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DSU Student Representative vote 2015

» Voting for your student reps has begun

Angela Espinoza News Editor Minews @theotherpress.ca

his year’s Douglas Students’ Union student representative elections are

taking place from March 9 to 13. Several students from last

year’s Students First party are

positions, while three other

Douglas students are running as : being involved with the student

: voting process, students also

: have a voice in how they want : to see their fees used. More

: student engagement with the : DSU reps prior to, during,

: and after voting is something : Howat feels is an important and : : necessary part of student life.

independents.

Each year, the DSU student representatives work to organize events, engage the Douglas community, and focus on positive ways in which student funding can ultimately go back to the students.

“You tend to get a varied group of people,” said outgoing Internal Relations Coordinator Lorna Howat, who’s held the position for the past four years. “Basically what students are voting for, the candidates are essentially applying for the job on deciding on how best to spend students’ money.”

Howat stressed that oftentimes, students don’t consider the fact that the DSU

: portion of student fees are what : : go towards DSU representative : : committee spending. Events put : : on by the DSU are funded in : : part by the fees, including free : food events, pub nights, and

: other DSU-hosted activities. : : “You should care what we're : : doing with your money...you— : currently underway, with voting : should want to know what’s

: going on in the meetings and : expenditures that we're making, : : because it is your money,’ said

running again for their previous : Yowat.

Howat also stated that in

“Students need to question

: the candidates on plans they : have for the upcoming year,

: what are they going to do

: differently that maybe didn’t : work the year before?”

One change Howat’s

: wanted to see happen in the

: past, and encourages students : to speak up about, is more all- : ages events not unlike the pub nights, albeit alcohol-free.

An example Howat

“You should care what we're doing with your money.’

— Lorna Howat

provided of the positive

changes that can occur

: with the DSU funding and

: student engagement was the

: Christmas Hamper program.

: “Every Christmas we get

: names from Financial Aid of

: student families that might

: be struggling to put together

: a Christmas for their children, : so we support them, and we

: put together hampers for four

families at David Lam and four

: families at New Westminster.” : Howat stressed the Hamper

: program, which she began in

: her time as Internal Relations

: Coordinator, has been

: immensely successful, and is

: just one way in which the DSU : has been able to positively affect : : the lives of students. :

“You're not just voting for

a candidate, you're voting for :a candidate that should be : working hard for you.’

Names of candidates Students First:

Marni McMillan for Pride Liaison

Derek Goundar for International Relations Coordinator

Greg Teuling for Member- at-Large

Ruab Waraich for College Relations Coordinator Jerzy Mazurek for Disabled Students’ Liaison

Pawan Johal for David Lam Coordinator

Karan Bains for Treasurer Pardeep Jaswal for Member-at-Large

Image from Thinkstock

Garaline Tom for Aboriginal Liaison

Chris Budzynski for External Relations Coordinator

Raquel Amado for Women’s Liaison

Makailey Preston for Member-at-Large

Independents:

Leanne Monks for Women’s Liaison

Sarah Long for College Relations Coordinator Jacquoline Martin for Disabled Students’ Liaison

Ontario provides more funding for mental health

» George Brown College in Ontario gets funds for mental health app

Deepti Batra The Dialog

n January 16, Ontario

Premier Kathleen Wynne declared additional financial support under the provincial program Open Minds, Healthy Minds. The funding is part of Ontario’s multi-year comprehensive mental health and addiction strategy that started in 2012.

George Brown College (GBC), in association with Seneca College, Queen’s University, Stella’s Place, the Toronto District School Board, and Gerstein Crisis Centre will develop an online platform called iConnect.

This online tool will be

: a web-based platform and

: mobile application, providing

: accessible services for youth

: with mental health issues.

: iConnect would also provide

: connections, assessments, peer : support, and recovery services, : and its service will be available : to current and potential college : students as well as university

: students.

“Online support platform

: for mental health is a very cool

: idea. Online access for every

: student whether they’re dealing : with mental health or not,

: is a ray of hope for everyone

: with easy access to counselling

: and other related support

: information online,” said

: Tianna O'Reilly, a special events : planning student.

More than 70 per cent of

: mental health and addiction

: issues start when people are

: young, according to a press

: release from the Centre for

: Addiction and Mental Health. : Further, investing to improve

: post-secondary student’s

: mental health is part of the

: Ontario government’s plan to

: invest in people’s talents and : skills.

Kim Dayto, a community

: worker program student, said, : “I think that having online

: access is an intelligent strategy : to communicate with the

: youth,” as many post-secondary : : students today would rather : : use electronics and hand-held : devices to access information.

Since the launch of the

VF

a

totalled $9-million annually, : which includes $6-million for : the Mental Health Innovation

y

Mental Health Innovation Fund : in 2012, this is the third phase of : : funding. :

Provincial investments have :

Image from Thinkstock

Fund, according to Ontario. This year, 14 more new

: projects got approval from the

Premier, making it a total of

: 32 supported projects at the : college and university levels : across Ontario.