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Strike Solidarity 2021 On March 31st, 2020, one year ago, the collective agreements that protect the salaries and working conditions of Quebec's CEGEP teachers, professionals and support staff employees expired. Across the province, unions representing public sector employees are pleading for increased investment in Quebec's health, school, and higher education networks, on a level necessary to protect workers' purchasing power, and to improve the level and quality of the services that citizens depend on every day. The Dawson Student Union stands in solidarity with the thousands of staff and employees of Dawson College. We encourage our membership, the students of Dawson College, to support this effort to protect and promote higher education. If you recognize the value of your publicly funded CEGEP education, and appreciate the academic, extracurricular and social supports you've received from Dawson College, then this is your chance to support your TEACHERS, COUNSELLORS, ADVISORS, LIBRARIANS, LAB AND COMPUTER TECHNICIANS, STUDENT LIFE COORDINATORS ETC. Your action – in class or on the street - could go a long way to showing our government and college administrators that, following years of chronic under-investment in public services, enough is enough: we are sounding the alarm! The Dawson Student Union stands in solidarity with the Dawson Teachers’ Union (DTU) Association of Dawson Professionals (ADP) Dawson Support Staff Union (DSSU). We invite all students to download the following graphics and to use them during class to show support to our fellow unions. Included in the ZIP file below are Zoom Backgrounds and Zoom profile picture images associated with the current strike movement. We also invite students to read the letter jointly written by the DTU, DSSU and ADP students as well as a communiqué that was shared with the DSU. For information on the current strike, you can visit their websites found below. Dawson teacher`s Union: https://dtu.qc.ca/ Dawson Support Staff Union: https://dssu.lacsq.org/ Association of Dawson professionals: https://adpmontreal.ca/ Letter addressed to Students ZIP file with all graphics Communiqué

Past Executive Teams This page includes all the previous Executive teams in the Dawson Student Union starting from 2020 and the 2016-2017 team. JUNE 2024- MAY 2025 Kenneth Clarence Oledan President Olivier Lamoureux VP Operations & Services Faye Rasno VP Student Life Chris Maniratanga VP Finance Leilah Doyle VP External Affairs Leila Pozzi VP Sustainability & Equity Victoria Ormiston VP Academic Affairs & Advocacy Philippe Beauchemin VP Internal Affairs & Communications Annual Plans Exit Reports JUNE 2023- MAY 2024 Isabelo Beli-En David President Derrick Essou VP Operations & Services Fiorella Vargas VP Sustainability & Equity VACANT VP Internal Affairs & Communications Delice Betukumesu VP Academics and Advocacy Candice Weijia Zhong VP External Affairs Benjamin Taylor-Sauvé VP Finance Lina Adda VP Student Life Annual Plans Exit Reports JUNE 2022- MAY 2023 Gurpreet Kaur President Hanane Aouchiche VP of Operations & Services Benjamin Savard VP of Sustainability & Equity Gabriela Aragon VP of Internal Affairs & Communications Sophia El Bakir VP of Academics and Advocacy Kiana Lalavi VP of External Affairs Sabrina Vuong VP of Finance N/A VP of Student Life Annual Plans Exit Reports JUNE 2021- MAY 2022 Alexandrah Cardona President Mia Scroggins-Hadley VP of Academics and Advocacy Arwen Low VP of External Affairs Abril Meza VP Internal Affairs & Operations Yimaj Baharun VP of Student Life Yves-Jusslin Maniratanga VP of Finance Shirin Hinojosa Violante VP of Services and Sustainability Annual Plans Exit Reports OCTOBER, 2020- MAY 2021 Kevin Contant-Holowatyj Chairperson Danahé Orduña Martínez Director of Mobilization and Communication Amélie Chornet Director of Clubs & Services Alexandrah Cardona Deputy Chairperson Valeria Sygal Director of External Affairs Nicole Vega Rivas Director of Student Life Noah Lemaire Treasurer Leana Ramirez Director of Internal Affairs & Advocacy Sarah Bensemana Director of Sustainability Annual Plans OCTOBER, 2016 - MAY 2017 Anthony Williams Chairperson Khandideh Williams Director of External Affairs Jaylin Paris Director of Student Life Shanti Pierce Treasurer Jonathan Williams Director of Internal Affairs & Advocacy Annie Quadros Director of Sustainability Jesse Torossian Director of Mobilization and Communication Iliess Bahlouan Director of Clubs & Services Annual Plans

