TOM WILSON
<Beastly Bard>
Graduating students will recall that Hannah Askew (’13) won the 2010-11 “Dean for a Day” contest. Her winning entry was a timely and thought-provoking meditation on how Osgoode could, and should, become a more welcoming place for Aboriginal students and scholarship. Some students might recall that the contest’s Selection Committee gave an honourable mention to a student for his submitted poem, “Lean Mean Dean Machine.” Fewer still will remember that the Selection Committee remarked in a York University press release that the poem “surely qualifies him [the author] to be Osgoode’s Honorary [sic] Poet Laureate.” But surely no one can recall the name of that JD student – that troubadour of hoarding walls turned Gowlings Hall. No one save the beastly bard himself— Thomas Reid Wilson.
Now, I can overlook the Selection Committee’s unfortunate spelling of the word “honourary,” but I cannot rest, in my final days at Osgoode, without fulfilling my ode-ious obligations. To that end, I present a review of the work of this year’s Student Caucus… as a Shakespearean Sonnet.
Seriously.
Reflections on Service
Our tale begins with a cabal of three
Who toiled as one and made a strong Exec.
Yes, Tom and James and Oyinkan worked for free.
Without their help it would have been a wreck.
The full team met in summer’s dying light
And learned the ins and outs of Robert’s Rules.
On articling we fought for what was right
And stood for equal access to our school.
When winter ushered whispered winds of change
We thought it over; made a solemn choice.
L-S-S-O: a conference we arranged.
JDs together speaking in one voice.
I tip my cap to you, oh Osgoode fair.
A privilege it has been to serve as Chair.
To the outgoing members of Student Caucus and Faculty Council Committees: my sincerest thanks. To the incoming members of Student Caucus: my best wishes. To the graduating class of 2013: my heartfelt congratulations. And, finally, to Osgoode Hall Law School: it has been an honour and a privilege.
Farewell.
Thomas Wilson is Honourary Poet Laureate of Osgoode Hall and outgoing Chair of Student Caucus.
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Student Caucus: 2012-2013 |
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Camille Dunbar (Equality) Davina Finn (Equality) Elena Iosef (Nominating) James Stevenson (APPC; Academic Standing) Jeffrey Hernaez (APPC) Jeffrey Mitchell (Library; Priorities and Finance) Jenn Aubrey (APPC) Kasia Kmieć (Tenure and Promotions) Leeanne Footman (Teaching and Learning) |
Martin Hui (Clin Ed; Equality) |
Melanie Thomas (Admissions)
Oyinkan Akinyele (Admissions; Clin Ed)
Sabrina Lyon (Clin Ed)
Semhar Woldai (Information Technology)
Thomas Wilson (Nominating; Priorities and Finance)
Yousaf Khan (APPC; Academic Standing)
Yuxi Yu (Faculty Recruitment)
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Valued Contributors and Committee Members: 2012-2013 |
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Fahad Siddiqui (Faculty Recruitment) Lawrence Forsnter (Faculty Recruitment) Lawrence Schwartz (Admissions) Madison Robins (Research and Seminars) Ricardo Golec (Information Technology)
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Robert Woodford (Information Technology) |
Sandra Alsaffawi-David (York Senate)
Simon Wallace (Teaching and Learning)
Stefan Radovanovich (Teaching and Learning)
Victoria Riley (Awards)