DYLAN MCGUINTY
<Contributor>
Dear Osgoode students,
I am pleased to give you my first progress report since being humbled by the trust you placed in me by electing me as your Legal and Lit President.
Mental Health Awareness Week
Mental Health Awareness Week is planned for the week of October 28.
In any given year, one in five people in Canada experiences a mental health problem or illness, with a cost to the economy in excess of $50 billion. This is not only the world we will be entering as graduates of Osgoode; it is the world we live in today. Your L&L executive is committed to raising awareness and diminishing the stigma associated with the issues surrounding mental health. Melanie Bank Goela, Osgoode’s first Student Success and Wellness Counsellor, provides support when pressures become difficult. Send her an email at mgoela@osgoode.yorku.ca.
For the second year in a row, Legal and Lit and our effervescent Equity Officer, Ebony Rose, are supporting the Mental Health Law Students’ Association and Melanie Banka Goela in organizing Osgoode’s second annual Mental Health Awareness Week. We are excited at the progress we are making and are aiming to strike a balance between wellness and de-stressor events while examining the complex dimensions around mental health.
Pineapple Express
Apparently, Osgoode has some of the country’s best-fed starving law students – or at least that is what one might have concluded after reading Jessica White’s scathing reprimand of J.D. students. This kicked off an exciting whodunit at Osgoode as well as a pro-pineapple movement, which unfolded in our hallowed halls and in the national press. But, as I put it to John Tory on his Live Drive radio show, this event highlights the old fashioned value of respect – towards letter-writers and towards those to whom we implore for peace and quiet in the classroom. Needless to say, Ms. White’s letter used indelicate language and made questionable value judgments; but she had a strong arguable case for the importance of using discretion while eating in class.
Osgoode’s Digital Initiative
Osgoode is embarking on an ambitious Digital Initiative this year to build on, extend, enrich and better coordinate the multiple digital initiatives already underway at Osgoode and determine which new areas to develop (whether in areas of pedagogy, research, student services or Osgoode community life). These initiatives, along with a selection of best practices from other institutions, are summarized in a draft background paper which is now available on Osgoode’s digital initiative Moodle site. You can access the Moodle site by clicking the Osgoode Digital Initiative link on the MyOsgoode portal homepage (beneath the Announcements box) and logging into Moodle. If prompted for an enrolment key please enter: Ozdigital13/14. We encourage you to visit the site, participate in a forum discussion and submit your comments. You may also e-mail digital@osgoode.yorku.ca with your specific feedback or questions. A town hall meeting will be scheduled in early 2014 to collect additional feedback and comments. For more information see also Dean Sossin’s recent blog post at http://deansblog.osgoode.yorku.ca/2013/09/osgoodes-digital-initiative/.
Clothing Sale
The clothing sale for this year is moving forward; items will be available for purchase in 3-4 weeks. We will be doing things a little differently this year, as items will be available for purchase year-round. If anyone has any thoughts regarding clothing feel free to email Lucas at legalandlit2ndyr@gmail.com. Additionally, you will be able to custom build items this year, for those of you who have specific desires that are not included in our general clothing sale. Finally, we will be selling the remaining inventory from last year’s sale sometime over the next couple of weeks, details to be announced.
Course Summary Database
The first-year and upper-year summary databases have been updated and are available through legalandlit.ca. The first-year database is publicly accessible, but for access to upper-year summaries, you must email an original summary for an active course (with the semester and professor name) to legalandlitvpi@osgoode.yorku.ca. If you are in 3L, your submitted summary must be for an upper-year course. On request, exchange and transfer students will be provided with complimentary access to the upper-year database.
Used Book Sale Website
L&L has created a publicly accessible site for students to list their books for sale. The page is linked through legalandlit.ca. Please post items for sale and shop for the books you need. As a courtesy to others, please delete your entries after you have sold your books. Questions may be directed to legalandlitvpi@osgoode.yorku.ca (Doug). All entries will be deleted in late November so that a new sale cycle can begin for the winter term.
Webmaster and Bar Manager
I would like to welcome Alicia Landry, our new L&L webmaster. With her expertise and diligence, L&L’s website content will be managed and protected.
I would also like to congratulate Zorn for returning as JCR Bar manager. We are pleased that he has come back to make the JCR a lively communal space for all of us to enjoy. With Zorn’s help, we are actively seeking Osgoode clubs and organizations to share in good times and showcase Osgoode students’ artistic talent and cultural expression by pairing up with us for our JCR nights. If you have an event idea you would like to share, or have a secret talent you would like to showcase, please contact Zorn at zornpink@gmail.com.
For information about events at Osgoode and in the JCR, please follow us on Twitter – @legalandlit.
Pub Nights
L&L hosted our first Pub Night on Wednesday, September 18. Thanks to Zorn, we teamed up with ILP to host a fundraiser to help raise a few bucks for future ILP endeavours.
We are also pleased to introduce a selection of new items for our JCR nights, including sandwiches from Blumont Bistro; Thornbury Ciders; and rotating draft choices. We will also soon be offering tall cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon.
Trivia!
Round one of Trivia took place on Wednesday October 2nd in the JCR and was a huge success. A total of 21 teams of four participated. The Vladimir Poutines came out on top with an impressive 31 points. These points will carry over into Round two, which will be on Wednesday October 16th in the JCR. With 11 teams eliminated, only 10 teams remain.
Other people and teams are welcome to come play the next round; they’re just out of the running for the top spot.
Clubs Budgets Approved
September was a busy month for budgets. Thank you to all clubs for having submitted their proposals. Legal and Lit approved funds on the basis of those proposals, with the help and guidance of our dynamic and super-well-organized VPX, Allison Williams.
Club Collaboration
We have created a central online calendar that clubs can use to collaboratively find dates to organize events that don’t conflict with each other. This tools will go a long way to helping clubs organize exciting initiatives that will benefit all of Osgoode students, as well as to facilitate member-focused events.
Dean’s Formal Planning Underway
Our 3L Rep, Weston Powell, has been busy phoning, meeting and emailing to organize one of Osgoode’s biggest annual events, the Dean’s Formal. Stay tuned, we don’t want to spoil the surprise!
Financial Aid
L&L is also working with Student Financial Services to increase targeted funding to students who have demonstrated financial need. If you have any questions, please contact Weston at legalandlit3rd@gmail.com.