2021 General Elections On May 13th and 14th 2021 , students will vote for their Executive Committee and their Student Councillors for the 2021-2022 mandate. For this election period, the Executive Committee and Student Councillors will be given a mandate that will start once on June 1st, 2021 and end on May 31st, 2022. The Executive Committee has 9 elected positions that are tasked with the day-to-day management of the Union. They also form the Board of Directors of the Union which is the body that manages the Union in between General Assemblies. The student council is broken down into 2 categories (program representatives and demographic representatives) with a total of 17 student councillors. The 5 demographic representatives will be selected by the Executive committee through an application process. Candidates will be interviewed and then appointed by the Executive Committee. The 12 program representatives will be directly elected by the student body. The program representatives are further broken down into 5 categories (Social science, Science, Arts, Technical and Continuing Education). Each student in a given program will be eligible to vote for the representatives for their program category. The Student Council is tasked with assisting the Executive Committee in their roles and give non-binding recommendations to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee composition is set in the By-laws and goes as follows: Chairperson Deputy Chairperson Treasurer Director of Internal Affairs and Advocacy Director of External Affairs Director of Clubs and Services Director of Student Life Director of Mobilization and Communications Director of Sustainability The Executive Committee sets the composition of the student council academic representatives each year. The current composition is set as follows for academic representatives: 4 Social Science Councillors 2 Science Councillors 1 Arts Councillor 3 Technical Councillors 2 Continuing Education Councillors Additionally, there are 5 Demographic Councillors appointed by the Executive Committee: 1 Indigenous Students Councillor 1 Queer Students Councillor 1 Francophone Students Councillor 1 Students with Disabilities Councillor 1 Racialized Students Councillor Students cannot be candidates for more than one position. In order to become a candidate for an executive position, a student must submit a nomination form which can be found below along with 20 signatures of students. In order to become a candidate for a Student Councillor position (academic representative), a student must obtain 15 signatures of students that are eligible to vote for that Councillor position (students of the same academic sector). The nomination and application period for all positions will commence on the 12th of April 2021 at 12:00 am and end on the 3rd of May 2021 at 12:00 am . Below are the documents required for the nomination process: Nomination Form for Elected Positions (Downloadable Word Document) Candidate`s Application Form for Executive Committee (Online Google Form) Candidate`s Application Form for Student Council Academic Representatives (Online Google Form) Candidate`s Application Form for Student Council Demographic Representatives (Online Google Form) Voting for elected positions will commence on May 13th, 2021 and close on May 14th, 2021 at 4:00 pm. Results will be announced on the day of the close of the polls. These elections will be completed with the use of a preferential single transferable voting system. Demographic Councillors will be appointed at the Executive Committee meeting in the same week as voting. For any more questions on the 2021 Student Council elections, please contact elections@dawsonstudentunion.com

2021 Student Council Elections student council results update (march 2021) * Official Elections report On March 4th and 5th 2021 , students will vote for their student councillors for the first time in many years. The Student Council will be tasked with many important projects and will help the Executive Committee in overseeing the activities of the union. For this election period, Councillors will be given a mandate that will start once elections are past and will end on May 31st, 2021. The student council is broken down into 2 categories (program representatives and demographic representatives). The 5 demographic representatives will be selected by the Executive committee through an application process. The 12 program representatives will be directly elected by the student body. The program representatives are further broken down into 5 categories (Social science, Science, Arts, Technical and Continuing Education). Each student in a given program will be eligible to vote for the representatives for their program category. The executive committee sets the composition of the student council each year and decided that the composition would be set as follows based on the latest student body statistics: 4 Social Science Councillors 2 Science Councillors 1 Arts Councillor 3 Technical Councillors 2 Continuing Education Councillors In order to become a candidate, a student must submit a nomination form which can