Aboriginal Awareness Week 2011
Last week, Queen’s Native Student Organization (QNSO) presented Aboriginal Awareness Week 2011.
The week featured the theme “Recapturing Lost Identities” and had several events taking place daily on and off campus. Events included dance performances, movie screenings, panel discussions and talks from guest speakers. Admission to all events was free.
The goal of the week was to increase dialogue about Aboriginal topics and issues on campus, as well as celebrate the contribution made by Aboriginal staff, faculty and students to Queen’s.
— Jessica Fishbein
Motioning for a bouncy castle
This week’s AMS annual general meeting (AGM) saw an unorthodox motion brought forward by students.
The motion read: “that AMS assembly strongly recommends the renting of a bouncy castle and provide pink fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows inside the castle to be the responsibility of the incoming AMS executive council to make it available to all undergraduate students by Nov. 15 2011.”
A friendly amendment was added to make the motion apply to the current AMS assembly and to change the deadline to April 30, 2011. It also allowed for “reasonable equivalents” as opposed to the original demands of “pink fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows.”
The motion failed by two votes with 54 students voting in favour and 56 against. There were six abstentions.
The intent of the motion was to make a point about the AMS AGM, according to the mover of the motion, Wesam Aleyadeh.
Aleyadeh, ArtSci ’13, said the AGM allows every student a vote, but that the AMS doesn’t take significant measures to ensure a large turnout.
“The AMS AGM is held every year in a venue that does not accommodate the entire student body,” he said in a statement during the meeting.
Aleyadeh said student interest groups can use voting block power, where they bring out a large number of supporters, to pass motions that might not be in the interest of most students.
“This motion will show you that even more ridiculous motions can pass,” he said.
— Clare Clancy/em>
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