By: Lucaiah Smith-Miodownik, News Writer
On November 13, The Peak attended the bi-weekly Simon Fraser Student Society (SFSS) Council meeting via Zoom. The discussion involved a debrief of this year’s Fall Kickoff Music Festival, followed by two committee elections.
Debriefing Fall Kickoff
Fall Kickoff, which took place on September 20, made its return after it was last held in 2019. The event aimed “to tackle the unique challenges of a commuter school by fostering a sense of community, creating lasting memories for students, and demonstrating the SFSS’ commitment to providing a well-rounded student experience beyond academics.” Specifically, the SFSS wanted to “bring student life back to SFU,” recognizing “engaged students are more likely to utilize services, attend events, and contribute to the overall vibrancy of campus culture.”
The SFSS also aimed to garner sponsors “to secure financial support and in-kind contributions” to lay “the groundwork for future collaborations and initiatives.” The student society also said they took this event as an opportunity to develop strategies for future events. For one, the SFSS said they learned to maintain their partnerships with sponsors to “ensure the success of subsequent events” through hosting the event. They also learned that planning Kickoff yearly would raise “student awareness” of the event. Overall, Chitransh Motwani, SFSS vice president of events and student affairs, outlined a refined approach for the next time they host Kickoff. His approach involved earlier planning, clearer stakeholder communication, “detailed operational plans,” and improved budget forecasting, among others.
Council also reported they went over their budget for Kickoff. Originally, Council approved $65,000 to be allocated to the concert from the large-scale events budget. Total expenses were $194,388, with $114,554 going towards paying artists and staging. Motwani reported the total revenue of the kickoff to be $64,343. Ultimately, a motion to cover the excess cost of Fall Kickoff was passed. While some Council members expressed concerns over the cost implications for other grants or clubs, others provided reassurance that the money spent on Fall Kickoff would not impact these other endeavours since their funding is not drawn from the large-scale events budget. The SFSS may need to lower costs for other large events planned this and next year, like Winter Warm-up and a Lunar New Year celebration.
Elections for committee positions
Elections were also held to appoint councillors to two committees. The first committee, looking to fill one spot, was the oversight committee on executive officers. Its job involves “overseeing the conduct of executive officers.” Should the group investigate the conduct of an executive officer, it also has the power to “potentially recommend disciplinary action,” such as a reduced stipend. Two individuals spoke to Council regarding their respective qualifications and abilities for the position. After a vote, Johnny Gates, SFSS public policy councillor, was elected.
The other committee with one open spot was the equity and sustainability committee. This committee is designed “to center historically-excluded students in the community at SFU within the framework of the SFSS.” The committee focuses on “work[ing] towards dismantling intersecting forms of systemic oppression.” Amrit Kullar, SFSS world languages and literature councillor, was elected for this position.
Read the full length version of this article, which covers elections for two committee positions, on The Peak’s website, the-peak.ca.