be found below along with 15 signatures of students that eligible to vote that support the student's candidacy. The nomination period will commence on the 25th of January 2021 at 12:00 am and end on the 22nd of February 2021 at 12:00 am . Below are the documents required for the nomination process: Nomination Form (Downloadable Word Document) Candidate`s Application Form (Online Google Form) Voting will commence on March 4th, 2021 and close on March 5th, 2021 at 4:00 pm. Results will be announced on the day of the close of the polls. These elections will be completed with the use of a preferential single transferable voting system. For any more questions on the 2021 Student Council elections, please contact elections@dawsonstudentunion.com

DSU in the Media "Quebec students take part in pro-Palestinian protests; Dawson College cancels classes" CityNews Montreal - November 21, 2024 READ HERE "Grève de soutien à Gaza: le Collège Dawson fermera ses portes jeudi" TVA Nouvelles - November 19, 2024 READ HERE "Dawson College to close Thursday during pro-Palestinian student strikes" CBC News - November 19, 2024 READ HERE

LEISURE & HOBBY CLUBS Official Club Status BOOK CLUB The Book Club is a space where readers and hoping-to-be-readers can meet and share our love of books with each other. We do monthly readings and then have in-person discussions, and we also have fun activities such as bookstore trips. If you'd like to be part of a community of book-lovers, join our Discord server and introduce yourself to become a member of the Book Club! Official Club Status JAPANESE MEDIA CLUB Do you like anime? Perhaps you've tried to learn Japanese? Or maybe you just want to find a welcoming community? Well, this club aims to bring together all people who enjoy media from Japan, as well as its culture! Join now! Official Club Status DAWSON SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY ASSOCIATION The purpose of the Dawson Science Fiction and Fantasy Association is to promote literacy, creativity, collaboration and acceptance of self and of others through all forms of role-playing games, card games and board games. Sci-Fi also aims to educate the student body and faculty in the principles of science-fiction and fantasy as a modern pastime, expansive genre, and lifestyle. We welcome any and all Dawson students to our permanent space in room 2C.09. Official Club Status REWIND Do you have a love for expressing yourself creatively and meeting new people? Are you interested in working with others, either in front or behind the camera? Or are you wanting to try new trends but are too shy to start on your own? If you want to get involved at Dawson and have a passion for media, consider joining the Dawson Media Club.       We are looking for dedicated members who either like to interview other students, edit videos, or work with filming equipment to capture fun interviews around campus with other students. Our goal is to share the opinions of the Dawson student body while getting to know others and having a good time. We also hope to create a fun and safe atmosphere where students can meet others with similar interests!       This club is definitely for you if you have a passion for journalism, media production, or event planning and want to be part of a community. If you are interested, contact us now! Official Club Status DAWSON DEBATE UNION The Dawson Debate Union's objective is to learn, develop and appreciate the art of debating. All are welcomed into the exciting world of debating whether they are a seasoned speaker or simply curious. There will be weekly debate sessions, formal and informal, that will sharpen our members' public speaking skills, their ability to research a wide variety of topics and master their abilities to work as a team. The Dawson Debate Union aims to provide each of our members with a rich and memorable experience as it consists of the perfect space to express thoughts, exchange ideas and connect with others in a fun, supportive and welcoming environment where every voice is heard! Official Club Status CHESS CLUB The Dawson Chess Club is a community devoted to chess and other board games. We welcome people from all programs and skill levels to sit across the table from each other and connect while analyzing a game! We have both serious chess matches and more casual “Hustle chess” games. Together with weekly casual meetings, our club hosts everything casual meetings, exhibition matches with chess masters, and college-wide tournaments aswell as intercollegiate tournaments. Join our discord to interact with our community and announcements for upcoming events! Official Club Status DAWSON ESPORTS ASSOCIATION A club for gamers and non gamers a like. We play a variety of games from tons of different genres. Come unwind after class with a good game or a nice place to