DSU and CFS said they agreed only if it was Marnie Jensen, and the CUPE lawyer just stated they wanted a receiver, they didn’t have preference on who it was.
I guess we’ll see if there will be bias shown, and we’ll see if the the DSU will continue in the same manner it is.

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