Minutes by: Julia Menezes
Date: September 17, 2020
Time: 7:30pm - 8:45pm
Location: Video Call through Zoom
Attendees: 15
Regrets: Arooba, Tracy and Maryam
Absent: I seriously have no idea
Land Acknowledgment
Nicole:
Yes! It is still important even though we’re online!!! We’re going to start doing sign-ups for land acknowledgements after this meeting. Stay tuned for email!
Welcome and introduction of SASSex
Names, preferred pronouns, positions, and quick fact about self :)
Do I record this part??? I feel like introductions are kind of personal…moral of the story is that Moose Tracks seems to be a favourite ice cream flavour for lots of folks!!
Updates from Nicole
Information regarding what the year can potentially look like (i.e. what is even permissible)
Nicole:
Meeting agendas going forward will have an order so there is less stress with knowing/not knowing when you’re talking about. Very general statement - NO IN-PERSON STUFF! (for the entire year). Got it folks? NO in person stuff. NONE. Not even second-semester or socially distanced. SASS does not endorse in-person stuff. SASS stuff = online. There is currently a Mac-wide ban on in-person stuff. If you don’t want to use your personal ZOOM account for SASS events let Nicole know. Nicole will happily use her personal Zoom account :)
Advice and proposed deadlines for year plans
This year is different. Yes, it’s annoying and you’re probably upset and confused. Please don’t stress about it! We have an exciting opportunity to learn together and reimagine events online but its also totally okay to be a bit upset about it right now :)
This is a transition period so proposed year plans will definitely not be due until AT LEAST the first/second week of October!!!! If you have no ideas right now that’s okay!!
Updates from SASSex at large
Each attendee will be given 2-5 minutes if they have any quick updates on what they might get up to this year or any plans they might have in the following order. Perfectly okay to still be in the “I have no idea my role was dependant upon physical events so I’m currently brainstorming”
VP functions, Gillian:
Matched lots of sibs with Maya! Going forward, going to do some sib events online. Maybe a sib-fam tournament online? Milk & Cookies online!!
VP Social, Paige:
Usually doing Halloween dance...maybe we supplement that with an online costume competition? Kaffeehaus will definitely still happen online! One Kaffeehaus per semester. Secret santa for first years? That could be fun. Not sure what it would look like right now but if you folks have any ideas let me know!
Treasurer, Tracey (regrets)
Communications Director, Arooba (regrets)
Community Chair, Hannah F.:
Instagram prompts to involve students in very different locations! Raffle for merch? Art nights/paint nights? Send out some emails with walk ideas to get people outside. Would like some more ideas regarding progressive dinner. Maybe just get people cooking? Lots of money because not doing formal so maybe lets brainstorm...some food for thought…??
Formal Convenor, Maryam (regrets)
Athletics and Recreation Officer, Mateo:
Going to start brainstorming over the next few weeks. A work in progress!
SRA Representative, Adeola:
SRA did lots over the summer! The podcast is great because it works really well in an online environment!! Year-plan is now available (for year plans within SASS, SRA and Mac in general). Within SASS, having an event to inform folks about what the SRA does/is). Having an online accessibility guide? E-games tournament?
SRA Observer, Vikita:
Maybe create our own Instagram page for Artsci SRA? Create a poll in SASS page to see what folks in the Artsci community want.
Junior Program Advisor, Maya:
Outreach ideas for first years - peer study sessions? Virtual LRW 3038? Promote Artsci more (internationally) to high school students. Find creative ways to spread the word! Make course combination forms more accessible to first-years and incoming highschool students.
Senior Program Advisor, Katerina:
Continuing the work of the Equity and Inclusion committee from last year. Re-releasing the survey from last year? Hosting Agora! A database of extracurriculars that Artscis have done/are available to folks (post this on Artsci website).
Level II Representative, Andrea:
Sending out reminders for courses to keep second years updated. Hosted a summer online games night! Make the games night a regular occurrence? Zoom study nights before big tests?? Zoom-dedicated tutor resources? Scavenger hunt around Hamilton that people can do on their own (without having to be in groups).
Hannah F.:
Make a scavenger hunt (on Instagram) a competition between years??
Level III Representative, Andrew:
Drafting a letter to third years about ideas for this year and possible ideas. Spotify playlist for our year? Create a shared doc where people can add a word, a sentence or a paragraph to a collective third-year story? Zoom cooking nights!! Share a recipe that everyone can make together. Contacted curator of Tag Your ArtSELF to have a competition going?
Senior Website Administrator, Ingrid:
SASSweb underwent a URL change (it now includes 2020...so hopefully that will be removed soon). Next-week sending out applications for Junior Website Administrator. Fall elections will occur on SASSweb.
Senior Musical Producer, Elise:
Corbin and Adeola wrote a script! In June, we had planned for online auditions/rehearsals in the hopes that new year would be in person. The musical has now sent out an interest form (we got 74 responses!!). Roles are going to be very different this year but there is currently a working document in progress with possible ideas. Adapting the script for an online platform? Skit writing? Zoom the musical is not super exciting...we’re open to ideas!
Welcome Week Planners, Hayley:
Welcome week went well! Yay!! We think first years liked it??
Welcome Week Planners, Julia:
All our stuff officially ended last week but we’re still hoping to make a video or something to encourage first years for their first midterm? I’m still not great with technology but Hayley = a Zoom expert, so feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions about how some of our programs worked (or didn’t work…) online :)
Upcoming Elections and General Meeting:
Junior website administrator application
4th-year reps
1st-year reps
Nicole:
JWA doesn’t have to be an elected process! Will be by application (because there are very specific skills needed for this role). Other rep roles will be by voting through SASSweb. Possible idea to make SASS elections during reading week (instead of before reading week). Vote-counting is better this year and we want time for the JWA to settle into their role/help Ingrid with the election.
Hannah F.:
Maybe less people would engage because they’re ‘checked-out’ of checking their phones because they’re on vacation?
Nicole:
We could advertise lots leading up to reading week?? Hopefully that would remedy it? We just statistically have terrible voter turnout :( :(
Why are Artscis not involved in the voter process?!?!? Spicy instagram stuff? Nicole on Instagram live?
General SASS meeting would be the week of September 28th or October 5th. Anyone have thoughts??
Andrew:
Earlier the better! In case we do have to do another election...
Nicole:
General meeting = nomination time. Deadline to accept nominations would be October 7th. It would probably be better to be earlier, but I understand if folks want it later too…
Weird election vibes. No one was elected for fourth year rep. Seriously what is happening??? This is the first time this has happened. If the positions are not being filled at the general election then we go to bi-elections. We shouldn’t fret :)
*Vote happens for when to have the general meeting*
For September 28th: UNANIMOUS!!!!!
It shall be a Wednesday - September 30th general meeting.
Unanimous vote!!!
For October 5th: Nope. Not happening :)
Nicole:
I think we can agree that calling into a meeting is not valid?? But we’ve got to ask some questions about this...tangent stuff...we shall leave soon :)
Upcoming Meeting Dates and Times Confirmation
Nicole:
Next meeting - Thursdays/Mondays work best, except some people can’t make it. Monday seems like next best time. Anyone opposed to Monday nights? Is 8:30-9:30pm okay? Too late? I shall try to keep it under 1 hour! Less tangents! It will be great folks!
Next meeting = 28th of October!!!!!
Keep thinking about your year plans over the next week. I still have to meet with some folks. The 28th will be a more formal meeting where we go over everyone’s plan for the year!