meet people and talk. We also host a variety of events with fun prizes like bragging rights. Located in 2C.09, come drop by as it's normally always open and we'd love to meet new people. Official Club Status POETRY CLUB The Dawson Poetry Club is the perfect place to discover all things poetry for beginners and experts. We are dedicated to creating a space for students to write and explore different forms and genres of poetry while also being a place to socialize and share our common passion. Poetry offers us a way to see the world from a different perspective and is a way to connect with ourselves and others, making it a very personal and intimate art medium that we hope to encourage people to try out. While we do organize various events and workshops, we meet up once a week to discuss our "poem of the week" as well as share what we wrote for our weekly writing prompt (open to members/non-members). We choose the "poem of the week" based on our "poet of the month" (we choose one in English and French, and we are open to choosing one in another language as well). We also try to do all our meetings in different locations around Montreal to explore the city, discover local gems and support local businesses. Additionally, we try to support the local scene by promoting and attending poetry events around Montreal. We are here to ensure that we offer the best experience to our members to connect with each other, share their poems and learn everything they can about this unique form of artistic and literary expression. Interim Club Status DAWSON'S KITCHEN FOOD CLUB A club for all kinds of tastes: Dawson’s Kitchen Food Club’s mission is to share our passion and knowledge about the culinary arts. Together, we engage to introduce students to new flavors, prepare diverse recipes, and try out all sorts of spices. Enjoy your meal! Interim Club Status DAWSON ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY A club that aims at creating a space for all astronomy enthusiasts and space-lovers to learn and have fun experiences through the various seminars and events to be held.

The Hive The DSU Hive - Gender Advocacy Centre is a free service provided by the Dawson Student Union. Advocates for a safer school environment by offering information and education to all students and staff, including the design and facilitation of mandatory workshops surrounding consent to all DSU club executives. Provides students with access to free or low-cost materials, resources and information surrounding sexual health, sexuality and gender. referrals to other resources both in and outside of Dawson to support their needs and healing. free materials and resources for mental, physical, and sexual well-being: free condoms, lube, tampons, pads, dental dams, latex gloves, pregnancy tests, and gender gear. a couch available for chest pumping/feeding and panic attack de-escalation. A coordinator is always present to answer questions and help refer students to the specific support they need within the Dawson College or city. Offers monthly groups, workshops, and events throughout the fall and winter semesters! Student Parent Program This program aims to provide financial support to parents who are studying at Dawson College. Please note that, in order to qualify for this program, you must be currently enrolled at Dawson College as a full-time, part-time or night student and you must be the parent or legal guardian of someone under the age of 18. We accept 10 student parents per academic year (September to May). The program works on rotation in order to serve as many students as possible. 5 students per month will receive an online gift card for $75 CAD from Walmart, which may be used online or in-store. REGISTER Menstrual Product Access This program provides disposable and reusable menstrual products to any students studying at Dawson College. Please note that, in order to qualify for this program, you must be currently enrolled at Dawson as a full-time, part-time or night student. What you can receive as part of this program: - A maximum of $50 CAD worth of disposable or reusable menstrual products! You will be presented with a product catalogue via email to browse the following products: reusable menstrual cups and disposable tampons, pads, liners and period panties! REGISTER Gender Gear for Everyone This service is meant for students who identify under the umbrella term of transgender, including folks who are non-binary or gender non-conforming. In order to be eligible for this service, you must be a currently enrolled full-time, part-time or night Dawson student. What you can receive as part of this program: - A maximum of $100 CAD worth of gender-reaffirming gear! You will be provided with a PDF catalogue via email to browse the following products: chest binders, gaffs, STP devices, breast enhancers, packers & straps, padded shorts, bras, dilators and makeup. REGISTER Safer Sex Packages The Safer Sex Packages service was created with the intention of making safer sex material accessible to all students. Students are able to build a package by choosing from a variety of products offered by The DSU Hive. In order to qualify for this program, you must be currently enrolled at Dawson as a full-time, part-time or night student. What you can receive: A package of various safer sex products ranging from condoms, internal condoms, finger cots, dental dams, latex gloves and lube, up to $40 CAD in value. REGISTER

