What’s Happening On Campus?

 Welcome from your Students’ Association!    |   February 2012

SAMRU Elections: We want to hear from you!

There are still a few more days to throw your hat into the ring and run for a position with your SAMRU. Elected representatives speak for the students, and you can stand up and be counted on important topics like:
• Tuition & fees
• Transportation & parking
• Textbooks & materials
• Student life
• Government representation

E-Awards: Celebrating your community involvement

The Students’ Association of Mount Royal University (SAMRU) believes the ultimate goal of all Mount Royal University students is academic success and personal achievement. The E-Awards scholarships recognize students who have contributed to their campus community in an outstanding way that inspires and enhances the lives of their fellow Mount Royal students.

It’s not easy to juggle school, work, volunteer commitments, friends and family, but we know that there are many MRU students who do it well. The E-Awards are scholarships/bursaries; a chance to get a little back for all of your ‘giving back’.

How can you win an E-Award?

1) Download the application booklet online http://www.samru.ca/studentOpportunities/awardsBursaries.htm or pick one up at our SAMRU reception office in room Z222 (on the second floor of Wyckham House near the elevator)
2) Fill out the application form – all of the instructions are included.
3) Print off a current unofficial academic transcript (you can get this from MyMRU or the registrars’ office).
4) Submit your application along with your transcript and any additional materials needed by the deadline: Feb 29, 2012

We’ll announce the winners at our E-Awards ceremony in April 2012.

Check out the E-Awards >>

Has someone made a difference? Thank them by nominating him or her for an E-Award!

Do you know a staff or faculty member here at MRU who has made a positive difference to your education or your student experience? Do you register for classes wishing all instructors could be like that one gem, and wonder how you could recognize him or her? Do you have a particular advisor, librarian, or other support staff member to thank for helping you make a difficult choice or push your last assignment from a B to an A?

If you would like to recognize the work of a staff or faculty member who has made your MRU experience better, consider nominating him or her for an E-Award! All you need to do is fill out a nomination form along with a bit of information about why you are nominating him or her, submit it before February 28th, and we’ll do the rest to thank and acknowledge the hard work that staff and faculty here at MRU do to help students get the most out of their time at University.

Nominate that amazing person today! >>

Show your PRIDE: Pride week at SAMRU

By Nicole Boyce

From February 6th – 10th, the Students’ Association will hold its 3rd Annual Pride Week. With lots of activities planned, Pride Week is a great way to meet new people while celebrating gender and sexual diversity.

“Pride Week is about gay visibility,” says Pride Centre Administrator Joshua Cadegan-Syms. “People realize that gay people exist, but there’s still a lot of misinformation out there about what it means to be queer.” By spotlighting the LGBTTIQQ2AS community, the Pride Centre hopes to draw awareness to the centre’s mandate and the services it provides. “It’s an opportunity to invite people from outside the community to experience the community,” says Joshua. “It’s also a celebration of the community itself.”

The Pride Centre will hold a week-long Open House where students can connect over Xbox, board games, movies and free snacks. To showcase the LGBT community’s creative side, a Queer Arts Festival will be held in Wyckham House February 6th and 7th. Finally, Gender Bender will be held in The Hub, featuring drag queens and a burlesque troupe. “A big part of Pride Week is students showing up and being engaged in events,” says Jonathan Heath-Smith. “You don’t have to be a volunteer to participate – you don’t have to be gay or transgendered. You can just come to enjoy the celebration.”

“I want to invite everyone to come on down,” says Joshua. “Pride is whatever it means to you.”

Find out what LGBTTIQQ2AS stands for, or just get more information about Pride Week at the Pride Centre >>

Nominate your Valedictorian!

Are you graduating this year? You can nominate someone to speak on behalf of graduating students at your convocation!

The Valedictorian provides a formal address to all fellow graduating students and to faculty and guests at Convocation. Any Mount Royal student, staff, or faculty member can nominate a graduating student to be Valedictorian. Potential candidates should be graduating and convocating at either the June or November convocation, and must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2, be a strong public speaker, and have a history of involvement in campus or community activities.

The deadline to nominate someone for either the June or November convocation is February 28, 2012. The revision to the Valedictorian nomination process allowing students along with staff and faculty to nominate a Valedictorian was facilitated between former VP Student Life Eily Sweeney and Lynette Runions, the Manager of Student Awards and Financial Aid.

For more information and the nomination form, please visit: http://www.samru.ca/studentOpportunities/awardsBursaries/Valedictorian.htm

Season of Caring success!

By Nicole Boyce

Thanks to the generosity of Mount Royal students, faculty and staff, our 2011 Season of Caring was a great success! Over 357 gifts were distributed to students in need, with $367 raised through our Candy Canes for Pocket Change program. The SA would like to thank everyone who participated in this year’s event.

“It great to see students and faculty do something selfless with their time and money,” says past Peer Support Centre Coordinator Kelsey Springate. “The program really benefits from community involvement.”

The holiday season can be a difficult time for students, especially students with families. Season of Caring is a non-denominational program open to all Mount Royal students, and is just one of many resources available to students through the Students’ Association. Anyone who feels like they can benefit from the program can apply for it. “Although the perception is that students are young and don’t have a lot of obligations, they actually often do,” says Stephanie Symington. “This program shows people that they have resources.”

If you’d like to be involved in next year’s Season of Caring, consider these ways to participate:

• Candy canes for pocket change - Donate your change and get a candy cane from our booth
• Wish tree – Submit a gift wish, grant someone else’s wish, or both
• Food drive - Drop non-perishable donations in the marked boxes across campus
• Volunteer with the Peer Support Centre - Help to staff the wish tree and candy cane table, sort and shop for gifts, and encourage other students to get involved

Visit the Peer Support Centre on the second floor of Wyckham House to learn more about the Season of Caring >> 

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Archive

For past issues of What’s Happening, please check out the PDFs
March/April 2011
May/June 2011
July/August 2011
August Supplement
September 2011
October 2011
November 2011
December 2011
January 2012

This newsletter is sent from an unattended address. Replies should be sent to president@samru.ca
For further information, please contact Dawn Linnemoller, Editor & Content Coordinator
©2012 Students’ Association of Mount Royal University: 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW, Calgary AB T3E 6K6, Canada