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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

WHAT IS DAWSON SNACKIN'? DAWSON SNACKIN' is part of the food-justice initiative created by the DSU (Dawson Student Union). This program offers free coffee, tea and snacks every Friday at a table in the Upper Atrium (2nd Floor) or in front DSU Main Office (2F.2) HOW DOES IT WORK? Fridays Volunteers and DSU members set up a table with snacks and coffee/tea. People are encouraged to bring reusable mugs or containers to reduce waste. Volunteers restock items until supplies run out (usually first-come, first-served). This service is open to all Dawson community members HOW TO VOLUNTEER? DAWSON SNACKIN' always needs volunteers (regular or one-time basis) to help with the preparation, distribution, and make Fridays a little brighter for everyone! Meet new people, and contribute to the Dawson Community today! Dawson SNACKIN' Get Involved ! Contact The Vice-President (Operations & Services) is responsible for overseeing DSU services, managing logistics and supplies, and ensuring these programs run smoothly to support students’ well-being. DAWSON STUDENT UNION The Dawson Student Union conducts its activities on land which is the unceded traditional territory of the Kanien'kehá:ka . DSU's Office 3040 Sherbrooke West Room 2F.2 Montreal, QC H3Z 1A4 Canada Email: info@dawsonstudentunion.com For DSU Health and Dental Plan (Insurance) Inquiries: +1 438 796 2640 or Studentcare Contact Form For Media Requests: media@dawsonstudentunion.com FOLLOW US Dawson Student Union © 2025 All Rights Reserved Mail

Among the many events the Dawson Student Union has hosted, Geek Week holds a special place in the heart of many students. In October 2021, a huge number of students, from talented artists to cosplay enthusiasts worked hand in hand to spread the Geek spirit throughout campus. There were a huge variety of activities: Kahoot competitions, exciting raffles, fabulous loot prizes, cosplay contests, WII games, anime dubbing, fandom trivia and so much more. Geek Week was a fabulous opportunity to learn about Dawson’s diverse geek community and talented artists. For more information about Geek Week, please visit < Back Among the many events the Dawson Student Union has hosted, Geek Week holds a special place in the heart of many students. In October 2021, a huge number of students, from talented artists to cosplay enthusiasts worked hand in hand to spread the Geek spirit throughout campus. There were a huge variety of activities: Kahoot competitions, exciting raffles, fabulous loot prizes, cosplay contests, WII games, anime dubbing, fandom trivia and so much more. Geek Week was a fabulous opportunity to learn about Dawson’s diverse geek community and talented artists. For more information about Geek Week, please visit Another Successful Geek Week for The Books Written by Sarah Quach Between October 18 th to October 22 nd 2021, a beloved event was hosted by the Dawson Student Union and Campus Life and Leadership at the college: Geek Week! GEEK CULTURE AT ITS BEST Similarly to a myriad of other events that were put on hold due to the pandemic the previous year, Geek Week has come back roaming the hectic hallways of campus. Whether in Conrods, the 3C cafeteria or the upper atrium, a crowd of passionate students got together and shared their interests and inspiring talents. There was cosplay, as well as a multitude of workshops, from painting to Rubik’s cube tutorials. Students could buy a variety of fan art, prints, stickers, postcards and greeting cards in order to support these talented and artistic students. Essentially, multiple activities were organized in order to celebrate all interests that fell into the geek spectrum. Although it took place in the midst of a busy semester (it was the first semester on campus for the majority!), many students contributed to the event. Times might have been difficult; homework might have been piling up; mid-terms might have been haunting the students, but they pulled through! Geek Week was an excellent opportunity to escape from the overall stress of school. Whether these students spent hours talking and meeting new people, diving into long-winded dialogues or stopping by in between breaks, the word spread like wildfire. Several posters, Instagram posts and, most importantly, the capes hovering above the lockers in the lower atrium sent a clear message to all students: Geek Week is officially back at Dawson for another week of unexpected discoveries and happy reunions. A STRONG FAMILY AT THE CORE OF DAWSON Multiple volunteers from the Dawson Student Union took matters into their own hands in order to keep an energetic and welcoming atmosphere. They dedicated their time to get involved by guiding and managing the several workshops, from Kahoot competitions, exciting raffles, loot prizes to cosplay contests, etc. There were WII games, anime dubbing, fandom trivia and so many more thrilling activities. “Geek is often used inappropriately. It’s not something to be ashamed of. It’s about loving to do something different. Being a geek is not just being nerdy, it’s about having a passion for something.” - Florian Breault Florian was hosting the Rubik’s cube workshop during Geek Week. He was more than pleased to share his skills. “People are geeks, people are nerds and it’s so much fun. I genuinely love the atmosphere!” - Lina Privorotsky Despite the multiple Covid restrictions and lack of space in the upper atrium, legions of students were glad to be part of Dawson’s tight knit geek community. It was an auspicious opportunity to meet several new people and dive into new passions that were never considered before, as well as explore the everlasting universe of geekiness and its interesting insights! By any accounts, Geek Week was an event to remember! “We’re all geeks in a way!” -Abril Meza Among the many events the Dawson Student Union has hosted, Geek Week holds a special place in the heart of many students. In October 2021, a huge number of students, from talented artists to cosplay enthusiasts worked hand in hand to spread the Geek spirit throughout campus. There were a huge variety of activities: Kahoot competitions, exciting raffles, fabulous loot prizes, cosplay contests, WII games, anime dubbing, fandom trivia and so much more. Geek Week was a fabulous opportunity to learn about Dawson’s diverse geek community and talented artists. For more information about Geek Week, please visit Project Gallery Previous Next