Referendum 2021 On May 13th and 14th 2021 , students will be asked to vote on three referendum questions. The questions shall be concerning the amendments of the union`s By-Laws and Consitution, the addition of a Student Insurance Group Plan as well as a modification of the membership fee. How to Vote? Students will be able to vote virtually on https://dsuelections.simplyvoting.com/ . Each student will receive credentials to log in and vote by email. Make sure to check your personal or Dawson email on the day of voting! Students will be able to vote starting on May 13th at 12 a.m. until May 14th at 4 p.m. New DSU Constitution Students will be asked to vote on a new constitution for the DSU. This new document will serve as the union`s By-Laws and Constitution and shall be one of the Union`s most important documents. The Union`s constitution has to be updated to ensure that it never becomes obsolete. Unfortunately, due to a complicated amending formula, the By-laws had not been updated in almost half a decade. Our team made a commitment 9 months ago to have a new constitution by the end of our mandate. We hope to make good on that promise. To find more about the incoming changes with the new constitution, please consult both documents below. Referendum Question Do you ratify the Constitution of the Dawson Student Union, which was approved by the Board of Directors on April 26, 2021, and by the General Assembly on April 27, 2021, to be the official General By-Laws of the Dawson Student Union and replace all previous documents? Student Group Insurance Plan Students will have the chance to vote on a new insurance plan. This plan will cover students for health, dental, travel while also offering a mental health service, telemedicine service and legal assistance service. The plan will be offered by a well-established student insurance plan provider called StudentCare. They currently offer coverages for universities such as McGill, Concordia and the University of Toronto! For more information on StudentCare, you can visit their website https://www.studentcare.ca/ Students were surveyed on the matter and the results indicated that our members wanted a complete insurance plan. Results of the Survey can be found here . Students can find more detailed information on the plan by clicking here . Referendum Question Do you ratify the addition of the DSU Health and Dental plan, approved by the DSU Executive Committee on April 29, 2021? The plan would be funded by an optional fee of a total of 183$ for a twelve(12) months coverage which includes mental health, health coverage, dental coverage, travel insurance, legal protection, and telemedicine? Members will have the choice to select according to their needs whether they want coverage for all the mentioned above or select the coverage they need for either dental (50$ per year), only health (50$ per year) or additional services which include telemedicine and legal protection (83$). Specific coverages will be listed below. The DSU student health and dental plan fee would be added to Annex A of the DSU Constitution. The health and dental plan fee to cover the cost of the plan would be considered part of the DSU membership fee under an Act respecting the Accreditation and Financing of Student Associations, R.S.Q., c. A-3.01. All DSU members would be able to opt-out of this fee on an annual basis during an opt-out period set up under the provisions of the plan. Modification of the Membership Fee Students will also be asked to vote on a new membership fee. This would be the first modification in over 10 years. It is important for the union`s long-term financial health that the fee be revised on a regular basis. For more information on the student fee modification, click here. Referendum Question Do you ratify setting the membership fee in Annex A of the Dawson Student Union Constitution from $19 to $22 per semester for full-time students and from $9.50 to $11 per semester for part-time students to reflect the increase in inflation from last time the fee was set in 2011? The fee would be revised every three (3) years according to the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and rounded to the nearest half-dollar. In the event where a fee increase is not ratified, the amounts mentioned in Annex A of the new constitution for fees would be changed to the current fee levels set in 2011 previously mentioned. If you have any questions concerning the referendum questions, please feel free to contact general@dawsonstudentunion.com. For any questions on logistical and voting matters for the 2021 Referendum, please contact elections@dawsonstudentunion.com. New Constitution Additional Information on the New Constitution

