Addison looks back

URSU’s President sees 2010 as a success

Lauren Golosky
Contributor

Kyle Addison’s feelings on the last year are concise and optimistic – in one word, 2010 was “great.”

For the president of the University of Regina’s Students’ Union, the year is not measured like the calendar year, but rather by the elected term. Still, just like any other individual does when one year ends and a new one begins, Addison can spend a moment or two to reflect on 2010 as URSU president, a task made somewhat easier by the fact that this is his second consecutive term in the position. 

At the beginning of the 2010-11 term, the URSU executive and management ventured away on a staff retreat, which allowed them to get together and create plans for the year.

Besides advocating student interests to the University of Regina, much of URSU’s accomplishments were philanthropic. They raised over $1,000 for the United Way campaign, as well as over 720 pounds of food in the annual URSU food drive. They also worked with the Regina Public Interest and Research Group, the UR Pride Centre, and the Women’s Centre to put together the 16 Days of Activism campaign that took place during late November and early December of 2010.

Many of the organization’s past plans are still works in progress, including the new URSU Skype Lounge, for which they are seeking sponsorship from Sasktel and Access Communications. 

There are also some goals that URSU was unfortunately unable to fulfill. 

“In hindsight, we would have loved to be more successful in mitigating the dramatic five per cent tuition increase last spring,” Addison said. “I noted my vote of non-support at the University of Regina Board of Governors table, but unfortunately was in a minority position.”

Other missed goals had less dire consequences. “We would have loved to successfully won the Adidas University Challenge,” added Addison. “However, we still did an outstanding job and placed second place.”

Still fresh in many students’ minds is the Canadian Federation of Students referendum, where URSU had backed the campaign to defederate. Whatever the results may be, the way that students responded to and became engaged with the referendum impressed Addison.

“We were quite surprised and very excited with how much student engagement there was during the CFS Referendum,” stated Addison. “We were able to motivate students on both sides of the spectrum to come out and get involved with the current events on campus, and we are very grateful for that.”

It is safe to say there is a lot more to come from the student union for the remainder of the semester. URSU plans to complete and release the rough draft of their “strategic plan” – a list of goals they hope to accomplish during the remainder of their time in office – later this month, as well as their upcoming annual general meeting and subsequent annual report. Regardless of how any unfavourable events might have coloured the last semester, Addison remains optimistic.

“As long as we are continuing to learn as an organization, and strive to provide all of our members with quality representation, then we have accomplished our overall goal. We are satisfied knowing we have done just that. We will continue [to] provide this quality of service to our members for as long as the University of Regina exists.

 “…The highs and lows aren’t what make or break your year,” he added. “It’s how you chose to deal with them that make your year a success or not.”