General Update
On the 6th of February 2013, the Vanier College Students’ Association (VCSA) called a general assembly to order at 12:24 p.m. in the B-223 Amphitheatre. The general assembly is an official meeting of and for the Vanier student body and is meant to inform students and spark discussion related to ongoing events and issues in the school. There were two topics of general concerning previously discussed issues. The first being an update on the student run cafeteria, an issue that has been ongoing since autumn of 2010. It was announced that the new cafeteria manager is currently open to the idea of a student co-op, and that the current cafeteria contract with “Aramark” would end in 2014. The school is currently looking for a new company to sign with. The second topic concerned an update on the school’s gym membership. Taruna Kaur, Special Projects Officer of the VCSA, stated that in the previous General Assembly, the student body agreed to include $1 out of their year’s school fee towards a gym membership in student fees. After some discussion, it was agreed that the price would be changed to $1 per semester, amounting to $2 a year which would be deducted from each semester’s cost. This $2 fee will be deducted from the $25 that is given to the VCSA from each student’s semester payment. It would not be of additional cost.
In terms of new business, there were two general topics that were brought to the attention of the assembly. The first topic concerned the adoption and implementation of certain mandates which are principles that the VCSA employs as general operating policies. The VCSA regarded these mandates with neutrality before and during discussion. In the first mandate, which concerned the VCSA’s position towards anti-corporatism, it was finalized that it will be adopted with an amendment which stated that it was acceptable to allow corporatism if it is to the benefit of the student body and not strictly towards financial gains of the company or companies in question. The second mandate concerned equality of the sexes, which stated that the VCSA would not associate with a company associated with any form of sexism. The mandate was accepted. The third mandate concerning the environment- a general policy about environmental awareness, was accepted. The fourth mandate