Dawson Brushes off the Welcome Mat for Old and New Students Alike < Back Dawson Brushes off the Welcome Mat for Old and New Students Alike Dawson Brushes off the Welcome Mat for Old and New Students Alike Students show old and new cohorts Dawson campus after many months closed November 23rd, 2021 by Isabella Ruvo Welcome Week was divided into three components during the 9th to 16th of August: Zoom info sessions; pre-recorded videos by the academic administration and student services; in-person visits. Due to lower COVID-19 restrictions, old and new students were finally able to visit campus and participate in Dawson’s student life. During this time, students were invited to take a small tour given by second and third years. Welcome Week gave Dawson College a chance to finally have some life in its halls once again. ONLINE Program specific Zoom info sessions were given the 10th to 12th of August. This gave students a chance to learn more pertinent information about their programs. They wouldn’t have to start the semester going in cold turkey. For most, this was their first year, first semester, first everything, which can be very stressful. That’s why Dawson tried to share as many details as they could with the future student body. “Getting to meet some people from my program really eased my transition into Cegep. I didn’t have any friends in my courses but I was able to make new ones easily!” - Anonymous . Students also got to meet their program coordinator(s), which made the experience much more humane. It was comforting to know there was someone you could rely on for your education. VISITORS The highlight of Welcome Week was being able to have students visiting the college. After a year and a half of COVID-19 limiting the number of students on campus, it was nice to see some old and new faces inhabiting the school. Guided tours lasted about 10 to 15 minutes, where they were shown the important locations of the school such as the library, the cafeteria, the atrium, etc. Many newcomers were shocked at seeing the many escalators going up but none going back down. One of the many things to learn about how to get around campus. “I think it was pretty fast, and we just went through the college a little too fast and I couldn’t really remember the places but it was really fun overall.” –Najlaa Achouhal. VOLUNTEERS Not only were there volunteers to give tours, but there were many other volunteers set up in Conrod’s, spreading information and goodies. Tables set up to promote the DSU, the hive and the plant were all present. Their aim was to share with new students what campus life looks like and encourage newcomers to join student-run initiatives. By following the clubs on Instagram, students would receive goodies such as DSU merch, reusable straws, bamboo utensils, etc. “Even though I’ve been at Dawson for 2-3 years, this was my first volunteering experience and it was fun and very entertaining because people made it fun.”-- Anonymous DSU volunteers felt the good vibes collaborating with one another even if for some, it was their first time volunteering. “20 on 10! People that came up to me were so nice so quickly. I didn’t feel out of place and they would hold my hand helping me with tasks.” -Fay. Summary for newsletter: From the 9th to the 16th of August, Dawson welcome its old and new students in a hybrid format. The start of semesters are always tricky but Fall 2021 was even more so because students had hardly stepped foot on Dawson grounds in months. Thankfully, DSU had a team of volunteers that set up tables to welcome them and tours to show them around. Click here to read more about it. Project Gallery Previous Next