Consent Consent is the practice of asking permission and respecting boundaries. This practice is necessary within sex and relationships, but it is also important in all aspects of life! The Dawson Student Union prioritizes educating the student body about consent and rape culture. Everyone has the right to feel safe on campus! Check out our upcoming consent talk with special guest Farrah Khan happening during FROSH WEEK! Challenging Rape Culture Another important subject to the DSU is educating about Rape Culture: an idea that refers to society's attitude towards rape/sexual assault and its victims. This can lead to the dismissal and excusal of sexual harassment/assault, rapist behavior, and rape itself. Rape Culture is reinforced by the media and is perpetuated and upheld by society. If you wish to seek more information on these topics, feel free to visit our Gender Advocacy Centre, the Hive in room 2D.1a!

Student Council List of past Student Councillors and Chairs. 2023-2024 Chair Kevin Contant-Holowatyj Creative & Applied Arts Continuing Education Chaz Heritage Mia Cara Philips Alan Chris Dalen Maniratanga Science, Medical Studies & Engineering Social Science & Business Technologies Dilinur Abdumutalova Louisa Akkouche Mahan Mansoor Ihsane Sarif Habiba Megawer Nathan Gervais Nika Heidarpour Maleki Gowrish Subramaniam Tam Thieu Kenneth Oledan 2022-2023 Chair Creative & Applied Arts Continuing Education Kevin Contant-Holowatyj Deidra Robinson Seyed Mohammad Parsa Sajadian Parthib Chakroborty Chaz Heritage Science, Medical Studies & Engineering Social Science & Business Technologies Isabella Ruvo Alvaro Torres Bryan Vu Brenda Truong Isabelo Beli-En David Sydney Levitt Lucia Quintero Lossada 2021-2022 Chair Creative & Applied Arts Continuing Education Samantha Morel (2021) Kessy Simbi (2022) Marisa Mitchell Amélie Druker Madison O’Connell Science, Medical Studies & Engineering Social Science & Business Technologies Adelka Felcarek-Hope Inès Lamothe-Katrapani Tristan Boisvert-Larouche Allen La Daniela Diaz Richard Raphael Charlotte Pelletier-Burke Marischka Joseph 2020-2021 ACADEMIC REPRESENTATIVES Science Social Science Arts Christina Koikaran Yves-Jusslin Maniratanga Yimaj Baharun Mojisola Adams Adelka Felcarek-Hope Inès Lamothe-Katrapani Oriana Buchsez Technical Continuing Education Daniela Jimena Diaz Jimenez Nathan Mcdonald Andréanne Dussault Ahmad Shaker Noori Calum Bulley DEMOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATIVES Queer Students Francophone Students Indigenous Students Arwyn Regimbal Shirin Hinojosa Violante Jordan Lee Jerome-Pitre Racialized Students Students with Disabilities Mia Scroggins-Hadley Fernando Belote