Referenda The Union may hold Referenda, on which Members may directly vote on resolutions, in accordance with its Standing Regulations . The voting process will be overseen and managed by the Chief Returning Officer (CRO) . Exclusive Services Referendum 2024 Questions: 1. Do you confirm the results of the 2022 referendum where the DSU members ratified the decision to change the legal name of the DSU from Syndicat des étudiants de Dawson to Association Étudiante de Dawson, the English version remaining Dawson Student Union ? 2. Do you agree to ratify the Constitution of the Dawson Student Union (DSU) [click to view proposed changes] adopted by the Student Council on 24 April 24 2024 to act as the General By-Laws of the DSU and to replace the previous version of the Constitution that came into effect on 1 June 2022? VIEW RESULTS Past Referenda Feb 5-7, 2004 April 27-28, 2003 May 16-17, 2022 May 13-14, 2021 Interested in learning more about the DSU Referenda ? Here are the important information to keep in mind. For more details please read the DSU Constitution found in the Governance Documents page. For any other inquiry please do not hesitate to contact info@dawsonstudentunion.com 1 Initiation Referenda may be initiated by the Student Council by a two-thirds (⅔) majority vote or Members by a resolution in writing signed by no fewer than one hundred and fifty (150). Members of the Union from at least four (4) different Academic Sectors with no more than fifty percent (50%) being from any one Academic Sector. 2 Timeline The timeline is set by the Chief Returning Officer no later than (5) days after its initiation. Notice of the question and voting timeline must be sent to the membership no less than three (3) weeks before the start of voting. Voting must occur over a minimum of two (2) voting days that each have a period of no less than eight (8) hours of voting 3 Voting All Members shall be eligible to vote in a Referendum. Unless otherwise provided for by law, this Constitution, or the Standing Regulations, all Referendum questions submitted to the Members shall be decided by a simple majority vote. 4 Quorum The quorum for all Referenda shall be three percent (3%) of the Members.

Summary for newsletter: on the 24th of September was Climate Justice protest. Dawson has a very vibrant community of environmentalists grouped together in unity, having made posters and preparation all week for that day. An important cause that deserves to be remembered every day of the year. Click here to read more. < Back Summary for newsletter: on the 24th of September was Climate Justice protest. Dawson has a very vibrant community of environmentalists grouped together in unity, having made posters and preparation all week for that day. An important cause that deserves to be remembered every day of the year. Click here to read more. Climate Justice Week Written by Sophia El Bakir 24th of September 2021 was the day of the Climate Justice March in Montreal, and of course, Dawson mobilised to show their support to this extremely important cause. Throughout the whole week leading up to that Friday, the Green Earth Club had meeting after meeting to paint posters for the protest, organise the logistics of the march, set up a General Assembly that would cancel classes, etc. Ultimately, a compromise was made and teachers were encouraged to be more amenable to students missing class. On the day of the protest, a group of Dawson students had gathered and started marching in the halls of the college. They chanted all around the school, then made their way to McGill campus to unite forces with these university students. “ Dawson merging with McGill was really amazing. It fostered a sense of community and solidarity, which I think is super important in cases like these when we're up against huge all-powerful conglomerates.” - A student at the protest WHY THEY MARCHED While obviously not as busy as the 2019 protest with Greta Thunberg that gathered half a million people, this one still garnered thousands of people from all ages and of course, students from colleges and universities. They decide to cut time out of their busy day and take part in this act of civil disobedience for a myriad of reasons: they want to see change; they had witnessed the devastating effects of global warming during the pandemic; they want their children to live in a world where forests are not razed to the ground but planted instead. “I wanted to go to the protest because I’m frustrated by the lack of action coming from our government. After being 500 000 in the streets in 2019, we have seen little policies or initiatives,” Chloe Shepard, Green Earth Club member. Indeed, the goal of this march was to express a global frustration, so that change would be provoked. Marches are an opportunity for solidarity in the face of a crisis. Whether they are from the same school, or from the same ethnicity, people put their differences aside to send one powerful message. WHAT TO DO MORE Nonetheless, showing up at protest is not enough for long-lasting shifts to ensue. As it appears, many students have expressed concern about the ephemeral effect of Climate Justice Week. Mia Kennedy, Green Earth Club executive says, “It's incredible to see that many take time out of their day to come march,” but at the same time she amends, “I have to hold myself back from too much excitement because I know that this amount of support is temporary. The day of the march comes. Everyone is excited to talk about climate. The day of the march passes. Everyone forgets. I'm just hoping that people can get excited about the climate more than once a year. Whether it's through your vote, your habits, your way of seeing the world, there are so many ways people can positively contribute to the movement.” Summary for newsletter: on the 24th of September was Climate Justice protest. Dawson has a very vibrant community of environmentalists grouped together in unity, having made posters and preparation all week for that day. An important cause that deserves to be remembered every day of the year. Click here to read more. Project Gallery Previous Next

On December 29th and 30th, the Dawson Student Union hosted one of their last events of the fall semester: Stress Free Week. It was the perfect opportunity for the students to relax and take a moment away from their studies. Students were welcomed to join activities such as yoga, art sessions, Zootherapy and board games. They all took place in 5B.16, the 3C cafeteria and Conrad’s. < Back On December 29th and 30th, the Dawson Student Union hosted one of their last events of the fall semester: Stress Free Week. It was the perfect opportunity for the students to relax and take a moment away from their studies. Students were welcomed to join activities such as yoga, art sessions, Zootherapy and board games. They all took place in 5B.16, the 3C cafeteria and Conrad’s. Stress Free Week: A Break from The Chaos Written by Sarah Quach MONTREAL, QC (December 7th 2021) Finals, term-papers, sleepless nights and last-minute assignments, a myriad of students from Dawson College seem to be stuck in an endless cycle of work and tests. The end of the semester is approaching rapidly. Who knew four months could pass so quickly? These past months have been a difficult, and more importantly, stressful period for many. Whether it was the transition from high school to CEGEP or the switch from online learning to on-campus classes, several students faced new challenges throughout the term. All in all, everyone is going through a great amount of stress and what better way to relieve it than participating in DSU’s stress free event? “Inhale. Exhale.” This year, the union decided to offer many activities: board games, Zootherapy, yoga sessions and art sessions. “The events are diverse. There’s a bit of everything for everyone.” -Mai-Annie Huynh There were various games to play: chess, dominos and a myriad of other board games. It is never too late to learn a new game! Child’s Pose, Downward Dog, Cobra Pose… The yoga session was an amazing way to take everyone’s mind off of the hectic weeks to come. Who would have imagined doing yoga at the 3C cafeteria? Zootherapy was one of the favourites out there. The DSU got a lot of feedback on how much the students appreciated the activity. Birds, ferrets, hedgehogs, dogs and a variety of other animals from Jimmy Zoo made a splash on campus. Multiple students shared the love through Instagram by sharing adorable snapshots and videos. They were more than thrilled to interact with cute furry friends! Furthermore, participants of the activities were given raffle tickets to win exciting prizes, including a 110$ value Bota Bota gift card, an Indigo gift card, a David’s Tea box set, a spa gift card, and many more fun prizes. Essentially, the winners were given the opportunity to relax and take some time for self-care. “It shows that there’s a lot of thought and effort that goes into it. It’s a unique and interesting event!’’ --Claudia Soplopuco MORE THAN JUST ACTIVITIES Volunteers from the DSU were extremely pleased with the students’ enthusiasm! Moreover, many students were given the chance to interact with new people from campus and make friends! Like all the other exciting events hosted by the DSU, the goal was to offer Dawson’s students a chance to make great memories on campus and new friendships while learning new skills or exploring new interests. These events are about building a strong community of students and spreading love. Stress Free Week was no different to the other events; it was a complete success! All in all, do not forget to take some time off from school, relax and enjoy the present! Mental health matters and it is crucial! “I appreciate that the school thinks about our mental health.” --Jennifer Lu The DSU community wishes everyone a fantastic end of semester and wonderful holidays! For more information about Stress Free Week, please visit On December 29th and 30th, the Dawson Student Union hosted one of their last events of the fall semester: Stress Free Week. It was the perfect opportunity for the students to relax and take a moment away from their studies. Students were welcomed to join activities such as yoga, art sessions, Zootherapy and board games. They all took place in 5B.16, the 3C cafeteria and Conrad’s. Project Gallery Previous Next