Summary for newsletter: the 30th of September 2021 at Dawson was a very significant day for it was a day to honour those who had to go through the trauma of residential schools under the government's orders. But the lessons, knowledge and intentions embodied that day should and must last eternally as several students pointed out. Many different branches of the school helped organize it so that students could become better-informed and show their support through small gestures such as signing a pledge, donating to charities, wearing an orange t-shirt, supporting Indigenous businesses and going to the march. To read the full article, click here. < Back Summary for newsletter: the 30th of September 2021 at Dawson was a very significant day for it was a day to honour those who had to go through the trauma of residential schools under the government's orders. But the lessons, knowledge and intentions embodied that day should and must last eternally as several students pointed out. Many different branches of the school helped organize it so that students could become better-informed and show their support through small gestures such as signing a pledge, donating to charities, wearing an orange t-shirt, supporting Indigenous businesses and going to the march. To read the full article, click here. Reconciliation Day Written by Sophia El Bakir On 30th of september 2022 was Truth and Reconciliation Day. Students came in numbers wearing orange shirts and showing their support for Indigenous peoples as well honouring the healing journey of residential school survivors. CONTEXT: Campus Life and Leadership (CLL) has been doing Orange T-Shirt Day in collaboration with the First People’s centre since 2017. But this year took a particular importance as it happened in a very interesting context. For the past months, there has been a lot of media coverage on the unmarked graves in which thousands of children from residential schools were buried, as well as on the disappearance of countless Indigenous women. STUDENT ENGAGEMENT That week, CLL had sold t-shirts throughout the whole week, helped Indigenous people to conduct workshops, and started a student pledge. “We wanted to figure out what we can do with students so that they can consider and understand and take responsibility for their own education because we know that they are not always taught this in school.” --Billi-Jo Poirier, organiser within Campus Life and Leadership. Thus, they came up with the student pledge, a list of promises, encompassing our basic duty to get informed, to induce affirmative actions, and to take awareness of settler privilege in this society. These pledges were put around the upper atrium and volunteers encouraged passers-by to read it, and if they agreed, to sign it. Then on the 30th, many students came in an orange t-shirt. Some also went to the march for Indigenous people’s rights. The DSU and its clubs also helped raise Indiginous people’s voices. Indeed, the communications team used the DSU’s social media platforms to create stories and posts in order to promote Indigenous artists, writers and other influencers. As for the clubs, they were setting up charities for clean water in reservations and the Dawson Feminist Union was promoting the Native Women’s Shelter and raising donations. Throughout the whole week orange t-shirt pins and buttons were distributed, its ultimate goal raising awareness. Later, many students went to the march because they believed that the institutions were not doing enough to help Indigenous people’s, because they wanted to do their part in repairing the harm they caused and because they realize that colonisation is a system that is still present today. “I think this part of Canada’s history is a shame, and I think we should hold each other accountable for what happened and learn and move forward without forgetting about what happened.” -- Student at the march Celebrating Truth And Reconciliation Day is a great gesture, but as many students have said during their interview, it remains infinitesimal when looking at what can be done. Summary for newsletter: the 30th of September 2021 at Dawson was a very significant day for it was a day to honour those who had to go through the trauma of residential schools under the government's orders. But the lessons, knowledge and intentions embodied that day should and must last eternally as several students pointed out. Many different branches of the school helped organise it so that students could become better-informed and show their support through small gestures such as signing a pledge, donating to charities, wearing an orange t-shirt, supporting Indiginous businesses and going to the march. To read the full article, click here. Project Gallery Previous Next

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